The Ecosystem Incubator - Collaborator series - Riikka Olli from Menndie.. care and repair and new systems

Welcoming Randi Seiff of the ground breaking Treun House Atelier, Treun are working change along every touch point of their start up from manufacturing in their made to order approach, to the tech right to the next gen fibers and packaging that are applied over the collections.It is always an honor to collaborate with Randi - and she sets the bar for the industry in her agile and lean approach.

‘’Enjoy what you are doing, Share what you have learned’’Fascinating conversation with the great women at Contemporary Hempery.  We are working with them in one of our first 4 collaborative co-creation pods.Working with localised Hemp fibre production, forging new paths to the future. The coming together of all communities around new systems, from the farm, to hand spinners to the business space. Realising this new future is very much in the space of collaboration in itself. Learn about the great qualities of growing hemp and processing of it.  Discussing bast fibers in general showcasing also nettle fibers and the great Nettle dress film WATCH IT .. Developing with old ways of growing hemp but adding in new modern ways that work In a regenerative, standing on the shoulders of the old hemp industry and stepping into a contemporary space.JOIN US on the Harvest Retreat to help the next phase of this project, we are creating a micro festival to fund and to share the experience featuring not only the Hemp and the heroes of this story, but great music, locally grown food and fabulous fun.In the Incubator we work always in collaboration finding unique ways to come together in business development for a regenerative future - To find out how the Incubator could be beneficial to your business or innovation - check out our website here

Lisa Matzi – Rebel PatchCreating the new behaviours for the future, Using patches as a communication and pragmatic tool, to share digital art in a real way as patches to give the citizens a simple option in repairing clothing. Lisa was a UX designer very much in the virtual space, seeking a place to belong in the ‘real’ world.. found repair and mending and the realness of creating something physical. She Created rebel patch which is a business sharing bespoke art patches with curated collections of limited edition works for your clothing.We love her story of converting a van during the pandemic as a metaphor for her business journey, the trials and tribulations of how that works in business. Very much how she has approached he business.How much the business journey is such a part of this for all of us as we are really feeling into the journey.   How collaboration is woven In to all she does just as we do in the incubator – that the collaboration can shape the business as it goes along.Art can be a real way to embellish what we do and create an emotional intelligence for people with their items.   Discussing how to create more collaboration with the eco-systemic way and creating collaborative benefits.  We look forward to her launch in April/ May 23 and the business she and we will create beyond this.  Lisa has been a member In The Ecosystem Incubator and also we have worked with her on our 'Mastermind' coaching.

Smaller actions with consistency create change.Sara Collins is a fair trade consultant and works on her own organic and fair trade brand Sister and Kin. She loves working in the production process, implementing fair trade and ethics practice.Love that she shared about the natural collaborative approach in the ethical space.  Discussing relationship building and how important that is in the new / old way. Future ways of working are based on these old ways of being, it is becoming more mainstream. Creating trust between supplier and buyer.How these new old ways can be more transparent and open, sharing who you are working with, not having ownership of the supply chain. In turn leading to do things with excellence. Discussing how more and more small to medium brands are leading the way and have such a huge focus on fabrications and components - leading into transparency. Talking of the amazing women that she has worked with over the years in the social space, becoming independent and running their own businesses. Discussing the amazing collaborations, how one can come together with different skills to make win win collaborative ways.

Talking to Suzy Haber Wakefield of ''Suzy Wakefield Designs'' one of our great members inside The Ecosystem Incubator.  As an Intimate apparel designer bringing with her decades of experience in the design and development side of things.The collaboration on how we are joining together, we have started to work and streamline what we are all working on in our ‘trees’.Leaning on others for experience, knowledge as well as looking at monetary aspects.  It has been great to listen to her work within design having worked with many corporate brands lending her knowledge and experience into her work. Speaking about how in the corporate space there was one time where collaboration was incubated and it was such a great experience that spurred her on to be in this space with business.  Discussing localisation and decentralisation. Yet still finding camaraderie, finding new creativity in sustainability, and looking at design thinking. Getting the work done without ego or agenda. Working with the hive mind!Suzy has such a brilliant way with words and sit back and enjoy

Talking about her background in business and launch into the regenerative space, which is as the case with many in the practice based on a shock or stop in life, just as our very own Ecosystem Architect’s journey.Touching on what the regenerative actually means and going deep into what this could look like in the business setting, Life creates conditions conducive to life being the soul of the indicative yet what does that really mean?Living life in questions – how do you create what you are creating with these principles at each point in your business / ecosystem .. how to increase the possibility for all to live to their highest potential … keeping life support systems alive, but also looking at the social structures.Looking at how Human ill health and mental health have been degenerating over the time and it is completely correlational to the shifts that we saw towards disconnection.We look at how important feeling a sense of Place is a scale at which the natural systems and human systems meet in a visceral way .. experiencing and working with change. Looking at biodiversity in your very back garden right to your whole bio region.  Starting with place ensures complex change can start at ground root level.The story of separation has meant over many years we have lost our sense of place and connection with the world and each other. We try on here how we can re-connect in a regenerative way in a nested system. You can look at this as an individual, community, organisation, business or even as government. Looking at creating vibrancy, economic, ecological regeneration in place.Uniqueness, looking at each company/organisation as a bespoke challenge .. looking at the energy for change within it, right through to How we can use collaborative approaches to have people start to experientially as a start, building the regenerative capacity without having to use the word at all. Touching on Cathedral thinking and knowing that what we are creating now is for a future that we may not see at all in our own lifetimes but doing it anyway. Jenny is one of our absolute heroes and one of the people who inspired The Ecosystem Incubator in its origination, and we loved having her on the podcast. Step out of your Business as usual, upgrade sustainability and try on the regenerative conversation with Jenny and I today.   

Jo has been a new product creator and the organic, regenerative & fairtrade space for many years, her passion came from seeing that things needed to change in the world, she left her corporate job and stood for a new way of building with the earth.Learning from growing business is such an important part of the journey, when you are doing things in a very new way.Jo speaks to the indigenous ways of growing cotton and other crops, building back into the locality and growing crops of heritage where they are supposed to grow.  Thinking about fabric in the context of the growing seasons and the natural rain like we do with things like wine.  She build her business and podcast 'Where does it come from' to share and build into this new / old way of working. Thinking about the amount that we are producing, reducing over production is such an important thing.  Create less and create with integrity, durability, and emotional durability.Jos inspirational person was Anita Roddick creator of the body shop, made jo feel into a new business , Safia Minney with people tree and our very own Kishore shah , Sian Conway from ethical hour, Sarah Jordon from You underwear.

Bel Jacobs discusses her journey into Climate awareness in the fashion niche  - she discusses her catalyst for change being Rana Plaza.We look at The Unintended consequences of creating in the industry.  We discuss Degrowth and new economic systems, revaluing what is important – looking at our values and systems. Greenwashing and how fashion communication and how the very industry that we are In is creating the focus on GDP growth.  We don’t need any more new clothes – and how we might create in a new economy based on re-use, mending, and longevity.Really sharing about the ecological emergency and the severity of what will happen.. we really love her matter of fact way of speaking.  We look at her Climate Centre based in Angel Islington in London and how grass roots face to face discussion can be so powerful.

It’s always lovely to see brands moving into the new economy.. as a part of the circular economy Menddie joins as a start up that focuses on systems, technology and encouraging mending, up-cycling and re-use.  The awareness of the new choice to care for your garment is key, The world has gotten so used to throwing away we move from a throw away society to a careful society.We talk about the system and how it has indoctrinated us to be consumerist, how we have filled the void with newness – and how we might fill it with an evolutionary piece.Talking of the past and how our ancestors were very used to mending and buying or making pieces that had longevity and how they covered them. Let’s facilitate a new way of living where we slow down and regenerate. We discussed emotional durability, personalisation and how to create that excitement with customers.

We Welcome Laura Zabo one of our new collaborators in The Ecosystem Incubator, she shares about her business working with inter industry waste.  Laura works with tyres and inner tubes that would otherwise go to landfill.We discuss moving from mass production to heart production, moving towards our purpose.  Curiosity and creativity are a huge part of Laura’s way of being around her business and life. We can learn from everyone, and understanding the journey of others .. Comparison is rarely useful.  The true joy of life and work, keeping focus through collaboration. Connecting with people who want to do something for our Earth (Gaia) helping with energy connections.Laura speaks of the joy she felt when she found the trye recycling purpose whilst living in Africa .. and how her joy of creation and innate entrepreneurship.