Inside the 40 Under 40 Judge’s Meeting: Who will make this year’s final 40?
The decisions are made following a rigorous judging process, as anticipation builds around this year’s InDaily 40 Under 40 finalists.
In just a few weeks’ time, the top 40 finalists and category award winners will be announced at the fourth InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards Dinner on Thursday, August 27, at the Rivershedat Howard Smith Wharves, to celebrate Queensland’s emerging innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders helping to shape our state.
But before that happens, our team of talented judges has had a massive task ahead of them – scouring through all of the applications to select the most deserving applicants. We sat in on this meeting to get a glimpse of how the evaluation process panned out.
Each year, the InDaily 40 Under 40 program brings together senior leaders from across business, law, investment, education, and the not-for-profit sector to decide which young Queenslanders will make the final 40 – a process known for being as rigorous as it is highly anticipated.
This year’s panel reflects that breadth of expertise more than ever, combining commercial acumen, creative leadership and deep sector knowledge to evaluate a field that continues to grow in both size and quality.
The judging process was again chaired by Sarah Smith, a recognised leader in Queensland’s innovation and startup ecosystem.
Sarah‘s career spans entrepreneurship, strategy, partnerships, philanthropy, and business growth, working closely with founders, industry, investors and government to support entrepreneurship, accelerate innovation and strengthen Queensland’s startup ecosystem.
Smith was joined by a cross-section of influential voices including Piper Alderman partner Maria Capati; Children’s Hospital Foundation chief growth officer Nadine Moore; The Alva Hotel Brisbane director of sales and marketing Kirstie Fuller and The Weekend Edition editor James Frostick.
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The judges were keen to keen to get stared, with discussion starting around their insights into the pool of nominations.
Smith noted that this year’s applicant pool offered more female founders than last year and a stronger presence of corporate and philanthropic industries.
Smith reinforced that “The strength of the 40 Under 40 program lies in its ability to identify emerging leaders making tangible contributions to the state. It’s not necessarily based on how much money someone earns, it’s about how much impact they’re making on the state and their potential to go even further”.
This philosophy continues to underpin the 2026 program, which has become one of Queensland’s most significant platforms for recognising early-career achievement and leadership potential.
The judging process itself is known for its intensity, with hundreds of nominations narrowed down to just 40 finalists. Judges consistently describe the process as challenging due to the exceptionally high calibre of applicants.
Along with the final 40, the judges were also tasked with allocating the individual awards. A group of nominees were quickly raised for consideration, and final awards were moved around multiple times to ensure the most deserving were rewarded.
The First Among Equals Award, the program’s highest honour, was the first and easiest award to delegate, with one contender standing out from the rest for ticking all the boxes; revenues, challenges overcame, values, scale, leadership and innovation.
“They were the absolute standout for me,” Maria said. “They smashed it out of the park.”
Subscribe for updatesJames threw one finalist into the ring for the Inspiring Future Leaders Award, citing the importance of the work they had accomplished.
“They’re already a leader and considering the ‘inspiring’ factor of this award, I felt they were a nice fit,” James said.
Nadine and Maria agreed.
“I think they are leading people through change, and they are doing some amazing things,” Nadine agreed.
“This award recognises the thought and achievement of a leader,” Maria clarified. “I think that’s them.”
Other awards delegated were the Creative Thinker Award, Emerging Industries Award, Inspiring Future Leaders Award, Social Impact Award, Entrepreneurial Award, Game Changer Award, Food Innovation Award and Inspiring Female Leaders Award. All winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on 27 August.
The event will showcase this year’s finalists across a range of industries – from high-growth start-ups and family enterprises to purpose-driven organisations and emerging innovators shaping the state’s future economy and culture.
Attendees will also gain access to one of the most significant networking opportunities in the state, with the chance to connect directly with finalists, judges and alumni spanning multiple industries.
For those in business, investment, government or the not-for-profit sector, the event offers a rare snapshot of the leaders set to shape Queensland’s next decade.
Following the judging session, anticipation is now building around who will make this year’s final 40 – and which emerging leaders will be added to a growing alumni network that continues to influence the state long after the awards are announced.
The 40 finalists and category award winners will be unveiled at the Awards Dinner on Thursday, August 27, at The Rivershed, Howard Smith Wharves.
Early Bird tickets for the 2026 InDaily 40 Under 40 QLD Awards are on sale now.
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