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Tessa Clarke

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Tessa Clarke

Co-Founder and CEO, Olio

 

About the interview

  • What is food waste, who are the main food waste producer and why is it such a big problem
  • Comparing food waste at the retail level and in households
  • Get practical tips on how to stop food waste in the home, in your organisation and at events
  • Why communities are the most powerful solution to food waste
  • Learn all about OLIO
    – The Food Sharing Revolution
    – The story behind the app and how it works
    – How OLIO grows communities
    – How OLIO works with businesses
    – How to grow local food distribution communities across 49 countries
    – Health and safety issues when sharing food

[VIEW BIO]

About Tessa

Co-Founder and CEO, Olio

  • Co-Founder and CEO of the global food sharing revolution OLIO
  • Ambassador for the Meaningful Business 100
  • Strong track record of driving change
  • Passionate about combining profit and purpose, sustainability, circular economy and zero waste
  • Founded food sharing app OLIO after the removal men told her she had to bin her food when moving country
  • Farmer's daughter who understands how much time, hard work and precious resources go into producing our food
If you could invite 1 person to a dinner party – who would it be and why?
Jesus. He managed to create an incredibly powerful global movement, plus I’m fascinated by the history of religion
What motivates you? Makes you happy?
Leading a purposeful life
My kids, husband and pets
Running in the countryside
Listening to podcasts
Snowboarding on a sunny day
What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?
Don’t be afraid to be different…. It’s an incredible strength (even though it doesn’t feel that way now!)
Don’t allow others to define what success means for you
If you could make 1 global change – what would it be?
True equality for women. If we had this I’m convinced we’d have a much more balanced, sustainable and happier world, for everybody
What are your Top 3 achievements?
1) Founding OLIO & growing it to where it is today
2) Having a very happy family life, and good mental/physical health, despite the pressures of being a startup founder
3) Getting into Cambridge and Stanford Universities and having the opportunity to study in those incredible environments
What does sustainability mean for you?
Living within the means of the planets’ resources (at a minimum). Being net positive to the planet (ideally).
What was the most important event/influence that changed your perspective?
Finding myself with surplus food when moving house and being told by the removal men to throw it away; refusing to do that and having the metaphorical ‘lightbulb’ moment for the concept of OLIO, which then started me on this incredible journey into the world of purpose and sustainability
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I’m extremely proud that OLIO won a UN ‘Momentum for Change’ award last year, which recognises 15 organisations from around the world that the UN considers to be ‘beacons’ for the world in terms of what a scalable solution to the problem of climate change looks like.

I’m forever indebted to my CoFounder Saasha Celestial One, without whom OLIO wouldn’t be where it is today.

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