Gold Coast Bulletin’s Power 100 2022: Meet our top 20 entrepreneurs
The Gold Coast is home to some of biggest names in start-ups in Australia, and the biggest names in the influencer game. Meet our top 20 most influential.
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These are among the Gold Coast’s most influential people.
The powerbrokers, movers and shakers, those at the top of their game, celebrities, entrepreneurs and CEOs who are putting the city on the map.
Our journalists and editors have spent weeks debating whose influence and work matters most in 2022 – and now it’s your turn to read, argue, ponder and share the second instalment: entrepreneurs and influencers.
Stay tuned as each week as we reveal the most influential in our city’s most important industries: medical, influencers and entrepreneurs, real estate agents, hospitality moguls and developers.
Click here to meet the city’s 10 most influential medicos.
Below, we introduce 20 of the Gold Coast’s top influencers and entrepreneurs.
20. HiSmile
HiSmile sells teeth whitening products to young women and has made its founders Nik Mirkovic and Alex Tomic rich men.
In 2017, they debuted as the youngest entrants on the Australian Financial Review’s 2017 Young Rich List, with a combined net worth of $46 million.
19. Claxon
Surfers Paradise-based digital growth agency Claxon works with powerhouse clients such as G8, Go1, LIVIN, Major Events Gold Coast, F45 and Accor Hotels. Co-founded by Daniel Willis and Brett Campbell in 2017, the agency is currently expanding globally.
18. Mitchell Orval – @mitchellorval
Mitchell Orval may have been in the limelight over the past two years over being labelled an ‘anti-vaxxer’ but he has made a smooth transition into the business world. At the beginning of 2022 Mitchell made a comeback on Instagram after his hiatus from the controversy and soon after sold his first home with Chloe Szepanowski, making almost $1m in profit. Mitchell recently shared his newest business adventure as a part owner in a cafe at Nobby’s called The Shack Take-Away.
17. Emilee Hembrow – @emileehembrow
Followers: 1.1m
16. Gilmour Space
This Gold Coast company received a windfall from private investors to continue its quest of shooting for the stars.
In July last year, Helensvale-based Gilmour Space Technologies planned to almost double its staff after five Australian and US firms tipped in $61m to help it get rockets into space.
The deal is believed to be one of the largest private equity investments raised by a space company in Australia.
15. Siblings Kirra
Residents were devastated in 2019 when it was revealed Pizza Hut at Coolangatta would close its doors after more than 40 years – but newcomer Siblings Kirra is sure to fill the void.
Restaurateurs Peter and Tracey Ciancis, known for Edgewater Dining and Fish Emporium at Isle of Capri, now hold what is considered the city’s most prime piece of real estate.
The 220-seat venue, which also offers a private dining area, will be overseen by sons Jarrod and Tj, as well as daughter Hannah, in what’s been described as a “family affair.”
14. Jamie Allen – @jamie — jaymes
Followers: 145k
13. Skye Wheatley – @skye.wheatley
Followers: 656k
Wheatley found herself in the spotlight after her coming third in Big Brother in 2013. The now mother of two posts content daily about her life on the Gold Coast.
Her followers have watched Wheatley and her partner Lachlan Waugh renovate their mansion over the past two years.
All while Wheatley runs two businesses, Good People Apparel and Skye & Freja presets.
12. Grace Olivia Roberts – @graceoliviaroberts
Followers: 25k
Roberts was recently named one of the Gold Coast’s next generation influencer. She currently owns bikini and lounge-wear label Temptation Vacation and fashion store Olive and Vern. Grace said she classes her personal Instagram as her part-time job and running Temptation Vacation with her partner, Ed Hatcher, as a full-time job.
11. Cake – Jason Atkins and Kim Hansen
Chief executive of fast-growing software company Cake, Jason Atkins, has raised $US2.2m in seed capital to launch in more than 20 countries over the next 18 months, including the US and Britain.
Mr Atkins started Cake – an equity management platform for helping start-ups and scale-ups manage employee options, raise capital and manage shareholders – on the Gold Coast, where he met his co-founder Kim Hansen.
10. Tamika Smith
She started her own construction company at 19 and went on to create Top 100 Women, a networking community for women in construction.
Tamika Smith successfully secured a house and land package for the family and children of slain mother Kelly Wilkinson.
The construction entrepreneur was named the Entrepreneur winner at the 2021 Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year awards.
9. Tammy Hembrow – @tammyhembrow
Followers: 14.2m
Tammy Hembrow is regarded as the Gold Coast’s top influencer. She has been the face of fitness plans for over a decade. Hembrow owns her activewear company, Saski Collection, while also doing many collaborations with Women’s Best. Hembrow was the beginning of a influencers turned entrepreneur.
8. Chloe Szepanowski – @chloeszep
Followers: 627k
While Chloe has had a controversial year in the limelight with reports of her not following mask-mandate rules she has also had a big year for her business.
Chloe owns active wear label called Szep and a video streaming platform which includes yoga, mindfulness and nutrition tips called Wellweb.
Chloe and her partner Mitchell Orval recently sold their first home and made almost $1m in profit after renovating the back yard and styling the house to perfection.
7. Danibelle – @danibelle
Followers: 1m
The Gold Coast’s resident fitspo Dannibelle has secured a large following by sharing her fitness journey. Danibelle owns her own activewear brand, DB, which also sells work out accessories including booty bands and her tailored workout programs.
6. FIST Handwear
A business started in a Gold Coast bedroom 10 years ago found its way onto the global stage last year.
All BMX athletes medalled at the Tokyo Olympic Games stood proudly on the podium wearing FIST Handwear riding gloves.
This included the Gold Coast’s very own BMX freestyle Olympic gold medallist Logan Martin.
The Varsity Lakes business supplied riding gloves for BMX athletes from ten countries at the games.
Owner Sam Moore said it was “insane” to see his product make it to Tokyo.
5. Culture Kings – Tah-nee Beard and Simon Beard
This husband and wife founded streetwear and styling company Culture Kings with a single Gold Coast store 13 years ago.
Last year, they sold their majority stake in it for $600m.
Mr Beard, who began his retailing career selling products on Alibaba, claimed to have pioneered ‘schoolies’ merchandise on the Glitter Strip.
4. Rachel Johnston – @ — racheljohnston
Followers: 3k
Rachel Johnston is one of the Gold Coast’s up and coming influencers. She recently ran her own fashion show for her Eeyo clothing brand.
The young entrepreneur designs bright, trendy, clothing inspired by the Y2K movement with lots of flares, puffy sleeves, high waist shorts and shiny crop tops.
3. Riley Hemson – @healthychick101
Followers: 433k
Hemson has been making her way up the influencer ladder since she moved to the Gold Coast. Since her arrival here she launched her own active and swim wear label Remmie by Riley. Her goal is to make everyone feel represented in the fashion industry, which is shown in her extensive size ranges and inclusivity in her marketing/runways.
2. Mr Consistent
The hospitality-loving Gold Coast mates who launched a take-home cocktail company when the pandemic hit toasted a year of huge growth in 2021.
It has been one of the rare success stories to come out of the pandemic, with demand for premium-sourced, quality pre-mixed drinks soaring due to lockdowns and house parties.
More than 400 stockists Australia-wide plus venues themselves sell their core range of margarita, cosmo, sours and bloody mary plus a seasonal range.
The company was founded by Jarrad Bell, Michael Sebire and Jeremy Davidson.
1. Ryan Aerospace – Chris Ryan
Ryan Aerospace managing director Chris Ryan turned his side hustle of building helicopter simulators into a full time gig in 2012.
In November, the Nerang-based business beat out international competitors to ink a deal with the US Air Force to provide almost 300 helicopters and fighter jet simulators.
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