Craig Hollywood
As an Australian of the Year Award winner Craig Hollywood is a valued member of the Australian social impact landscape. Through the power of a conversation the value Craig brings to society is of national and global importance. Not only is he an innovative motivational speaker and businessman with a knack for thinking outside the box, but the work that he puts back into the community has the power to truly inspire.
Craig is the Founder of Short Back and Sidewalks, a social impact movement providing free haircuts and conversations with some of Australia’s most vulnerable people.
Having started in a car park in Perth in 2015 Short Back & Sidewalks now operates across the continent and continues to positively impact people’s lives by providing a consistent, judgement free service which helps to break the stigma often attached to those in need.
Having lost a family member who experienced homelessness, Craig set out to find a way to help some of the most at-risk people in our society.
Craig’s story about positively impacting communities through the simple act of giving a free haircut and having a chat is inspiring the next generation of giving across the country and beyond. He believes collaboration is key to any success, but first we must connect with each other on a human level.
Sam Bloom
Samantha Bloom is a 2 x World Para Surfing Champion, bestselling author and inspiration behind the 2020 #1 Australian box-office, and international global Netflix hit movie, Penguin Bloom starring Naomi Watts as Sam.
The movie is adapted from the international bestselling book, Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved a Family. Published in 14 languages, Penguin Bloom is a collaboration between Sam’s husband Cameron, a professional photographer, and New York Times bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive.
Paralysed in an accident in Thailand in 2013, Sam suffered debilitating injuries that left her paralysed from the chest down. She has since gone on to win two Oceania KL1 Para-canoe Championships, and become a 2 x World and Australian Para Surfing Champion. In 2019, Sam was nominated for the Surfing Australia Female Surfer of the Year Award, and in 2022 was awarded the Surfing Australia Female Para Surfer of the Year.
Sam works with numerous spinal cord injury charities around the world to support the quest for a cure, and is a global ambassador for the RedBull Wings For Life World Run.