Top 20 Under 40 list: Young Queensland entrepreneurs taking on the world

They are young, determined and taking the business world by storm. Meet the young entrepreneurs who made the cut for this year’s Top 20 Under 40 list.

Eddie Kocwa from SCD Remanufactured, Riye Arai-Coupe from Bluebird Property Partners and Jason Daniel from LSKD.

Meet the young Queensland entrepreneurs taking on the world. This is the seventh year The Courier-Mail has run its annual Top 20 Under 40 list. Each year we feature a different batch of inspiring go-getters. They come from all different backgrounds and industries but have a common drive to succeed.

CHRIS SEATON, 30, LAWRENCE SEATON, 27

Origin Tea, co-founders

What was a university project for two brothers has become a decade long career to make tea “cool and fun”.

Chris and Lawrence Seaton started Origin Tea in their Logan garage in 2012 and have built the business — focused on the conscious consumer — into a major player in the growing niche sector supplying their product to more than 3000 businesses around Australia.

With an annual Australian revenue of about $3m they plan to grow through selling direct to the consumer online, offering innovative product lines and continue to expand overseas.

“We started the business because our family has connections with tea plantations in Sri Lanka and we saw a gap in the market to start offering tea with traceability and connections back to its single origin,” Chris Seaton said.

“The tea industry has been pretty stagnant and we set out to make tea cool and fun again.”

Without even realising it, Australians will already have tried Origin Tea at their local cafe, on a flight, or when they first tried kombucha.

Now based in Berrinba in Logan, Origin Tea was the basis for the original Remedy brew, giving the brothers a front-row seat to the kombucha boom.

Partnerships with Coca-Cola, Campos and other coffee roasting businesses have seen their tea business grow.

With cafes representing 80 per cent of their business pre-pandemic, Covid prompted some pivots into retail, with their Sticky Chai product set to land on Coles and Woolies shelves in the new year in a move which is set to see the business skyrocket.

Lawrence Seaton said he believes coffee has had its day and tea will see the most growth in the years to come, especially off the back of booming tea-based products such as bubble tea, iced tea, kombucha and seltzer tea.

“We see ourselves as innovators and we just launched a tea syrup for the cafe industry which sold out in a few months,” he said.

“It’s all about traceability and being able to provide great information to the customer about where the tea comes from.”

Brothers Lawrence and Chris Seaton from Origin Tea. Picture: David Clark

JASON DANIEL, 34

LSKD founder

It took a leap of faith for Jason Daniel to steer his active lifestyle clothing brand away from a wholesale business to focus solely online.

But it has paid dividends. LSKD’s revenue has jumped from $3.3m in 2018-19, and will pass the $65m mark in 2021-22 and there are expectations the company will break the $100m barrier in 2022-23.

However, Mr Daniel, who founded the company in 2007, said LSKD has been no overnight sensation having spent years evolving the brand into “functional sportswear with a street aesthetic” and then having to prove the naysayers wrong.

“We faced roadblocks every step of the way, from selling into a retailer and being told by some I couldn’t do it, learning how to leverage the internet, to saying no and giving ourselves a fresh start with a new name in 2018,” he said.

“It was 14 years of trial and error. So, while we may be on track, the reason we’re on track is because we realigned our focus to our community, our mission and our product — and put everything we had into getting those three things right.

“We quickly grew to understand that to persevere, you have to do what you love and find a community that aligns with what you love to do, too.”

Born and bred in Logan, south of Brisbane, Mr Daniel grew up racing Motocross, surfing, riding BMX and generally being part of anything that involved action sports.

He said his “light bulb moment” came with the realisation that he wanted to create a product that he and his Motocross mates could wear while they were not racing.

One pair of LSKD’s popular rep tights are sold every two minutes to fans across the globe and are worn by some of the world’s most sought-after celebs including Em Rata, Zac Efron, Hailey Bieber and Lucy Hale. There are also a number of athletic ambassadors including BMX Olympic gold medallist Logan Martin.

Mr Daniel recently won the 2021 Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the company is in the process of moving into a new headquarters in Logan.

The business has more than 800,000 followers across all social channels with 50 full time team members and over 200 casuals.

Mr Daniel is ramping up LSKD’s infrastructure with plans for swift expansion next year into the US.

“We decided to create a brand to focus on what our customers wanted — functional sportswear with a street aesthetic. It was a risk at the time, but for me, having authenticity as a team is one of the reasons why we’ve grown to where we are today,” he said.

LSKD founder and chief executive Jason Daniel.

EDDIE KOCWA, 34, STEVEN DAVISON, 34

SCD Remanufactured Vehicles co-owners

Eddie Kocwa, the co-owner of SCD Remanufactured Vehicles and a former star footballer on the American college circuit, has big plans to rebuild our defunct national car manufacturing sector. Founded a decade ago with an old school mate Steven Davison, SCD now not only has a large factory at Brendale, with its own paint shop and upholstery department, but a dealership network around the country selling powerful right-hand drive converted US pickups to tradies and grey nomads with luxury caravans.

Mr Kocwa and Mr Davison’s holding company Boss Capital, which includes the manufacturing, distribution and related businesses, will turn over more than a $100m this year. Mr Kocwa, the 34-year-old son of a blue collar telecommunications worker, wears his economic nationalism on his sleeve. Last year, he started “Australian Owned”, a certification site for local manufacturers that now has 3000 participating companies including Maleny Dairy and OzKleen, the makers of Shower Power.

“Governments at all levels need to support Australian manufacturing,” he said. “Covid-19 has turned people back to local products. People used to just shop on price but now they are prepared to spend a bit more to buy local.”

Eddie Kocwa, chief executive of SCD Remanufactured Vehicle. Picture: Tara Croser.

DANIEL WESSELS, 33,

Jacaranda Finance founder and CEO

When Daniel Wessels arrived in Brisbane as a teenager from Zimbabwe in 2004, he threw himself into sport to make mates.

Mr Wessels, who is a cousin of Australian and South African cricket great Kepler Wessels, excelled with the red ball, taking a career best of 5-6 as opening bowler for Brisbane Boys College against Brisbane Grammar.

Fast-forward almost 20 years and its financial wickets that the now 33-year-old Mr Wessels is racking up as founder of Jacaranda Finance, one of the fastest-growing consumer finance firms in the country.

The firm started in 2014 with his brother Joshua from their parents’ house has an impressive loan book of $50m and annual revenue of $30m. Wessels, who cut his financial teeth working for the consumer loan division of Cash Converters, remembers the first loan made by Jacaranda as he and his brother crowded into the family rumpus room.

“It was $1000 for whitegoods,” says Mr Wessels from the company’s HQ in Coronation Dr where staff now deal with several thousand loan applications a day. “I remember someone would call up and ask for the loan manager and I would call out to my brother who would be upstairs making toast or something.”

Jacaranda Finance founder Daniel Wessells.

CLAIRE O’ROURKE, 37, RIYE ARAI-COUPE, 36

Bluebird Property Partners founders

After working for some of Australia’s largest property companies delivering thousands of apartments Riye Arai-Coupe and Claire O’Rourke knew there was another way of doing business.

Ms Arai-Coupe said they were experienced development managers and they saw a gap in the industry for an “outsourced development model” and in 2018 established Bluebird Property Partners.

“Over our careers, we learnt that property development is challenging, and every stage is critical to the success and profitability of a project,” she said.

“We also found a common challenge for many companies is having the right resources at your fingertips when you need them. So, Bluebird was born.”

The point of difference for the Fortitude Valley-based business is that they can either manage the entire development process or just specific phases. They are effectively an extension of a developer’s in-house team.

Since 2018 Bluebiurd has built 210 dwellings with a total project value of $136m. They have a team of 10 in their Fortitude Valley office and their operating income grew 150 per cent in 2020/21 compared to the previous 12 months. They currently have 18 projects under management with an end value of $1.935bn.

They have just launched Bluebird Development Partnerships, which is an open-book and collaborative joint-venture service for landowners who want to participate in a development project.

Ms O’Rourke said they work with small privates through to large corporates, including developers such as Destination Brisbane Consortium, CBUS Property and Consolidated Properties Group.

“We have great relationships with our clients and project teams, and are continually striving to exceed their goals and expectations,” she said.

‘Whether on a construction site or in a boardroom, we know how to develop property and how to deal with people – bringing teams together to make the project a success.”

Bluebirds Property Partners co-founders Claire O'Rourke and Riye Arai-Coupe. Picture: Tertius Pickard

PETER HULL, 34, REBECCA HULL, 33

Fitstop, founder and CEO, and franchise recruitment manager

From humble beginnings, the next big player in the group fitness industry has its eyes firmly set in expansion into the US and Britain.

The Brisbane-based Fitstop currently has 68 locations and is in the process of opening another 75 across Australia and New Zealand.

With US-based global fitness and wellness giant Lift Brands taking a 30 per cent stake in the company this year, Fitstop has the muscle to expand further internationally.

Peter Hull, who started the company in his parents garage, opened his first gym in 2013 before launching the successful franchise model in 2017. The company will open its first New Zealand location in January with another 11 to come.

“Expansion plans are also in the process for a UK and US launch in 2022 and 2023,” he said.

While Covid-19 lockdowns threatened to snuff out much of the fitness industry, Fitstop has grown with network revenue rising from $14.6m in 2020/21 to an expected $28.2m this financial year.

“Since lockdown people have come out on the other side wanting to be empowered and are more conscious of investing in their health,” he said.

“People want the flexibility of owning their own business, to be a part of something with a purpose rather than chasing a career they’re not inspired by anymore.”

Rebecca Hull, who joined the business after the eighth franchises opened their doors, said success was built on focusing on the membership experience.

“If we can think about why people will be attracted to Fitstop and help them achieve their goals that creates more longevity for the business and ultimately create a really safe business for the owners,” she said.

“So if we can provide a product that is financially and socially rewarding from a local community perspective, that creates a product that’s attractive financially to a savvy investor who’s interested in fitness and prepared to take the next step.”

Fitstop's Rebecca and Peter Hull.

CARA GIOVINAZZO, 32

Borro founder

Just 18 months after going out on her own in one of the most competitive sectors of the financial services industry, Cara Giovinazzo is starting to see big numbers emerge from her brokerage business.

The mother of two, who has worked in the sector for decade, started CGIO Finance in April 2020 which was relaunched as Borro at the start of 2021 from a Shailer Park office.

Armed with cutting edge technology and updated systems Borro went from lodging about $2m to $3m in loans a month to $26m in November and with expectations of achieving the same target in December — all done according to Ms Giovinazzo without working overtime or weekends.

“The tech we have makes it easy for clients to apply for their home loan online through their very own portal, which syncs right back into their customer relationship management (CRM) system to go into the bank’s AOL application portal, ensuring faster outcomes for their clients with less processing,” she said.

She is about to release technology that allows customers to receive a live update on the status of their home loan at any time which will also provide information directly back to their solicitor, financial planner or real estate agent.

Ms Giovinazzo said Borro takes a wholistic approach with home loans being the major focus but also personal finance, car loans, asset finance, business cash flow lending, commercial and agricultural lending being part of the business.

They currently have three staff including Ms Giovinazzo and potentially 15 by the end of the year with five brokers lodging a minimum of $15m in loans each a month.

Nominated in the Rising Star category for the nationwide Australian Broking Awards this year, Ms Giovinazzo is also an active supporter in encouraging women to join and excel in the finance broking industry.

Boro founder Cara Giovinazzo.

NATHANIEL ANTHONY, 31, CHRIS ANASTASI, 37

Muscle Nation co-founders

Since launching Muscle Nation five years ago good mates Nathaniel Anthony and Chris Anastasi feel like they’re just getting started.

From packing orders at Mr Anthony’s grandmother’s house in Brisbane they turned over $51m in 2020/21, up from $27m the previous year, and their online activewear, supplements and snacks business is expecting to easily pass that figure this financial year.

Mr Anthony said the are targeting 25 per cent to 30 per cent growth in 2021/22.

“We’re putting our heart and soul into our target of around the $70m mark for this coming financial year,” he said.

A far cry from their humble beginnings.

Mr Anthony said they were excited about the future.

“We feel like we’re just getting started. As a business we have navigated our way through some difficult situations, but our constant will to survive, and our drive to excel and improve, and our amazing community who backs us every step of the way, has allowed us to keep the dream alive,” he said.

Muscle Nation sell more than 1000 different products online to customers around the world and supply more than 300 supplement stores across Australia and NZ.

This year they inked their most significant deal to supply more than 830 Coles stores nationwide with their new range of custard protein bars and powders. And they are in the middle of building a new $8m HQ in Tingalpa.

Muscle Nation has an online community of more than 2 million like-minded people. They have a dedicated social media team which prioritise its customer interactions and importantly they have a dedicated ‘members only’ Facebook page that has 27,400 members.

Mr Asastasi said they use the group as a sounding board for new ideas and field feedback on products.

“We take this group very seriously — we have a team of eight people who sift through threads and respond to members — and we often make improvements to products or offerings based on what people suggest,” he said.

“The best form of marketing is word of mouth, and building a strong relationship with our customers which is undoubtedly how we have built the brand to where it is today.”

Muscle Nation owners Nathaniel Anthiony and Chris Anastasi.

BRAD MORAN, 35

CitrusAd founder and CEO

Former Adelaide Crows ruckman Brad Moran knows all about success and setbacks.

But this year was one of celebration for the serial entrepreneur who sold his Brisbane-based start-up CitrusAd for $205m in October.

The sale to French multinational advertising and public relations firm Publicis Groupe comes a decade after Mr Moran’s AFL career at the Crows was cut short by injury.

He described his forced retirement in 2011 as a “sliding doors” moment.

“Would I have liked to play another ten years? Maybe, but I look back now and probably think it’s the best thing that’s happened,” he said.

His first success as an entrepreneur was with mobile ordering platform NoQ (pronounced no queue) which he launched on the day of his retirement from the Crows. He sold out of the business in 2016.

The following year he kicked off advertising technology startup CitrusAd with former NoQ colleague Nick Peach.

Both Mr Moran and Mr Peach continue to work at CitrusAd as CEO and chief marketing officer, respectively, under its new ownership structure.

Just like brands compete for eye-level product placements in physical stores, CitrusAd replicates that concept for online shopping.

Its prominent customers including Woolworths, Coles and Dan Murphy’s in Australia, Tesco in the UK and Target in the US.

CitrusAd founder Brad Moran. Picture: Paul Harris

SAM RICHARDS, 15

Bellaforte founder

Sam Richards. Remember the name. He has just finished grade ten and already has sold his first business for more than $1m.

Two years ago the young entrepreneur launched his recycled plastic glassware company Bellaforte on e-commerce giant Amazon Marketplace.

He became an instant millionaire when he sold the fledgling business a few months ago to Una Brands.

He will stay on as a consultant for the next two years while he also completes his schooling at the Queensland Academy of Health Sciences.

Mr Richards initially raised $15,000 for Bellaforte after pitching the concept to 2000 investors at an Amazon conference.

He stumbled upon the business idea after dropping a tray of drinks while taking them out to his parents’ backyard pool, sending shattered glass everywhere.

When he couldn’t find any high-quality crystal-like plastic replacements online, he knew he had found a gap in the market.

The teenager travelled with his parents to China to source a supplier and then kicked off the business which initially was racking up sales of $15,000 a month. At its peak, Bellaforte was turning over $180,000 a month.

His father Phil, an accountant and seasoned entrepreneur, provided helpful advice.

“Dad has been a big influence but I love business and economics myself and it was my idea to start Bellaforte. It’s been really cool,” the teenager said.

Una Brands heads of acquisitions Yenti Kushor said the young entrepreneur drove a hard bargain when they were negotiating the deal.

“I was an entrepreneur at 15 but I definitely wasn’t as impressive as Sam. He’s a real inspiration and we see huge growth potential in Bellaforte.”

Bellaforte founder Sam Richards. Picture: Dan Peled

JAMES GILMOUR, 37

Gilmour Space Technologies director

To say James Gilmour is dreaming big is an understatement. His ambitions are literally out of this world. Mr Gilmour is a director and head of launch operations at Gold Coast-based rocket company Gilmour Space Technologies which he started with his older brother Adam in 2013.

The company launched its first hybrid rocket in 2016 and is now building a special engine to help meet the growing global demand to shoot satellites into orbit.

It has so far raised $87m from investors, including $61m in June, making the startup one of Australia’s leading space companies.

It is pioneering new and innovative propulsion technologies that will offer lower cost access to space and hopes to launch its first orbital rocket late next year.

Mr Gilmour is currently working on the proposed Bowen Orbital Spaceport at Abbot Point in Bowen, north Queensland.

“Our goal for 2022 is to achieve orbit on our first launch, and truly demonstrate a sovereign launch capability that has never been seen before in Australia,” he said.

“Watching a rocket leaving the earth is incredible and I want every Australian to know what we are doing, get excited, and know that no dream is too big if they work for it.”

He says the Gilmour Space Technologies now employs 111 staff and expects to hit the 150 target by the middle of next year.

“With strategic support from our state and federal governments, we could easily be doubling that number by 2023,” he said.

“We are making ‘Access to Space’ an opportunity for all Australians to participate in, and I’m proud to have played a part in that.”

Gilmour Space Technologies director James Gilmour.

SIMON BEARD, 36, TAHNEE BEARD, 33

Culture Kings founders

The Beards have been successful entrepreneurs who have largely flown under the radar for more than a decade but their media profile exploded in 2021.

They sold a majority stake in the Australian streetwear and sneaker retailer this year to US-based a.k.a Brands for $600m, catapulting them into the ranks of Australia’s richest people.

And they are building quite the property portfolio.

The couple snapped up Riverpoint, a six-bedroom Isle of Capri residence on the Gold Coast for $11.75m last year. Earlier this year Ms Beard was revealed as the buyer of a $15.25m luxurious Soul penthouse in Surfers Paradise. And she offloaded her mansion at Ashmore on the Gold Coast for $4.95m a few months ago.

But Culture Kings is at the heart of their rags to riches story.

Mr Beard began his retailing career selling clothing at the weekend Carrara markets on the Gold Coast when he left high school and then the couple built an eBay business importing and reselling goods from the US.

The streetwear chain opened its maiden store on the Gold Coast 13 years ago and is now expanding overseas, especially though online sales. The US business is the fastest-growing arm of the Culture Kings operations.

“Our vision has always been to create the next global retail phenomenon where culture and style collide,” the couple said earlier this year. “We couldn’t have found a better partner than a.k.a. to help us continue to scale our business and realise our dream of being the No. 1 destination for streetwear across the globe.”

Culture Kings founders Simon and Tahnee Beard.

PAUL STOVELL, 34

Octopus Deploy founder

Software developer Paul Stovell never thought the side hustle he started from his kitchen bench would become a billion-dollar business with Nasa and Microsoft among its clients.

But the 34-year-old founder of software firm Octopus Deploy can lay claim to being boss of one of the country’s latest unicorns – tech parlance for billion dollar start up – after the business garnered growing international success.

The company earlier this year received a $US172.5m ($232m) investment from US-based Insight Partners.

According to The Australian’s list of the country’s top 20 unicorns, Octopus Deploy is valued at $1bn.

Mr Stovell, who runs the Brisbane-based firm with his wife Sonia, was working as a programmer for a big international bank in London when he realised there had to be a better way to do handle the myriad of software updates large companies had to handle.

A lot of upgrades and deployments had to be done manually by developers using checklists,” said Mr Stovell, who founded the company in 2012.

“This could take hours and there was always a risk that things could be missed. That could prove costly for the company.”

Octopus Deploy automates updates of software systems, reducing the workload for human programmers and reducing the risk of things going wrong.

Mr Stovell said he thought up the name of the company after sitting down with a customer one day and drawing a diagram to explain what they were going to do to deploy upgrades. “There were all these lines going out from a circle in the middle of the paper and they looked like tentacles and it looked like an Octopus,” he said.

Octopus Deploy, which employs about 150 people, will soon move from its current Queen St location into new headquarters, also in Brisbane’s CBD

Sonia and Paul Stovell from Octopus Deploy.

DAN ALLEN, 32, ED ROSS, 28

TradeMutt founders

Dan Allen and Ed Ross are taking on the big boys in the $2bn workwear sector and at the same time improving young men’s mental health.

The former tradies founded the company in 2016 when a young friend committed suicide and they realised something had to be done to improve mental health in the construction sector Their line of colourful workwear, designed to spark conversations about mental health, has been on a steep growth trajectory ever since. The men are now selling thousands of items every month that are worn by tradies working for Rio Tinto, Hutchinson, BHP, Brisbane City Council and Bretts.

TradeMutt has allowed the duo to fund TIACS.org (This Is a Conversation Starter), a free mental-health support service offering access to trained psychologists and support workers to all Australians.

“Ed and I met on a building site, and even though we came from different backgrounds we became best mates,” says Mr Allen, a qualified carpenter and joiner. “I am from western Sydney and Ed is from Longreach, but we shared a lot of the same interests. We were always spit-balling various ideas for businesses and gaps in the market, and we came up with the idea of workwear.”

Mr Allen says the impetus to establish TradeMutt as a social enterprise followed the death of his friend in 2016. TradeMutt gives a percentage of its profits to mental health and suicide prevention programs throughout Australia.

Former tradies Ed Ross and Dan Allen from TradeMutt

IAN PARKE, 34

FIN-PAY founder

Brisbane entrepreneur Ian Parke is on the fast track with his fintech start-up FIN-PAY.

The company last month landed one of the largest seed funding rounds for the year, raising $10m from a number of high net worth individuals and family offices.

Parke, a graduate of The Southport School, is aiming to replace Eftpos terminals across Australia, the US, Asia and Europe with his unified payments platform, which can accept all different payment types across cards, QR codes, digital currencies and SMS.

He founded the company in 2019 in a bid to shake up how merchants accept payments globally.

“This year has seen a lot of investment activity in the fintech sector, but unlocking real revenues and growth at scale requires technology that enables, rather than loudly boasting of disruption,” Parke said.

“Our sophisticated patented technology is easily adopted by merchants, and enables both merchants and consumers choice over the way they make and receive payments,” he said.

“This seed capital will support ongoing product development as well as accelerate FIN-PAY’s already-growing global presence.”

Parke said the FIN-PAY app is currently in prerelease testing with retailers ahead of a full market launch in early 2022.

The Brisbane start-up won the Mastermind Competition for the fintech category in Luxembourg in September, beating competitors from all over the world.

FIN-PAY CEO Ian Parke.

TRENT REDMAN, 34

Luna Hospitality Group director

They have been the worst of times but Trent Redman is looking forward.

The Luna Hospitality Group director has five nightclubs under his control and has opened three in the last few months in a sector he describes as “finicky”.

“The last couple of years have been tough. It’s just so unpredictable — one weekend you think you’re trading well even with that one person per 2sq m rule but at a drop of a hat on a Saturday afternoon things change and you have no choice but to comply,” Mr Redman said.

“When things were first locked down in March last year no one thought we’d be nearing the end of 2021 and still have restrictions.”

Regardless, the Luna Hospitality Group has opened Ivy Blu Rooftop Bar and the Mexican inspired La Carmela on Caxton St and Su Cas Nightclub and Rooftop in Fortitude Valley to go alongside

its Kenjin and Kenjin After Dark night spots.

For Mr Redman, who started out as a nightclub DJ before moving into an audio visual business with the Prestige Group and at the same time renewed his nightclub career this time as an owner through Luna Hospitality Group.

He said “it’s about offering a different experience”.

“There are so many people copying what everyone else is doing. People are sick and tired of the same old dingy dirty nightclub. You have to be a pioneer. Do something different,” Mr Redman said.

Mr Redman has slammed the State Government’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate as “ludicrous”.

“I don’t agree with it, not at all. But I’ve spent too much money and too much time, not to. It’s my livelihood so I don’t have a choice unfortunately,” he said.

Luna Hospitality Group director. Trent Redman. Picture: Zak Simmonds

CAMERON DOUGLAS, 36

Videopro Group chief executive

At the cutting edge of the audio visual world, every year is different.

And for Cameron Douglas who in May took the reins of Videopro, the journey remains an exciting one.

Since 1980, Brisbane-based Videopro has been a leading dealer of audiovisual equipment and computers and it has built a strong AV (audiovisual) solutions business.

Like most audiovisual technology businesses the Covid-19 pandemic has presented challenges and also opportunities.

Mr Douglas said the impact of Covid-19 emphasised two issues — the ability for people to do their work and the fact that people are “chasing joy”.

“AV has become the social infrastructure for how we live our lives — how we work and how we live now has an audio and visual component to it,” he said.

“It’s a very leading edge industry and we kind of touch and feel it and see it every single day. So it’s quite an exciting place to be because every year is kind of different.”

Mr Douglas started with Videopro on the sales floor 15 years ago after graduating from QUT and as well as the chief executive role he owns 25 per cent of the business which currently has about 100 staff and an annual turnover of around $65m.

This year Videopro ramped up growth plans by taking over Connected Vision in Sydney and launching videopro.com.au.

“We’re now on a bit of a hiring rampage and our goal is to be the No 1 AV company in the country,” Mr Douglas said.

“We are also expecting some pretty strong growth this financial year.”

Mr Douglas said Videopro will remain a “customer driven business”.

“There’s quite a lot of structural change going on in the economy at the moment. A lot of people are moving to marketplaces to sell their stuff but that’s not us,” he said.

“Our conviction is that if you buy something from Videopro, Videopro is who you deal with. For us to control the customer experience we need to be across all of it.”

VideoPro CEO Cameron Douglas. Picture: Tertius Pickard

JEFF YEW, 27

Monochrome founder

Jeff Yew grew up thinking he wanted to be an architect but it was blockchain rather than building blocks that attracted his interest.

The 27-year-old Malaysian-born founder of Brisbane-based Monochrome Asset Management launched a fund in June allowing people to benefit from the rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The fund tracks the price of Bitcoin, which uses blockchain as a trading platform, via a conventional investment vehicle.

Mr Yew said he planned to expand the fund to $10bn over the next three years as mainstream investors, including big pension funds and high net worth individuals, sough greater exposure to emerging currencies such as Bitcoin. Mr Yew, who studied architecture at the University of Queensland, said Bitcoin would be increasingly relied upon as a hedge investment in an increasingly volatile financial world.

Monochrome founder Jeff Yew. Picture: Renae Droop

MATT BAKER, 27

Shift Buddies founder

Matt Baker’s moving company in Brisbane is so booked out weeks in advance he spends a good bit of each day turning down new business from prospective clients.

A lack of workers is hamstringing his Shift Buddies firm, which the ambitious 27-year-old entrepreneur only launched in 2018.

“We’ve got huge demand. We could be doing five times what we’re doing at the moment but it’s very hard to find staff,’’ Mr Baker said.

“My job now is to say ‘no’ to jobs. I’ll get 20 to 25 calls a day and I have to tell them we’re fully booked.’’

He’s hopeful that the staffing squeeze will ease once all state and international borders re-open, allowing the business to grow substantially.

Mr Baker oversees a small staff of seven workers, who operate five trucks from a depot at Brendale and service around 1000 customers mostly across southeast Queensland every year. Long distance trips up north are also part of the mix.

Unlike other moving companies, he books just one job per truck per team each day in an effort to boost on-time performance and avoid cost blowouts for consumers.

It’s an approach that appears to be working, with clients posting overwhelmingly positive reviews of the service online.

The business is now profitable and generated about $720,000 in revenue in the last financial year. That’s above his target but he’s confident it can crack $1m once the employment bottlenecks are eased.

Mr Baker got rid of an old ute for $8000 to buy his first truck.

Shift Buddies founder Matt Baker

TIFFANY HENRY, 33

Petal & Pup founder and creative director

Petal & Pup has become one of Australia’s biggest online fashion retailing success stories and it all began in the study of Tiffany Henry’s parent’s home in Brisbane just seven years ago.

This year Henry and her family received more than $22m after US-based a.k.a Brands bought out the remaining 27 per cent stake in the business it did not already own. It took a majority stake in 2019. Petal & Pup, which has 900,000 Instagram followers, specialises in affordable on trend fashion for women, mostly in the 24 to 40 age range.

Henry remains a creative director of the fashion brand as it pushes ahead with its assault on global markets. Her father Philip Scarff joined the business in 2016 and remains the brand’s CEO.

Originally published as Top 20 Under 40 list: Young Queensland entrepreneurs taking on the world