Generation Innovation Ltd is an Australian Public Company and registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
GI is governed by an experienced Board of Directors, who volunteer their time to support the
delivery of the Challenge each year.
Shane Cunningham
Director and Chair
Shane teaches on the Sunshine Coast and is passionate about developing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the younger generation.
Prior to teaching, Shane spent twenty years working for and consulting to some of Australia’s largest and most complex commercial businesses on the strategic application of technology. During this time he was involved in a number of start-up and high-growth businesses, leading and managing all aspects of business development.
Shane also served in the Royal Australian Air Force. Over ten years he completed undergraduate, graduate and pilot qualifications; accumulated almost 2000 hours of military flying experience; and was exposed to the highest levels of strategic and operational planning whilst serving as the Aide-de-Camp to the Air Commander, Australia.
Shane has a Bachelor of Science from UNSW; a Graduate Diploma of Education; and is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy, RAAF College and RAAF Pilots’ Course. He has also completed the AICD’s Governance for Not-for-Profit Directors program.
Renee Cooper
Director and Treasurer
Renee Cooper is the Award-Winning Director of InDepth Accounting, a firm she founded in April 2018. Renee’s career began in 2000 where she developed her professional skills and built lasting client relationships, many of which continue to this day. In 2009, joined a Sunshine Coast firm as a Director until launching her own practice.
Renee specialises in business advisory services, building collaborative, professional, forward-thinking relationships to support clients, her team and the community. She assists clients through the entire business cycle being integral in their growth and in achieving exceptional succession outcomes.
Renee’s excellence in her field has earned her several prestigious awards, including the “Accountant of the Year” and “Principal of the Year” categories at the recent 2024 Women in Finance Awards, 2023 Australian Accounting Awards Public Accountant of the Year and 2023 Sunshine Coast Outstanding Business Woman of the Year. She was also recognised as one of the Top 50 Women in Accounting by Women in Accounting.
Outside of her professional life, Renee enjoys traveling and spending quality time outdoors with her husband and two children.
Calvin Kong
Director and Company Secretary
Calvin is a director of Pacific Law.
Calvin qualified as a lawyer in 1992 and commenced his legal career on the Sunshine Coast in 1994. He co-founded Pacific Law in 2012. Calvin has assisted many business clients with their business journeys from inception to sale. He has helped them set up their businesses from the start and prepared them for sale.
Calvin has been a long-term resident of the Sunshine Coast since that time.
Calvin’s children are born and bred ‘Sunny Coasters’ and he would like to see the Sunshine Coast develop to be a place where children not only consider this wonderful part of the world the best place to live but also the best place to work with opportunities across all industries.
Calvin considers entrepreneurship essential to drive business and industry on the Sunshine Coast to that point and is honoured to be a member of the Board of Generation Innovation to be a platform to inspire, motivate and develop essential skills and networks for the young people of the Sunshine Coast.
Naomi Elliot
Director
Naomi Elliott is the driving force behind Concept Laboratories, an internationally recognised manufacturing powerhouse specialising in sustainable cosmetics, skincare, and cleaning products. As General Manager, she has led the company to award-winning success, earning industry accolades such as the Best Practice Leadership Impact Award (2020) and multiple Sunshine Coast Business Awards. Passionate about innovation and quality, she collaborates with brands to create market-leading health, beauty, and personal care products.
Beyond business, Naomi is deeply involved in community engagement, a board member of Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network & Generation Innovation, also actively participating in MEF, and local Chambers of Commerce. With a leadership style rooted in strategy and collaboration, she thrives on building meaningful partnerships that drive growth. Naomi’s commitment to excellence and industry advancement makes her a trusted leader in product manufacturing and business development.
Harry Thompson
Director
Harry is no stranger to Generation Innovation.
After winning the inaugural Generation Innovation GI Challenge in 2015 with his business, Swift Smoothies, Harry has gone on to boast a career that spans the private, nonprofit and government sectors while maintaining his love for business.
Harry is passionate about youth entrepreneurship and credits Generation Innovation with building foundational skills navigating business and corporate landscapes that have helped through his career.
Following the sale of Swift Smoothies, Harry moved to Brisbane where he has become a seasoned specialist in policy, strategic communications, and public relations.
Harry’s diverse professional experience includes roles in the Federal Senate and Queensland Parliament, as well as an influential government relations advisor to some of Australia’s largest national and multinational companies. He has also made significant contributions to advocacy and communications roles within some of Australia’s most prominent charities and non-profit organisations.
Currently, Harry focuses his expertise in speciality policy areas, managing Queensland through the implementation of policy and law changes.
Harry runs a successful event planning business and designer retail boutique in Brisbane where the skills learned from Generation Innovation continue to serve him today.
Neil Waldbaum
Director
Neil Waldbaum was a Generation Innovation mentor for 5 years running and is very familiar with the process and outcomes of the program. He is a seasoned product designer, inventor, and entrepreneur with a track record of bringing innovative ideas to life. As the founder of Deep Orange Designs and the driving force behind two successful e-commerce businesses, he has designed and launched globally recognized products while helping countless businesses turn concepts into reality.
With a background spanning industrial design, electronics, photography, professional scuba diving and real estate, Neil’s diverse expertise fuels his creative problem-solving approach. His name appears on multiple patents, reflecting his commitment to innovation. Beyond his own ventures, Neil actively contributes to the entrepreneurial community—mentoring, sharing insights, and helping others navigate the challenges of product development and business growth.
Tony Kelly
Director
A Chef by trade, Tony started his career at the 5-star Resort Hotel, Hyatt Regency Coolum Resort & Spa, spending five years training in their nine kitchens. He then travelled to the US to take a role with Disney as Chef de Cuisine aboard one of their luxury Cruise liners “The Wonder”.
From here Tony developed a passion for Italian food and accepted an offer to work alongside Celebrity Chef Peter Kuruvita in the World renowned and multi-award winning Hayman Island Resort on QLD’s Great Barrier Reef.
In 2003 Tony went on to open The Wine Bar in Maroochydore, a 100 seat fine dining venue which was awarded five Sunshine Coast Restaurant of the Year awards 2003, 04 & 05 and several Wine List of the Year awards.
After selling The Wine Bar after eight years, Tony ventured to Brisbane after accepting the position of Executive Chef of the soon-to-be-opened Stokehouse “Q”. Under Tony’s guidance, Stokehouse Queensland would be awarded “2 Hats” in the prestigious Good Food Guide, one of only four QLD restaurants to achieve this.
Long-time friend Peter Kuruvita asked Tony for assistance to launch the re-furbished Sheraton Noosa Restaurant & Spa & launch Noosa Beach House “Peter Kuruvita”.
Tony developed his own Burger Franchise, Boutique Donut Franchise & opened six very successful Asian street food venues across Australia, as well as a slew of espresso bars, pubs & whisky bars.
Tony’s current restaurant portfolio features nine successful venues located across the Sunshine Coast at The Wharf Mooloolaba, the Maroochydore CBD, Palmwoods and Bokarina.
Interested in joining the GI team?