Lowell Sheppard is an author, speaker, social entrepreneur, former minister, fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, husband, father, long-distance cyclist, and aspiring sailor. Lowell has spent his entire adult life working with established non-government organisations (also known as non-profit societies) and in several NGO start-ups. As Founder of HOPE International Development Agency Japan and Asia Pacific twenty years ago, Lowell has seen the growth of HOPE to be in the top 2% of charitable organisations in Japan with the coveted “nintei” certified tax-deductible status. Lowell has served for the last twenty years as an informal advisor to companies and boards in the area of ethical decision making and thought leadership with a focus on community legacy. Lowell is the author of books - Chasing the Cherry Blossom, Boys Becoming Men and Never Too Late. He is also a keen observer of Japanese philosophies and implements it in his life too.