A selection of recent consulting work, personal projects, and career highlights. Giving an overview of how my passion for helping people and our environment plays out in the real world.
Gritt
Gritt creates pathways for a fun intro to adventure sports, and fosters progression to the highest level.
This is being achieved through inspiration, coaching, mentorship, safety education, and funding. Founded by a crew of current and former adventure athletes who feel thankful for the opportunities we’ve been given to experience the outdoors from a young age, develop our passions, and take them to the highest level globally. The wider team features Olympic gold medallists, Freeride World Tour winners, and Enduro World Series winners.
United by a shared love of the outdoors we want to pass on our knowledge to inspire more participation in the sports we love.
Founders: Craig Murray, Charlie Murray, Kenji Boekholt, Jamesa Hampton, Nick Pascoe
Key details:
Snow, bike, and climb camps - serving 130+ kids annually
Avalanche and backcountry safety education - learning targeted at young adults is a key safety gap, we’re addressing this through a 3 day camp for teens.
Mentoring - helping kids to recognise and pursue career pathways in the outdoors.
Pathways and funding - directly support career pathways in adventure sports through avenues such as paying coaches, prize money for competitions like the Reel Deal, and grants/scholarships in the future.
Partnerships - we work with like-minded organisations and brands (such as Snowsports NZ, Arc’teryx, POC Sports, Selwyn NZ, Inspire Foundation) to fund our events and deliver them high quality marketing content.
Big On Writing
Working to improve kiwi businesses sustainability communication, in a way that will engage people to care and therefore act.
I believe a product is only as valuable as people think it is, and an idea is as good as it is understood. In the case of sustainability there’s too many misunderstandings, hyperbole, and a lack of detail. With the team at Big On Writing we’re combining technical sustainability knowledge with years of communication experience, to offer authentic science-based marketing that’s truly good for customers and the planet.
Key details:
Sustainability strategy, communications, writing, account management
Clients: Westpac, ERANZ, Capital Preferences, Fonterra, Watercare
I craft brand and communications strategy with a focus on accurate and effective sustainability communication. A highlight has been creating and executing sustainability content strategy for the Westpac NZ website.
Create and edit marketing content, such as articles on the future of the energy sector for ERANZ.
DPS Skis
I had the pleasure of living out my dream developing skis and supporting products with DPS.
It was an incredible and formative journey working with a great team, during which I broadened my skillset by instigating and leading sustainability action across all aspects of the business. I designed skis, poles, and softgoods, developed manufacturing and sourcing processes, tested everything in the field, and worked with the sales and marketing teams to ensure products were well received by customers.
All good things must come to an end though, and I moved on to chase new professional, creative, and outdoor dreams. I’ve since contracted back to DPS to analyse and quantify product and business sustainability, including understanding outdoor market trends, and identifying areas of opportunity for DPS.
Key details:
Product innovation and Go-To-Market leadership - including awards and patents for DPS’ ski engineering
Sustainability leadership, accounting, and cross-functional project management
Project management of the R&D function - including a pivot to manufacture 80,000 medical face shields during the pandemic for Utah’s Department of Health.
Technical sustainability analysis, market research, actionable reporting
Major sustainability achievements are DPS’ REI Product Impact Score doubling over the course of 12 months, reduction of plastic packaging for which I was a panellist on the Snowsports Industries America webinar on packaging sustainability, transition to bio-based materials, durability improvements, selective sourcing, and reduction of production waste.
Think.
An ambitious sustainability entrepreneurship project.
Along with partner Pat Greene I endeavoured to launch a unique value-add food business, focusing on farm and product sustainability and storytelling. The aim for the initial products was to offer the most sustainable lamb on the market; through Carbon Neutral certification, water quality management, on-farm conservation and pest management, animal welfare, packaging, and supply chain control.
We had success lining up farm and investment partners, however failed to secure a commercially viable meat processing and logistics partner and made the difficult decision to cease work on the project and chase other opportunities. There’s still merit to the concept, so reach out if you have a fresh viewpoint!
Key details:
Business model creation, financial planning and supply chain logistics.
Product iteration, branding, and sales & marketing planning.
Discussions with investors, farm partners, retailers, and logistics/processing partners, with the aim of forming a team having the capability to bring to market a new and exciting brand and product line.
Technical sustainability analysis (including engaging external experts) to validate the scientific legitimacy of the business concept.
