This inspiring group of entrepreneurs, professionals and innovators in banking, sport, fashion, technology, the arts, food, law, tourism, property and agriculture are yet to celebrate their 40th birthdays but are already shining examples of success.

Despite their diverse fields and ages from 17 to 39, QBM’s Top 20 share a lot of common ground. They dream big, take risks, are original thinkers and back it up with determination, hard work and passion. And for many – a degree of flexibility to change tack when they have hit hurdles along the way.

Politicians and academics have been deliberately left out, giving preference to those who are embedded firmly in the business community.

Scroll down to find out who has made the cut

DARREN LOCKYER (38)

Property developer and retired NRL footballer

The former Origin great Darren Lockyer has a bulging property portfolio and business ventures with his company, Lockyer Enterprises, his a non-executive board member for the Broncos, a spokesman and director of One Key Resources, and ambassador for Origin Energy’s $23 billion Australia Pacific gas project.

LAURA GEITZ (27)

Netballer, company director

The Australian Netball Diamonds and Queensland Firebirds captain is winning on and off the court. She has her activewear label LG Signature Range and online sports equipment company the Netball Factory, runs Netspiration coaching clinics for children, and deals with Wellcamp Airport, Queensland Country Health Fund, Asics, Holden, Rebel Sports and Careers Australia.

INTERACTIVE: Read the in-depth story on each of the Top 20

THESSY (26) AND YIOTA KOUZOUKAS (27)

Sabo Skirt founders

Best friends and sisters-in-law Thessy and Yiota Kouzoukas forged their successful business after posting photos of themselves and their favourite outfits on their blog back in 2010. After six months, they had amassed 150,000 views a month and decided to save every penny they earned and sell all their clothes to launch an online store. Today, they have more than a million Instagram followers and their website sells more than 470 styles from sleep to formal wear, much of which are stocked in David Jones. They employ 15 staff and their business has grown more than 200 per cent since 2013.

BRENDON LEVENSON, 35 AND CRISTY LEVENSON 35

Jetts Fitness founders

With a simple philosophy of no frills and no long term contracts, Jetts Fitness founders Brendon and Cristy Levenson pioneered a radical new 24 hour gym model which changed the Australian fitness industry forever. Fast forward eight years and Jetts has been named one of the fastest growing franchise systems in Australia and its footprint now extends across 361 clubs in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

INTERACTIVE: Read the in-depth story on each of the Top 20

TAKESHI TAKADA, (37)

Alt.vfx co-founder and executive producer

Takeshi Takada and his team at Alt.vfx create some of the coolest TV ads in the world. From Toohey’s Nocturnal Migration and Repay Your Mouth campaigns to Visa’s Paywave Skaters and Abbott’s Free Range Bread. They’ve picked up a Cannes Lions award and continue pitch on jobs worldwide plus are now adding virtual reality to their suite of skills.

BINDI IRWIN (17)

Australia Zoo wildlife conservationist

Since three years of age, Bindi Irwin has been performing in front of the television camera. she

juggles her Netflix show, Bindi’s Bootcamp, with duties as a Wildlife Warrior and active member of Australia Zoo, proving the young business woman is as tough as the crocs she wrestles. She is enrolled in a diploma of tourism and business at TAFE, manages her own clothing line called Bindi Wear International, has her own book series, acted in the film Free Willy.

CJ HENDRY (26)

Artist

From professional boxer Floyd Mayweather to brokers, fashion designers and big-name celebrities such as Kanye West, CJ Hendry has the art world at her mercy.

In just three years, Hendry went from a university drop out a rock star-artist with legions of fans around the world. Using Instagram as a marketing tool, Hendry’s pieces now sell for between $8000 and $50,000 each.

JORDAN GRIVES (26)

Fonebox chief executive

At 19 years of age Jordan Grives founded telecommunications service, Fonebox, to executives at some of Australia’s most well-known companies. Fonebox now counts the likes of Holden, Ford, Volkswagen, Jetts, Curves, Starlight Foundation and Officeworks among its clients and is on track to turn over more than $10 million in revenue this year, more than doubling its income in the past 18 months. It’s grown from providing inbound solutions for 1300 and 1800 calls including number tracking, reporting and routing into other lucrative telecommunications services such as in-depth reporting, big data collection and a 24/7 call centre.

INTERACTIVE: Read the in-depth story on each of the Top 20

SARAH TIMMERMAN (29)

Beginning Boutique founder and director

Sarah Timmerman is at the helm of a growing global online fashion empire. In the social media stakes, Beginning Boutique outflanks big name brands such as David Jones, Audi and Flight Centre, with more than a million dedicated Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook followers driving sales to its business. The fast-fashion business also creates its own line of fashion and accessories.

TIM FORRESTER (33)

Aria Property Group managing director

After joining his parent's property development group FKP and watching his dad build up the property business, Tim ventured out on his own. In 2003, Rod helped Tim launch Aria Property Group. Aria’s development pipeline has recently been valued at $1.1 billion, including seaside residential projects, ski resorts, wineries and primarily key inner-city urban renewal precincts, specifically South Brisbane.

BONNIE SHEARSTON (27) AND TOM SANCEAU (37)

Restaurateurs

Coming off the success of their first venture, Canvas Club in Woolloongabba in 2010, Bonnie Shearston and business partner Tom Sanceau opened their acclaimed restaurant, Public, in Brisbane’s CBD. They went on to launch their burger joint Red Hook in August last year, bringing a small slice of Brooklyn deliciousness to a Brisbane city laneway. They followed up quickly in December with Italian-inspired restaurant Coppa Spuntino, which doubles as an authentic pizza joint and charcuterie bar. This month they opened their fourth venue, London Fields gastropub in West End.

DALENE WRAY (39)

OBE Organic general manager

Dalene Wray is carving a path as the Queen of Queensland’s beef industry. After spearheading OBE’s expansion abroad, Wray has returned home to take the organic beef company to greater heights. Her unrivalled industry know-how and 10 years’ experience in Asian markets, mingling with the big players in Hong Kong and China have helped her grow OBE from humble beginnings in the 1990s into a dominate player in the beef export sector.

JULES TOGNINI (31)

Salon director, Togninis Global

As the son of iconic Australian hairdresser Benni Tognini, Jules has got into the family business.

He went on to become creative director at Togninis and salon director at AKA Togninis, revamping the salon into a youthful mecca for hip customers. He then founded Lil off the Top, a creative program which educates and trains professionals in the industry how to step-up their craft. This year’s Male Hairdresser of the Year also launched a range of YouTube how-to videos last year to boost the brand’s social media presence and is in the process of developing a male grooming blog to snag a growing male clientele.

VANESSA GARRARD (36)

E3 Style owner

Vanessa Garrard is a leader in the consumer electronics market with her revolutionary business model, E3 Style. Nine years after the company started, E3 Style has grown its annual turnover from $7 million in its second year to more than $30 million in 2013/2014. It’s now the top youth and fashion electronics supplier in Australia and New Zealand with licencing agreements with Mattell and Warner Brothers. Garrard also heads brand management business KreativeDNA and an export business called Zennix. She has been ranked in Australia’s Top 30 Female Entrepreneur list every year since 2010 and took out Queensland’s Telstra Young Business Women’s Award in 2011.

ANTHONY YAP (36) AND HANH MY LUU (36)

Good Price Pharmacies co-owners

Husband and wife duo Anthony Yap and Hanh My Luu were just 23 when they opened their first pharmacy together, using $50,000 in life savings to launch the first of many Good Price Pharmacy outlets in Deagon in 2001. Fast forward 14 years and Good Price has turned into a pharmaceutical empire with more than 40 stores in six states, 800 employees and an annual turnover in excess of $200 million.

AMBER WERCHON (33)

Amber Werchon Property chief executive

At a time when most teenage girls were planning what to wear to their school formal, Amber Werchon was buying her first investment property. She worked her way up from receptionist at the local Ray White, working her way up the ladder into a job in sales. After only three years, she won the top gong as the best real estate agent in Queensland. Four years later she opened her own agency, Amber Werchon Property, at the age of 25. Her accolades include REIQ Rookie Salesperson of the Year 2002 and REIQ’S salesperson of the year for three consecutive years. Lately her business has expanded into all facets of real estate from residential and commercial sales, property management and a finance division, AW Money.

SAHBA ABEDIAN (39)

Sunland managing director

Sunland’s new design for a site by the Brisbane River at Toowong, dubbed “champagne flute” buildings, attracted a heavily divided reaction. But the man pushing that $420 million development, Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian, refers to it as art. Sunland has projects from Toowong to Melbourne and previous head-turners include the Gold Coast’s Palazzo Versace resort and Q1, then the world’s tallest residential tower. Sunland’s profits are tipped to hit $28 million this year. A trained lawyer, most of his working life has been at Sunland, which his father co-founded.

Abedian has been sole MD since 2005.

PHILIPPA BARTLETT (36)

Bank of Queensland senior executive

Fresh out of school, 17-year-old Philippa Bartlett landed a job as a bank teller at Bankwest to head of stores before moving to BoQ in 2013. She is now general manager, corporate network and retail transformation responsible for running all aspects of BoQ’s 75 corporate branches.

CARL HARTMANN (31)

Temando chief executive

The Brisbane tech business, spearheaded by chief executive Carl Hartmann, has forged a niche in the e-commerce freight sector. The business helps retailers get their products to shoppers easier and even helps to manage their inventory. Today Temando, which also counts billionaire James Packer as a backer, boasts more than 52,000 registered users with some of the world’s biggest retailers such as Toys R Us, Nike and ASOS among clients. It’s now plotting its global expansion after snaring a $50 million investment from global mail solutions supplier, Neopost.

SUZANNE BROWN (29)

McKays Solicitors principal

Suzanne Brown fell recently won two gongs in Lawyers Weekly’s 30 Top Lawyers Under 30 Awards. Brown is the only lawyer ever to have won two awards – energy resources and government –out of the 10 categories at the national awards. Brown also sits as one of six directors and the only female on the board of North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation

INTERACTIVE: Read the in-depth story on each of the Top 20