Our Team | ekko.world

Jennifer Nielsen

Founder

ekko.world started out as Across the Fence. And the idea of shifting more power to businesses committed to making eco easy.

I used to be someone who lived on planes and spent so little time at home that I couldn't have told you on which side of my house the sun came up, let alone how to grow a bit of basil.

I know that not every business person wants to change the way they live, but I am pretty sure most would change a small corner of it to ensure this planet is left in good shape for our children.

I really hope you like ekko.world and it helps you on your way.

Kendall Taylor

COMPUTER SCIENTIST, HEAD OF EKKO TECH (ET)

The algorithm and machine learning for Ekko Score partnership started as part of my PhD thesis in an Industry / Academic partnership and led to what has become a long term partnership.

My PhD is about multi-criteria preference elicitation and ekko-score is an ideal real world fit for this research, taking multiple criteria that stakeholders use to assess sustainability of products/services, learning and determining the preferences.

Respecting the importance of each criteria to different users and stakeholders, and essentially developing a single score - Ekko Score - combines all these factors and gives real world application. Our ambition is to profoundly change the way consumers purchase. That is a game changer.

Sas Jacobs

HEAD Developer

I am a software developer and a passionate sustainability advocate who is lucky enough to have found a way to have both my passions.

A few years ago I left city life to live on a poison free farm in Western Australia with my growing family of humans, poultry and a large dog.

Through my farm I have real control over the way we choose to live and through ekko, I have the chance to share my passion with literally millions of people. I hope you like what we are building.

Rachel Gaddi

Membership Integrity

Being part of ekko.world is special because I get to work and support a cause that I personally believe in - making eco living easier for all. And that is why integrity is so important.

I know I am far from being 100% eco but like many of you, I am committed to change and I am positive that even small, frequent actions count a lot and that our collective efforts as individuals make a difference to our world.

Respecting our planet and all the living things is important as is showing gratitude and appreciation for what we have been given and what we leave for future generations.

Dean Rushton

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, GLOBAL MARKETS, EXECUTIVE INVESTOR

Having worked with the digital transformation of both Australian service businesses and global online retailers and with a history in software development and marketing sales, the opportunity to work with ekko.world on ekko-score is a natural fit.

As a founding investor in ekko.world and a long term business partner of Jennifer's, I have tracked both the progress of the business as well as the development of a maturing global market for sustainable goods and services.

The market, coupled with our depth of knowledge about eco businesses and consumption, along with the business knowledge and leadership skills in this team, I believe we truly have the chance to make a big difference.

Peter Hanlon

BUSINESS ADVISER, EXECUTIVE INVESTOR, FILM MAKER

I’m ekko.world’s target market. I started out as someone who cared about the environment and believed in Jenn so I invested in ekko.world. As time has gone by and I have shifted from my long term career as a corporate banker into a film-maker, I am far more aware of the nuances of the world and what matters.

I watch myself daily, turning from a well-meaning, busy, but lazy eco-warrior into someone who realises he can truly make a difference. Investing in ekko.world was a great start and now, as a film maker, with a camera and a song sheet, I have the ability to get to many people in many countries and help make a difference on this planet for our children's future. And that's one of the key things I am now doing.

Simone Novello

PARTNERSHIPS

I love partnerships because of their capacity to make the impossible possible. I shifted my focus from big business to eco businesses when I began to understand the potential impact of greener business and personal behaviour.

I now work with committed eco or aspiring eco businesses of all sizes, to help them to realise their impact goals and access better supply chains. As someone who came from corporate cards and partnerships, I particularly love working with big businesses who are committed to greening their workplaces and environments.

Sofie Formica

SUSTAINABILITY AMBASSADOR | MC

I've worked in media for 30 years, mostly in TV, focused on lifestyle and tourism. This experience over time, both in Australia and around the world, has given me a lot of opportunity to see first hand the extent of challenges facing the planet.

I believe it is important for people like me to do more to use the skills and influence we have to make a personal, positive impact. I am so passionate about it that I have chosen to change my career and made it my focus to align with platforms and partners who remind consumers, businesses and policy-makers that they have choices. Better eco choices.

From little changes to big ideas, I am now telling the stories that help everyone take one eco step and know that we all have considerable power to shape our futures - for ourselves, our children, their children and this planet we call home.

SALLY TREEBY

ETHICS, WOMEN & GIRLS, CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY, BOARDS

I have watched the world change as more people become aware of the challenges ahead of us with climate change. It's important to me that everyone has access to the opportunity to live better and that eco business - large and small, can be easily found, in a like minded and supporting neighbourhood.

As a working mother of two with a keen interest in the legacy we are leaving our children, the ethics of the way we treat each other - and all living things, is one of the primary focuses of my life and I value the opportunity to do what I can.

Febe Trinidad

Membership Support & Social Media

I see so many great ideas; people wanting to make a difference; setting up at markets, on etsy, facebook or with a website - pretty much any platform that gets them going.

It makes you appreciate just how gutsy some people are and just what they are prepared to sacrifice to invest in a better world. It is fantastic that we can support them.

If you choose to join us and sell or promote your eco, organic, fair trade, sustainable, natural, recycled, local, handmade well intentioned and made with love goods & services here, you’ll really be helping to save the world.

We hope you will enjoy the eco journey with us.

More of our team

ANDY HILL

B2B SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES, PRINCIPAL ADVISOR

Sustainability and using my skills and investment opportunity to help create a more sustainable world was a long term ambition that I finally started to realise in 2018 and went on to seek out opportunity to be directly involved with companies on the cutting edge of innovation in sustainability - those making a real difference at the intersection of sustainability, technology and influence.

DR JEFFERY CHAN

PHD SUPERVISOR, RMIT UNIVERSITY

Jeffrey is the hands on supervisor of the ekko-score project (Kendall Taylor) and a lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Information Technology at RMIT University.

I work in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, designing new machine learning algorithms. I also work in Social Media/Network Analysis, Recommendation, integrated Optimisation-Machine Learning where we use a hybrid/integrated approach to solve general problems that have characteristics of both and applying Machine Learning to problems to do with networks/relatonal data, social media and networks, spatial-temporal data such as human trajectories and network security.

SALLY BRADY

PEOPLE & PLANET

There is nothing as important as leaving a fair legacy for your children. I am not talking about money, but simply a place to live, that is inhabitable and generous.

I love telling the stories of our marketplace businesses, because big or small, the one thing they have in common is a personal and genuine focus on making a difference.

MICHELLE MYER

PUBLIC RELATIONS

ekko is a joy to promote.

Every little piece counts and as we spread the word further, it makes me feel so good that we are making a difference.

To work with something you truly believe and know will make many lives better is truly rewarding.

JONO SEARLE

PHOTOGRAPHER

I grew up in bush land behind Brisbane and even now as am an editorial, lifestyle and corporate photographer, I love photographing anything natural, including animals and their relationships with their pet human.

The beauty of the bush and Australian flora and fauna set my life long eco compass and my passion for the importance in our eco choices in the future. Now with young kids and a family, I see the importance more than ever. Photography is such an important and easy way to share the beauty in simplicity.

LIZY CRETNEY

UX/UI DESIGNER

I love helping connect people with great ideas and content and ekko.world has given me the chance to do that on a big scale.

I spent the last 10 years designing social platforms and ekko.world has been one of the most interesting as we are really creating our own destiny.

HARRY HAMMETT

IT INTERN

The best thing about ekko.world is that it is my generation who are left with whatever world is being created right now, and this is a chance to help influence the result.

In the words of Greta Thunberg, "We should no longer measure our wealth and success in the graph that shows economic growth, but in the curve that shows the emissions of greenhouse gases. We should no longer only ask: “Have we got enough money to go through with this?” but also: “Have we got enough of the carbon budget to spare to go through with this?” That should and must become the centre of our new currency.

The future belongs to our children. It's our job to make sure they get it.