Mary-Anne Waldren kick-started National Science Week, the world's largest science festival and has lately been lobbying successfully to shape Canberra's creative future.

The ACT Chief Minister appointed her an Ambassador for Canberra in 2000, a role she had unofficially been undertaking for years.

Mary-Anne used her networks to links businesses up with each other, with potential mentors, with excellent sources of information and with better ways of doing things during the ICAN innovation festival.