Guy Ryan
Young New Zealander of the Year
2015
University of Canterbury
Young New Zealander of the Year
Te Mātātahi o te Tau
Guy Ryan
Guy is the Founder of Inspiring Stories – a Kiwi charity with a bold vision to see young people realise their potential to change the world.
Thanks to generosity and support from the wider community, Guy and the team at Inspiring Stories have built an impressive track-record of high-impact programmes and events including Festival for the Future, the Future Leaders programme, and The Impact Awards.
Guy and the team at Inspiring Stories have made a difference for thousands of young New Zealanders, with positive ripple effects into communities nationwide. Alumni have gone on to lead things like the School Strikes for Climate, build businesses, lead campaigns and volunteer movements, step into leadership positions, win awards and represent Aotearoa on the world stage.
Since 2011, Guy and the team have been able to support hundreds of youth-led projects and ventures; provide more than $2.5M in-kind scholarship support to assist young people from challenged and disadvantaged backgrounds to experience life-changing opportunities; and provide more than $100K in awards and prizes to support some of Aotearoa’s most inspirational young changemakers to make a difference for our communities and country.
The leaders of tomorrow, brimming with the potential to build a bright future for Aotearoa. These people strive to improve themselves, their communities, and their nation.
Nominees of this Award must:
- Be aged between 15-30 years, at the open of nominations on 24 July 2024.
- Have had significant positive impact over the past 12 months.
- Be a role model for young New Zealanders and highlight that change is possible at any age.
- Meet the Awards Conditions of Entry.
Judges will review each nominee using the following criteria:
- 10 points: OVERALL INSPIRATION
Describe the person you are nominating and what they’ve done to inspire you over the past year to nominate them as 2025 University of Canterbury Young New Zealander of the Year Te Mātātahi o te Tau. - 10 points: PURPOSE:
Who benefits from this person’s work, contribution, or influence – and how? - 10 points: LEADERSHIP:
How does this person set a positive example for other young people and showing them the potential for change. - 10 points: COMMITMENT:
Describe the commitment of time, risks, and challenges overcome to create an impact to this point (this may still be ongoing). What have they done that has gone above and beyond to show leadership, create change, and give back? - 10 points: PROVEN IMPACT:
How has this person clearly demonstrated a positive impact in their area of influence? How has this been measured? - 10 points: LONG-TERM IMPACT:
If known, how does the nominee plan to grow and/or adapt their work, contribution, or influence in the future? How would winning this award impact this person and the work that they are doing?
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