My name is Rebecca Oliver, and I am a sustainability strategist and associate at Purple IVY based in Stockholm, Sweden. In addition to helping make the transition to sustainability happen in the world of business, together with my fantastic Purple IVY colleagues, I also work as a meeting designer and moderator on topics broader than corporate sustainability.
Drawing on my background in many sectors, from academia, business, civil society and foundations, together with my passion as a musician, I help to create meetings – online or in-real-life – that bubble with both creativity and realism. For me, the best conversations and ideas come from the clarity of seeing the world as it really is and the emotion of imagining how to make it better.
I work in English and Swedish (and occasionally Italian) with all sizes of meeting, from small focussed meetings to larger conferences – and everything in between. The most interesting aspect for me is always the purpose of the meeting, the core values that shape the conversation, and designing the agenda to achieve the desired results.
My passion is using knowledge from all the places it can be found to make a better future – moving forwards with our eyes fully open – and being curious, courageous and honest. This goal can also be called innovation and a conscious stepping stone to a future where major challenges to people and planet are no longer a threat.
The knowledge that we need is seldom where we first look for it. The words of Nora Bateson awake in me the urgency and need for true innovation:
I tried on the footprints of those who came before…
They fit well.
… they did not lead me home.
Creating a home for coming generations is not just about one sectors or one aspect of sustainability, it involves every aspect of the human project from individuals to culture and the aspirations of the whole of society. It’s time to become excited about the future.
