MALCOLM RANDS

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A man with glasses smiling while standing indoors against a white wall, with a tall, leafless tree decoration nearby.

Keynote Speaker · Panellist · MC · Consultant

Malcolm Rands (MNZM) is well known for being New Zealand’s original Eco-Man, founding environmentally focused brand, ecostore.

A combined interest in fostering communities and green activism led Malcolm and friends to establish an ecovillage in Northland. However, all the time he kept thinking how sensible it would be to establish a business that would be so successful it would be able to fund a charitable foundation. From there, in 1993 Malcolm and wife Melanie founded ecostore, a mail-order business to sell eco-friendly products for home cleaning, personal care and baby. Today, it is New Zealand’s leading manufacturer and retailer of environment friendly, chemical-free household cleaners and body care products.

His business model, in which a commercial business supports a not-for-profit has been so successful that in 2016 Malcolm and Melanie made the decision to work solely for the Fairground Foundation, an organisation that aims to create a better world by taking on challenging projects that inspire others to do the same. Malcolm is now leading projects such as Bumpspace, to tackle loneliness, and Bucket, a platform that crowdsources funding for conservation projects. 

Malcolm has been active in the sustainable scene for decades. In 2015, Malcolm was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit as part of the New Year’s Honours for services to business, conservation and philanthropy.

Malcolm is a published author and a regular media commentator on issues linked to sustainability. As well as an astute businessman and champion of strong communities, Malcolm is still a keen organic gardener.

GET TO KNOW MALCOLM

  • Right from the start ecostore was designed to be a cause-related business that channelled a percentage of profits to a not-for-profit arm called Fairground Foundation. One of the challenges of being a pioneering brand is that it took many years before the sustainability proposition of our products became mainstream and we started making a profit. When we reached that point I felt it was time to follow my heart and concentrate my energy in the Foundation.

  • Fairground has the opportunity to make a difference by taking on difficult problems like housing and conservation in New Zealand and the world and to create sustainable solutions for them – to imagine the future and do it now. ecostore has already shown that its possible to have an ethical business and be successful and now Fairground gives me the opportunity to keep doing that.

  • Easing pressure on the environment by moving away from meat consumption towards a plant based diet and sharing backyard vegetables and garden surplus with friends, family or neighbours. If we can enrol others in the causes we believe in we can achieve a lot more than we can as individuals.

  • Listen with empathy.