Has there ever been a better time to challenge how we do things?

Are you wanting to expand your knowledge and work towards practicing more sustainable habits, most especially in your work environment?

Join the Challenge

Be part of the conversation and join the change-makers crafting a circular economy approach to business. We are in the middle of a sustainability reset and challenging the notion of ‘business as usual’.

The Circular Conversation series stars serial collaborators who believe in reducing waste, increasing efficiencies and creating exceptional products and services to continue to find improved and new ways of doing things.

EPISODE #5 - Jacqueline Wilson-Smith & Megyn Carpenter

Be part of the conversation and join the change makers crafting a more circular economy approach to business!

The Crafting a Circular Conversation series stars serial collaborators who believe in challenging the status quo.

These are change makers from across the Sunshine Coast and beyond who are working to reduce waste, increase efficiencies, regenerate, and innovate - all while creating exceptional services, products, and business for good.

We are thrilled to announce episode #5 of the Crafting a Circular Economy event series which will incorporate the theme of Cleantech solutions, sustainability for profit and impactful innovation.

For our next exciting episode, we are joined by Jacqueline (Jac) Wilson Smith – Strategist, Collaborator and Design-Led Innovator and founder of Sustainable Innovation Company, and Megyn Carpenter – Strategist, Educator, Communicator and President Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast.

Also stay tuned for our special Sunshine Coast, Open House Crafting a Circular Economy ‘Small Bites’, as we chat with Phillip Dafarra, Principal of PlaceSense about regenerative housing and community led building design.

This series aims to not just to share stories, but to stimulate ideas, make connections and create opportunities for the Sunshine Coast to accelerate a local circular economy.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5

Episode #1 : Michelle Christoe, Yas Grigaliunas and Todd Widdicombe

About the Speakers

Michelle Christoe

Co-Owner, NightQuarter & Founder and Director Food Focus Australia

Michelle Christoe is an accomplished marketing and business professional, having launched and managed her own businesses in Australia and abroad, as well as representing Australian industry on Boards.

She is passionate about sustainable initiatives having set up a business as a joint initiative with Sydney Fish Market and Fisheries Research Development Corporation to create value add meals out of waste product within fisheries, established Environment Management System projects through to established the Common Language Group and worked with industry on issues papers. The key paper produced was called ‘Defining Sustainable Australian Seafood - Wild-Capture Fisheries’ which gained consensus between industry, researchers and environmentalist groups on the term ‘sustainable seafood’.

Today she owns and manages Food Focus Australia with strong Sustainability principles and is soon to relaunch NightQuarter, a venue primarily made of recycled materials with sustainable workshops and demonstrations empowering the community to Reduce, Repair and Recycle through its Repair Lab initiative.

Yasmin Grigaliunas

CEO & Co-Founder, The World’s Biggest Garage Sale

Yas Grigaliunas is an entrepreneur with passion for impact and innovation with a focus on people, planet and profit for purpose. Driven to make a difference and

Yasmin Grigaliunas, CEO and Co-founder of the World’s Biggest Garage Sale (WBGS), is a circular economy pioneer in Australia, driving this industry forward by innovating, collaborating, connecting and mobilising multiple stakeholders towards a shared vision, all while providing social good.

Strongly aligned with SDG12, WBGS is focused on SDG implementation, action (‘the doing’) and multi-stakeholder partnerships for the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals. To date, WBGS has donated over $314K to charities, diverted over 3.3-million kgs of potential waste from landfill and contributed over $1.7-million in social value to the global economy. Yas and her organisation are living proof that you can provide positive impact for people, planet and profit for purpose.

Episode #2: Matt Hepburn, Christen McGarry and Bernie Craven

About the Speakers

Your Mates Brewing Co

Matt Hepburn: CEO and Co-Founder and Christen McGarry: Production Manager and Co-Founder

Your Mates Brewing Co. isn't just any ol' beer company. Founded on the Sunshine Coast in 2015, it represents a classic Australian underdog story and the true meaning of mateship.

At its core is a simple ethos, good beers, good mates and good times. Its headquarters, Your Mates Brew House, is loved by locals and visitors from afar for its homely feeling, extensive tap list, delicious food menu and live music. Read the full story.

Bernie Craven

CEO - Waste Free Solutions

Hairdresser-come-Circular Economy Innovator, Bernie has identified an opportunity to take plastics plus other waste from salons and create prosthetic limbs for children in need.

A serial collaborator, Bernie can be found connecting with a raft of businesses and researchers to seek exciting circular economy outcomes that have commercial benefit. He is currently exploring options with local Sustainable Surfboard producers NOTOX Surfboards Australia (Australian made GOLD Level Ecoboard as certified by Sustainable Surf) as they seek solutions to keep their surfboard solutions as clean and green as possible.

Todd Widdicombe

Host and craft beer connoisseur

The Circular Conversation series is hosted by a man who never accepts the status quo, Todd Widdicombe.

Todd is a passionate Sunshine Coast local and known for his love of a craft beer. With The Circular Conversation Series being held in craft beer and coffee houses around the Sunshine Coast, Todd is the perfect choice to help us showcase businesses that are mixing it up and doing their part for a better future.

Episode #3: Roz White, Michele Lipner and Cameron McKenzie

About the Speakers

Roz White

Co-owner of White's IGA

Roz White, co-owner of White's IGA and five IGA's across Queensland, is the driving force behind the business which over the past 25 years, has grown from a small corner store to a group of multi-award winning, market leading stores.

White’s IGA proudly focuses on supporting their community and local providers through their unique ‘locavore’ program, which is why we are absolutely delighted and honoured to have Roz as part of Crafting a Circular Economy – episode 3!

Roz is a passionate business advocate, a professional member of various industry groups, a mentor and a regular speaker at trade and industry events. She is also an active community volunteer, having founded and co-ordinated many successful fundraising events.

Roz was recognised as the SCBWN Outstanding Business Woman of the Year in 2015 and named Owner/Entrepreneur Leader of the Year in 2016 by the Australian Institute of Management and Telstra Business Woman of the year Queensland finalist 2019. Roz was inducted in the IGA Hall of Fame in 2017 as the first independent female, a prestigious honour and significant milestone for women in the supermarket industry!

Michelle Lipner

Chapter Coordinator at OzHarvest

Join Michelle Lipner, Chapter Coordinator at OzHarvest - Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivering it directly to more than 1300 charities supporting people in need across the country. Prior to establishing OzHarvest on the Sunshine Coast 6 years ago, Michele spent over twenty years in the aid and development sector, primarily working in conflict and post conflict environments in senior management positions with the UN and NGOs.

Her work is largely focused on emergency response and humanitarian assistance to transitioning programming and peacekeeping missions. In her role as Coordinator of OzHarvest Sunshine Coast, Michele has overall responsibility for all aspects of program management including food rescue operations, education and awareness activities and corporate engagement.

Locally, the OzHarvest, Sunshine Coast Chapter aims to help feed local people in need, divert quality food from landfill, and raise community awareness about food waste, food sustainability and local food security. The program partners with local food suppliers and charities, schools, community groups, community organisations and churches across the Sunshine Coast to help ensure those in need receive quality food.

Cameron McKenzie

CEO of ASPIRE

Cameron is an alumnus of Swinburne University of Technology's Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science postgraduate programs. He worked as a tradesman before realising that business as usual and walking between the lines were not generating the impacts he believed businesses needed.

Discovering a passion for sustainability and impact, Cameron was subsequently appointed CEO of ASPIRE, an award-winning and successful platform developed by the CSIRO and Data61. ASPIRE is an online marketplace that intelligently matches businesses with potential manufacturers, buyers or recyclers of excess resources and waste products, in the process helping build a robust circular economy.

ASPIRE is ready to scale across the country for anyone and everyone who wants to build sustainable business models, connect and grow a potential revenue stream post COVID19.

Episode #4: Matt Jancauscas and Christine Ballinger

About the Speakers

Matt Jancauskas

Head Brewer and owner

Matt Jancauskas grew up in Yeppoon and has always had a love for beer but it wasn’t until he moved to London that he pursued it as a career.

A fortuitous job vacancy took him from electrical engineer to working at Beavertown Brewery. Starting on the packaging line, Matt made his way to Production Manager and gained his Diploma of Brewing through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. Matt saw Beavertown develop from a tiny microbrewery into one of London’s most influential breweries, producing more than 1,500,000L annually.

Determined to continue his career in craft beer, Matt had his eye on Maleny as the perfect spot to open a brewpub. He partnered with three Sunshine Coast locals, opening Brouhaha Brewery in July 2016. Matt developed a reputation as a brewer to watch. James Halliday’s named Brouhaha Brewery in the “4 most exciting breweries to watch” in Aug 2016. Matt received Brewer of the Year at Queensland’s inaugural Beeries Awards in 2017. His beers have received thirteen medals across two Australian beer awards in 2018 and his Strawberry Rhubarb Sour placed 77 in 2018’s Australian Hottest 100 Craft Beers, as voted by the Australian public.

We are thrilled to have Matt as part of this conversation

Christine Ballinger

Christine has a background in science, education, the arts and arts management, she has been recognised internationally as an artist, as a cultural entrepreneur and awarded for her achievements as a professional business woman.

These days, Christine channels her diverse set of knowledge, experience and professional practice into Fall’s Farm, Mapleton. Here, Christine is responsible for overseeing all things ' growing'. This includes the extensive market and herbs gardens, orchards and revegetation projects. She is part of the extended family team, all of whom have their own areas of farm responsibilities.

Ryan Hollis

Founder

Ryan is a local Montville resident who is passionate about sustainability within our community. He is the founder of everfocus, a business advisory practice located on the Sunshine Coast, and strives to provide solutions to common business problems that improve the sustainability of both businesses and the communities they operate in.

He has long been recognised as a corporate sustainability leader and spent over 20 years practising all things sustainability through a diverse career in the global natural resources industry. These days, Ryan enjoys ensuring his everfocus clients are successful, and supporting innovation and creating social impact in our community.

This includes championing the emergence of the circular economy and highlighting the huge potential it holds for local businesses. Striving for further impact, he has also created a new social enterprise that uses a new innovative digital platform to engage households on how they can reduce their waste footprint and go circular.

Ryan is determined to share his deep experience, connect and collaborate with our beautiful Sunshine Coast community to further our sustainability now and for future generations to come.

Helen Andrews

Founder

Helen Andrews has a professional background spanning many roles in marketing and strategic relationship management across Australia and the Asia Pacific.

Moving to the Sunshine Coast several years ago, Helen wanted her family to experience the same connection to food that she did growing up, so they bought acreage where the family could grow their own produce. The property had a well-established orchard. That first season delivered an abundant harvest but, being new in town, Helen had limited networks with which to share her bounty. Friends and school contacts were struggling to share their own plentiful crops.

Helen felt a great sense of disappointment when she had to bury hundreds of surplus mandarins at the end of the season. Resolving to never let her citrus go to waste again, Helen was determined to find a way to get excess produce into the hands of people she didn’t know. In 2016 Spare Harvest was born, an online community that connects people who have spare garden or farm resources with others who can use those items.

Whether you have an abundance of fresh herbs, excess plant pots, surplus glass jars, or a few hours of labour to offer, this community is your go-to-place. Simply create a listing to share, sell, or swap and let the community work its magic. Helen’s love of growing food and reducing waste is matched by a passion to bring people together to share meaningful exchanges.

Episode #5: Jacqueline Wilson-Smith & Megyn Carpenter

About the Speakers

Megyn Carpenter

President of Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast

Megyn is President of Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast and works professionally as a sustainable business strategist & educator and eco communications marketing service provider.

Megyn Carpenter is recognised as a Climate Reality Leader by former USA Vice President Al Gore. She is President of Cleantech Industries Sunshine Coast, the only cleantech industry association in Australia.

Megyn’s skill in breaking down barriers to sustainable practice has been sought by many industry leaders who have benefited by her innovative business model and educational podcasts.

Megyn has developed and delivered over 200 business workshops both in Australia and the USA. Her latest Green Profits education program targets the beverage industry and fast-tracks sustainability expertise within business to reduce the carbon footprint while increasing profitability.

For more information including Megyn’s Green Profits podcast, go to www.megyn.com.au

Jacqueline Wilson-Smith

The Design Led Innovator

Jac has been driving strategy, innovation, and sustainable transformations in since 1995 when she switched from being an EY accountant into a design-led innovator holding global roles with McCormick, Gourmet Garden, Mondelez, Constellation & Hardy Wine Company.

In 2019, Jac founded the Sustainable Innovation Company on a mission to catalyse impactful innovation. Jac works glovally (global, local, and virtual) and aspires to be known as a pioneer of collaborative leadership, capable of mobilising people, teams, communities, and organisations to create better & radically change for good.

In addition, Jac is Co-Founder and past immediate Chair of Food Agribusiness Network (FAN) and a Non-Executive Director and Advisor on a number of boards, panels, and committees including Food Agility, Traveller’s Choice, Agrifutures’ Rural Women’s Award Alumni, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s Circularity Group and QLD’s Manufacturing Ministerial Committee. In 2017 Jac was the QLD AgriFutures’ Rural Women’s Award recipient.

Find out more about Jac’s incredible work here: https://sustainableinnovationco.com/pages/jacqueline-wilson-smith

Todd Widdicombe

Host and craft beer connoisseur

In addition to being a Mix FM host and media personality, Todd Widdicombe is a passionate Sunshine Coast local with likeable larrikin qualities (is that a thing?) and definitely known for his love of a craft beer.

With the CCE conversation series being originally inspired by some of our local craft brewers, we thought he’d be the perfect choice to come on the journey to help us showcase businesses that are mixing it up and doing their part for a better future.

This series aims not just to share stories, but to stimulate ideas, make connections and create opportunities for the Sunshine Coast to accelerate a local circular economy.

Be part of the conversation by tuning in live and sharing this event, using the hashtag #circularshiftsc.

Click going or interested on the Facebook event below to stay updated with all the information as we get closer!

You can also tune in via livestream on the following Facebook pages:

Sunshine Coast Circular Economy Facebook page: www.facebook.com/circulareconomysc
SCBWN: www.facebook.com/scbwn

OR https://www.livingsmartqld.com.au/crafting-a-circular-economy/

This series has proudly been initiated through Sunshine Coast Council’s Living Smart program and delivered in partnership with our community.

Has there ever been a better time to challenge how we do things?

EPISODE #5 - Jacqueline Wilson-Smith & Megyn Carpenter

Episode #1 : Michelle Christoe, Yas Grigaliunas and Todd Widdicombe

About the Speakers

Episode #2: Matt Hepburn, Christen McGarry and Bernie Craven

About the Speakers

Episode #3: Roz White, Michele Lipner and Cameron McKenzie

About the Speakers

Episode #4: Matt Jancauscas and Christine Ballinger

About the Speakers

Episode #5: Jacqueline Wilson-Smith & Megyn Carpenter

About the Speakers

Talking Circular Communities with Chad Buxton

What is the the Circular Economy

What keeps climate scientists like me awake at night - and why the next 10 years are so critical

Local health service embraces global green challenge

World's Biggest Garage Sale (Bite sized)

Coast “fix it” cafés reduce landfill and keep skills alive

Yandina business compost pilot an Australian first

Nothing new for Christmas