Peter Kenyon is a social capitalist and community enthusiast. Over the last two decades he has worked with over 1000 communities throughout Australia and overseas seeking to facilitate fresh and creative ways that stimulate community and economic renewal. He is motivated by the desire to create healthy, caring, inclusive, sustainable and enterprising communities and local economies.

Peter has had a background as a youth worker, teacher, youth education officer and tertiary lecturer. His employment experiences have also included Director of Employment in Western Australia, Manager of the Community Employment Development Unit in New Zealand and Coordinator of the Natal Kwazulu Job Creation and Enterprise Strategy in South Africa.

Peter is convinced that one cannot develop communities from the top down or from the outside in. It requires communities to build from the inside out, and for their residents to invest themselves, ideas, assets and resources in the process. Peter created the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. (Initiatives for the Development of Enterprising Action and Strategies) to promote such a paradigm shift and assist with the necessary facilitation, ideas and skills.

Peter's consulting work has resulted in assignments in 53 countries and all states of Australia. From 2004, Peter has spent part of each year working in a range of Middle East and North African countries assisting with the development of national youth policies and strategies.

Peter has authored 16 publications within the fields of community and economic development, youth policy development and youth enterprise including the following diverse set of titles -

• Creating Better Educational and Employment Opportunities for Rural Young People
• Youth Enterprise Matters: Involving Young People in their Economic Futures
• Survival and Revival in Rural Australia
• Taking the Lead: a Community Resource Kit for Local Economic Development
• The Small Town Renewal Kit
• Youth Policy Formulation Manual
• Good Enough Never Is – The Stories of 20 Exceptional and Inspirational Businesses in Rural Australia
• Building the Future Through Enterprise – Stories of Successful Indigenous Enterprises and Entrepreneurs

• Chairperson of the International Council on National Youth Policy.
• Master Consultant/Trainer for the Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) Program in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
• Project Manager for the formulation and implementation of national youth strategies in Somalia and Bahrain.
• Project Director for C.R.E.A.T.E Initiative (Creating Rural Entrepreneurial Attitudes through Education) and State Coordinator for r u MAD? (Are You Making A Difference?) Program.
• Program consultant with the Community Planning Initiative in the State of Victoria
• Keynote Presenter at 35 conferences in Australia, USA, Canada, Africa and New Zealand.
• Facilitator of community, economic and youth strategies in such diverse locations Halls Creek, Lord Howe Island, Kakadu, Mary River Valley, City of Newcastle , Groote Eylandt, City of Subiaco and Timor-Leste.