Nick Mowbray of the toy brand Zuru wants to give something back after his early success

With no money apart from a small loan from his parents and a strong dose of entrepreneurial spirit, Nick Mowbray moved to mainland China with his brother and sister to start a toy company when he was only 18 and straight out of high school. 

"It [grew from] a school project that my brother won as a student in New Zealand," Mowbray recalls. "The very first toy idea was a hot-air balloon kit set."

Eleven years later, Zuru is a global company with seven offices and 1,000 employees all over the world, and ships to nearly every major retailer.

At 30, Mowbray is still young and already giving back. Zuru not only aims to create toys and make children happy, but it also gives away toys around the world and is involved in different charities. 

"I want to do more with the time that I'm given," he says. "I'm always worried that I'm only young once, and I want to experience more and do more. The years just go so fast. I want to be able to do so much, to achieve so much."

One project involves building an entrepreneurial centre in Mowbray's old high school, where they can teach children that there's another path in life besides going from high school to university to a 9-to-5 job. Zuru also funds programmes for the underprivileged, and employees are encouraged to volunteer their time with disabled children.