Graeme Gilby
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Graeme Gilby is a New Zealand entrepreneur, singer-songwriter and creative producer whose work brings together storytelling and digital innovation in projects designed to improve people’s lives.
With more than 25 years of experience, Gilby has founded and scaled businesses across technology and essential service industries in New Zealand, including ventures that grew to become nationwide market leaders. His work has consistently focused on introducing fresh innovation to traditional sectors, building systems that combine real-world knowledge with modern technology to solve everyday challenges with the goal of delivering real value to people and communities.
Alongside his business career, Gilby has also been involved in large-scale international film and television productions. Early in his career, Gilby established First Light Features, a film production company that reflected his long-standing interest in storytelling and media production. Drawing on lived experience, Gilby is developing books and screen projects inspired by true stories, with the aim of bringing powerful real-world stories to film. His passion for storytelling extends to music, where, as a songwriter and recording artist, he has used creativity to process personal experiences and transform difficult chapters into powerful songs of resilience intended to inspire others.
After experiencing firsthand the devastating impact of parental alienation and prolonged family court proceedings, Gilby became determined to transform personal adversity into positive change. The experience led him to establish Kids First, an initiative dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families navigating parental separation.
Inspired by a belief that no child should lose meaningful relationships with the people who love them, his work focuses on helping parents make better child-focused decisions and supporting families before conflict causes lasting harm. Gilby believes that some of society’s greatest challenges begin when children become collateral damage in high-conflict separation and lose connection with the people who matter most in their lives.
Through Kids First, Gilby advocates for earlier intervention when it matters most, combining lived experience, technology, education and innovation to help drive meaningful change in how families navigate separation. His work focuses on helping parents make more constructive, child-focused decisions that reduce harm, preserve important relationships and help break cycles of adversity. His long-term vision is a future where fewer children lose meaningful relationships with the people they love, where better support systems arrives before damage is done and where innovative solutions help create better outcomes for generations to come.
Gilby was raised in New Zealand and has family connections to the country’s film and television industry, including actor Kevin Smith, best known internationally for portraying Ares, the God of War, in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, and who was preparing for his first Hollywood role co-starring in the Bruce Willis action film Tears of the Sun.
Much of Gilby's work is guided by a strong moral compass and a belief that children deserve love, stability and meaningful connections with both parents. He believes that even the most difficult experiences can inspire positive change that helps others. Today he continues to develop mission-driven ventures focused on protecting children and improving outcomes for families across New Zealand and around the world.
With more than 25 years of experience, Gilby has founded and scaled businesses across technology and essential service industries in New Zealand, including ventures that grew to become nationwide market leaders. His work has consistently focused on introducing fresh innovation to traditional sectors, building systems that combine real-world knowledge with modern technology to solve everyday challenges with the goal of delivering real value to people and communities.
Alongside his business career, Gilby has also been involved in large-scale international film and television productions. Early in his career, Gilby established First Light Features, a film production company that reflected his long-standing interest in storytelling and media production. Drawing on lived experience, Gilby is developing books and screen projects inspired by true stories, with the aim of bringing powerful real-world stories to film. His passion for storytelling extends to music, where, as a songwriter and recording artist, he has used creativity to process personal experiences and transform difficult chapters into powerful songs of resilience intended to inspire others.
After experiencing firsthand the devastating impact of parental alienation and prolonged family court proceedings, Gilby became determined to transform personal adversity into positive change. The experience led him to establish Kids First, an initiative dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families navigating parental separation.
Inspired by a belief that no child should lose meaningful relationships with the people who love them, his work focuses on helping parents make better child-focused decisions and supporting families before conflict causes lasting harm. Gilby believes that some of society’s greatest challenges begin when children become collateral damage in high-conflict separation and lose connection with the people who matter most in their lives.
Through Kids First, Gilby advocates for earlier intervention when it matters most, combining lived experience, technology, education and innovation to help drive meaningful change in how families navigate separation. His work focuses on helping parents make more constructive, child-focused decisions that reduce harm, preserve important relationships and help break cycles of adversity. His long-term vision is a future where fewer children lose meaningful relationships with the people they love, where better support systems arrives before damage is done and where innovative solutions help create better outcomes for generations to come.
Gilby was raised in New Zealand and has family connections to the country’s film and television industry, including actor Kevin Smith, best known internationally for portraying Ares, the God of War, in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, and who was preparing for his first Hollywood role co-starring in the Bruce Willis action film Tears of the Sun.
Much of Gilby's work is guided by a strong moral compass and a belief that children deserve love, stability and meaningful connections with both parents. He believes that even the most difficult experiences can inspire positive change that helps others. Today he continues to develop mission-driven ventures focused on protecting children and improving outcomes for families across New Zealand and around the world.
