This month, Innovation Gateway is welcoming two new joiners, Grace Redmond (Account Manager) and Bethan Adams (Research Collaboration Officer)!
Get to know Grace Redmond 👋
Q: Why did you join Innovation Gateway?
A: Well, where to start… I have always had a keen passion for the environment, from bird watching with family to creating my own educational website on the environment. Throughout my degree, I really began to understand the challenges which organisations have in their journey to net zero. Since graduating in 2020, I have been searching for the perfect role, one which has a core focus of solving the most difficult net zero issues, collaborating with key organisations to drive forward their targets, and working with a close-knit team who all share the same goals. So, here I am, and I am thrilled to be onboard just in time for some of the amazing work with our EVzero and HGVzero action groups and partner projects!
Q: What were you doing before?
A: From 2017 to 2020, I had been studying Environmental Science BSc at Oxford Brookes University and then like most, quickly became stuck at home due to COVID. I was fortunate enough to begin my career during the initial lockdown with a student accommodation company and then to a property management company where I supported CSR projects, emissions reporting and all things environmental in the rental world.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: The environmental website which I created as part of my dissertation is something I am really quite proud of – from not knowing how to even create a website to have a full up and running page was a great accomplishment. And of course, completing my degree in the midst of a pandemic scores pretty highly too!
Q: What’s your productivity hack?
A: Lists breaking down my urgent to-dos, project work and daily tasks is a lifesaver. I also discovered the app Forest (https://www.forestapp.cc/) years ago which helps me to focus – it grows a tree for the time you spend off your phone and is key for me to block out time when I am working.
Q: Where do you see yourself a year from now?
A: I would like to see myself working with even more partners, alongside those we currently collaborate with. I am a true believer in a problem shared is a problem halved and with the ever growing need to set and achieve net zero targets, further collaboration with industry experts will help reach these.
Our Partners, including (yet not limited to) NatWest, Tesco, Greene King, Unite Students, have proven that by working together, it explores new ideas, perspectives, and solutions – this is something I am really keen to extend into larger markets with Innovation Gateway. If you would like to learn more or get involved with the Partners, contact us on hello@innovationgateway.com.
Say hello to Bethan Adams 😄
Q: Why did you join Innovation Gateway?
A: Having worked with IG in a short internship last Christmas, I was overjoyed to be offered the chance to join the team on a permanent basis from July. What particularly struck me during my internship was the buzz of working in such a fast moving and ambitious organisation. Even within the six months since my internship, IG has expanded its work rapidly, with the launch of EVzero and HGVzero action groups, and other new exciting partnerships and projects. The ability to be part of this change, within a small and close-knit team where there are many opportunities to share knowledge and work across the organisation, from research and client engagement to marketing and strategy, is what particularly attracted me to work at IG.
Q: What were you doing before?
I completed my undergraduate degree at Oxford University, where, studying Geography, I gained a keen interest in pursuing a career in sustainability. Throughout my degree I was involved in many volunteering initiatives, from leading a student homeless outreach organisation and being a member of the Oxford Society for International Development, to working on a climate campaign within my college.
In my final year I worked part time with Oxford Net Zero on various projects – including a Climate Neutrality Forum, a report on ‘Sensitive Intervention Points’, a presentation on net zero for the fleet sector, and a paper on Border Carbon Adjustments – which really strengthened my desire to work at the intersection of research, business, and net zero.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am pretty proud to have left Oxford with a first, at the same time as having pursued a career I am passionate about and getting involved with everything I could have throughout my degree!
Q: What’s your productivity hack?
I am most productive and motivated when I am doing work that I feel makes a positive difference – not just in my role at IG, but I also hope to get involved in some more volunteering outside the working week too. Being surrounded by such ambitious and motivated colleagues within the small team at IG makes a huge difference!
Q: Where do you see yourself a year from now?
The great thing about being part of a fast-moving organisation is the immediate sense of responsibility and involvement within the team, and the many opportunities to take on new projects. I have only been here for a week, but I have already learnt so much – for example at our last HGVzero action group session, where industry leaders discussed the opportunities and challenges in decarbonising their fleets, and we considered how IG can support the group to harness these opportunities and overcome major barriers. Whilst I felt a little out of my depth, within a year I hope to have gained a much stronger understanding of what net zero means in practice for the HGV sector, as well as in IG’s other focus areas.
As Research Collaboration Officer, a large part of my work will be identifying and validating innovators that can help tackle urgent climate challenges. I hope that by next year I will have contributed to several successful net zero research projects for our partners!
If you would like to learn how our team can help you accelerate your net zero initiatives, contact us on hello@innovationgateway.com.