Eric Edmeades
Encyclopedia
Eric Edmeades is a Canadian businessman and professional speaker. Edmeades is best known for his international motivational speaking and philanthropy. In August 2009, Edmeades acquired and became Chairman of Lucasfilm
spin-off, The Kerner Group. Edmeades’ first successful business venture was The ITR Group, a supplier, integrator and maintainer of mobile computers, wireless networking technology and laser imaging technologies. He sold a majority share in the ITR Group in 2006 and retired from the IT sector.
Edmeades flew around the world 6 times in the years following the sale of The ITR Group. He conducts annual adventure expeditions, undertakes philanthropic projects and works to establish schools in East Africa.
Edmeades took up wildlife photography at 12 and is still a keen wildlife photographer with experience in India, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania and Canada.
, South Africa
, the son of South African lawyer
Baz Thomas Edmeades and entrepreneur
Delphine du Toit. His paternal great-grandfather, Thomas Dreyer, discovered the Florisbad Skull
and his maternal great-grandfather, Jakob Louis van Wyk, proposed the formation of the Kruger National Park
in the South African Volksraad
. This family history has influenced Edmeades and his interest in nature conservation, wildlife photography and nutritional anthropology.
Edmeades was educated at Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John's School of Alberta
. He also studied Archaeology
at the University of Bristol in the west of England but did not complete the degree program.
Edmeades is dyslexic but argues that, while some may see dyslexia as a disease or weakness, it can be a strength.
Edmeades was married to Amanda Pope; their only child, a son, was born in 1997. The couple are now divorced.
Edmeades has lived in South Africa
, Canada
, Ireland
, England
and the United States
. He is now living in San Rafael, California
and maintains a home in Turks and Caicos.
Edmeades went on to join, as the first full-time employee, Ryzex Re-Marketing, a Vancouver-based tech start-up that specialized in hand held computers and bar code readers. After significant personal and business success with Ryzex, including the launch of their European operations, Edmeades resigned his position citing broken promises of equity.
While working at Ryzex, Eric also published the Internet's first e-zine focused on business and personal development. The magazine was inspired by Napoleon Hill
's work and was called the Success Express Journal. It was published from 1994 to 1996 and claimed circulation of 15,000 people from 70 countries.
Edmeades went on to co-found, with his then wife, The ITR Group (then known as Tera-Technologies Limited) in Bristol, England. The company, like his previous employer, focused initially on the purchase and resale of hand held computers and quickly grew to become a leading integrator of mobile computing, wireless networking and laser imaging technologies. Edmeades was nominated as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Bristol Evening Post in 2005 and went on to sell the business to private buyers for an undisclosed sum in 2006.
Kerner Optical, a Lucasfilm
spinoff, was previously the practical and physical effects division of Industrial Light and Magic. The company was purchased from Lucasfilm
in 2006 by the management team who opted to retain the name "Kerner" as a tribute to Lucas's use of the name as a subterfuge to keep Star Wars
and movie fans from rummaging through the rubbish bins and snooping around the property.
Eric has since founded a number of other companies that, together, comprise The Kerner Group, including Kernerworks, a prototyping and research company that undertakes government projects including the design and manufacture of life-like medic training dummies for training military medics, and Kerner 3D Technologies, a 3D Camera system manufacturer.
Edmeades also plans to move into feature film production, with a focus on 3D movie development.
In November 2009, Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Kerner 3D Technologies announced the establishment of a stereoscopic 3-D research studio.
The studio will undertake local film production, experimental film and the establishment of certification and degree-level education of stereographers. Edmeades signed the agreement to establish the center at a ceremony on 20 November 2009.
Kerner Optical filed for Bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy code in early 2011.
Edmeades’ experience in Java lead him to establish the Build a School initiative with his partner, Elise Crozier. The couple travel to East Africa once a year to climb Kilimanjaro and establish community schools.
hit Turks and Caicos twice. Immediately after Hurricane Hanna, Hurricane Ike
, the third costliest hurricane in history, also hit the Turks and Caicos Islands doing approximately $500 million in Damages.
Edmeades was featured on and interviewed by CNN
throughout the storms after uploading a number of videos to iReport.
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
spin-off, The Kerner Group. Edmeades’ first successful business venture was The ITR Group, a supplier, integrator and maintainer of mobile computers, wireless networking technology and laser imaging technologies. He sold a majority share in the ITR Group in 2006 and retired from the IT sector.
Edmeades flew around the world 6 times in the years following the sale of The ITR Group. He conducts annual adventure expeditions, undertakes philanthropic projects and works to establish schools in East Africa.
Edmeades took up wildlife photography at 12 and is still a keen wildlife photographer with experience in India, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania and Canada.
Early life
Edmeades was born in PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the son of South African lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Baz Thomas Edmeades and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Delphine du Toit. His paternal great-grandfather, Thomas Dreyer, discovered the Florisbad Skull
Florisbad Skull
The Florisbad Skull was originally discovered by Prof. T.F. Dreyer who classified it as Homo helmei to mark its distinctiveness from other fossil Homo sapiens. It is now generally either described as “archaic Homo sapiens” or assigned to Homo heidelbergensis, but it may be an intermediate form...
and his maternal great-grandfather, Jakob Louis van Wyk, proposed the formation of the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
in the South African Volksraad
Volksraad
The Volksraad was the parliament of the former South African Republic , which existed from 1857 to 1902 in part of what is now the South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The Volksraad sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria...
. This family history has influenced Edmeades and his interest in nature conservation, wildlife photography and nutritional anthropology.
Edmeades was educated at Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John's School of Alberta
Saint John's School of Alberta
Saint John's School of Alberta was a small private boys' boarding school in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada which operated from 1967 to 2008, the last of three such schools founded on conservative Anglican ideas and the notion that children were not challenged by present-day society. It closed in...
. He also studied Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
at the University of Bristol in the west of England but did not complete the degree program.
Edmeades is dyslexic but argues that, while some may see dyslexia as a disease or weakness, it can be a strength.
Personal life
Edmeades is the elder of two bothers. Nik Edmiidz (changed his name to phonetic spelling) is 2 years younger and now lives in Japan with his wife and three children.Edmeades was married to Amanda Pope; their only child, a son, was born in 1997. The couple are now divorced.
Edmeades has lived in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is now living in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
and maintains a home in Turks and Caicos.
Early Professional Life
Edmeades started his business life immediately following school when, in 1988, he was recruited to sell Kirby Vacuums in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He often refers to this time in his speeches, citing the experience as integral to the development of his sales and business skills.Edmeades went on to join, as the first full-time employee, Ryzex Re-Marketing, a Vancouver-based tech start-up that specialized in hand held computers and bar code readers. After significant personal and business success with Ryzex, including the launch of their European operations, Edmeades resigned his position citing broken promises of equity.
While working at Ryzex, Eric also published the Internet's first e-zine focused on business and personal development. The magazine was inspired by Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill
Napoleon Hill was an American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal-success literature. He is widely considered to be one of the great writers on success...
's work and was called the Success Express Journal. It was published from 1994 to 1996 and claimed circulation of 15,000 people from 70 countries.
Edmeades went on to co-found, with his then wife, The ITR Group (then known as Tera-Technologies Limited) in Bristol, England. The company, like his previous employer, focused initially on the purchase and resale of hand held computers and quickly grew to become a leading integrator of mobile computing, wireless networking and laser imaging technologies. Edmeades was nominated as Entrepreneur of the Year by the Bristol Evening Post in 2005 and went on to sell the business to private buyers for an undisclosed sum in 2006.
Motivational Speaking
Edmeades claims to have overcome a fear of public speaking and now speaks, internationally, on a variety of topics ranging from business success to health.Quotes
- Success, in life, is most easily measured by the number of days you are truly happy.
- To accomplish great things, we must not only believe and dream, but also plan and act.
Kerner Group
In August 2009, Edmeades purchased a majority interest in, and became CEO of, Kerner Optical.Kerner Optical, a Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
spinoff, was previously the practical and physical effects division of Industrial Light and Magic. The company was purchased from Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
in 2006 by the management team who opted to retain the name "Kerner" as a tribute to Lucas's use of the name as a subterfuge to keep Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and movie fans from rummaging through the rubbish bins and snooping around the property.
Eric has since founded a number of other companies that, together, comprise The Kerner Group, including Kernerworks, a prototyping and research company that undertakes government projects including the design and manufacture of life-like medic training dummies for training military medics, and Kerner 3D Technologies, a 3D Camera system manufacturer.
Edmeades also plans to move into feature film production, with a focus on 3D movie development.
In November 2009, Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Kerner 3D Technologies announced the establishment of a stereoscopic 3-D research studio.
The studio will undertake local film production, experimental film and the establishment of certification and degree-level education of stereographers. Edmeades signed the agreement to establish the center at a ceremony on 20 November 2009.
Kerner Optical filed for Bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy code in early 2011.
Humanitarian Works
Edmeades was traveling in Bali in May 2006 when a major earthquake struck on the island of Java, Indonesia. He rented a truck, filled it with food, water and medical supplies and—against government advice—went to Jogja to undertake first hand relief work. After undertaking the relief work the driver he hired stole his rented truck and everything in it, stranding Edmeades in Java.Edmeades’ experience in Java lead him to establish the Build a School initiative with his partner, Elise Crozier. The couple travel to East Africa once a year to climb Kilimanjaro and establish community schools.
Hurricanes Ike and Hanna
In September 2008 Edmeades was at home in Turks and Caicos when Hurricane Hanna, the deadliest storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season2008 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season was a very active hurricane season with sixteen named storms formed, including eight that became hurricanes and five that became major hurricanes. The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of...
hit Turks and Caicos twice. Immediately after Hurricane Hanna, Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
, the third costliest hurricane in history, also hit the Turks and Caicos Islands doing approximately $500 million in Damages.
Edmeades was featured on and interviewed by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
throughout the storms after uploading a number of videos to iReport.