About Lowell Sheppard

Lowell Sheppard is an author, speaker, fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, long-distance cyclist, and adventure-seeker.

His newest book, Never Too Late, offers ten tips to help men and women recapture their dreams and ambitions, invest in their future, and live a rich, productive, satisfying life.

Lowell has written six other books, including Never Ending Adventure, Miracle in Mostar, Nagoya International School: 40 Years, and Their Future Our Passion. His fourth book, Chasing the Cherry Blossom, chronicled his 3,000 km bicycle ride down the coast of Japan during the Japanese people's celebration of spring. His sixth book, Boys Becoming Men, examines the importance of rites of passage, including adventures, for children becoming adults.

Lowell has spent his entire adult life working with established Non-Government Organizations (also known as non-profit societies) and in several NGO start-ups. As Asia Director of the HOPE International Development Agency, Lowell is passionate about helping the poor. Lowell has been involved with Hope for 25 years in varying capacities, including staff, volunteer, and supporter. His first assignment was as a project coordinator in Thailand during the refugee crisis of the late 1970s.

He has dedicated much of his life to social and environmental improvement projects. He was the chairman of the Whose Earth initiative in the United Kingdom, which culminated with an environmental rally in Hyde Park. He was also one of the founders and first chairman of Novimost, an non-government organization responding to the needs caused by war in the Balkans.

He was CEO of one of the United Kingdom's largest youth charities and an executive member of Spring Harvest, an annual Christian festival which attracts more than 60,000 people each Easter and raised more than one million dollars for charities every year.

His volunteer activities include serving as chairman of the Living in Chubu committee for the Chubu chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and vice-chairman of the CSR Committee for the ACCJ, Chairman of the Development Committee for Nagoya International School, Vice President of the Tokai Japan Canada Society. But the majority of his time is working with HOPE International Development Agency, an NGO focused on working with the extreme poor in their quest to climb out of poverty.  

Lowell is often asked to advise individuals and organizations on matters ranging from leadership development, CSR related subjects, and various other issues relating to sustainability. His many adventures and challenges including living in war zones, cycling across nations, and organizing a variety of sponsored challenges, enriches his talks and informs his advice

Lowell, who was born in Canada, lives in Nagoya, Japan, with his wife Kande where they are currently attempting to develop a sustainable lifestyle on a plot of hillside they purchased just outside of Nagoya.  Ryan, their oldest son is pursuing a career in business and Mackenzie, who graduated from Nagoya International School on 2008, is attending university with the goal of becoming a film producer (www.mackfilm.com).