Insights developing from the inside of Circular Earth and The Ecosystem Incubator
The Circular Earth internship has been an incredible learning experience so far and is
giving me a broader and more well-rounded view of business in general and the various aspects of it, as well as all the layers and things that go into running a business. It is a very dynamic work environment with varied opportunities for both companies and individuals to gain knowledge from you. The Ecosystem Incubator is involved with so many other companies and brands in an ecosystem designed to grow and support in a sustainable way.
One part of the consultancy consists of helping start-up companies start sustainably and
maintain this so that it can be a continuous process of product and waste recycling. You help consult these companies all the way from raw materials sourcing and supply chain management to marketing and brand development. The other part of the consulting consists of helping already established companies to become sustainable and where and how to begin with this, and then repositioning their brand accordingly. I also learned about the other part of the business, The Ecosystem Incubator.
I learned that the Ecosystem business has essentially created a business plan that is transferrable to any industry, with the main idea of an “ecosystem” of companies and individuals who come together to share their thoughts and ideas with many different divisions and departments branching off of this. The idea is that this “incubator” will essentially create an infinite cycle of resources and sustainability rather than the way that most industries currently operate, with one or few people at the top and this going down in a linear fashion, producing tremendous amounts of waste. It was very valuable to me to learn about this and to gain a better understanding of sustainability, and to first understand how layered it is. I gained a lot of knowledge and insights about several varying aspects of business, and it has been incredible to see the power and potential of working together in an ecosystem.
It has been very inspiring to me; Rachel and the team have so many incredible thoughts and ideas and such an immense amount of creativity. From your thoughts and ideas, you can make mind maps to create and visualise relationships with so many other aspects of both business and sustainability and from this, create entire business plans to create a better world where everyone works together to reach better solutions and co-create.
It is also amazing listening to you talking with others about Circular Earth and the
Ecosystem Incubator and sharing what you do. Your passion and knowledge on the subject is so evident that others seem to be immediately drawn to it, and in this way you are able to effectively market yourself and your companies. You are also very outspoken in the best way and can get your thoughts and ideas out in a very meaningful way; this became very evident when I went with you to sit in on the Greener and Cleaner Schools Project discussion. I feel like this is also a big part of what makes you such a great leader, while at the same time Rachel is very understanding and helpful and can help others understand the bigger picture and think in whole systems.
Additionally, your whole systems and bigger picture thinking seems crucial for the work Rachel and the team are standing to accomplish. Your ability to think in this way also makes it easier for others to understand and then dive into the other layers from there. Overall, this hasbeen an amazing opportunity and I am very grateful to be interning for you. It has been an invaluable learning experience.
Katherine
