In this episode of The For Love & Money Podcast, I speak with Abigail Forsyth OAM, co-founder and Managing Director of KeepCup—the company that kickstarted a global revolution in reusable coffee cups and helped change the way we think about single-use packaging.

From her early days as a lawyer to co-founding a bustling Melbourne café chain with her brother Jamie, Abigail shares how a growing discomfort with packaging waste led to the creation of KeepCup—the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup. We explore the highs of fast growth, global expansion, and viral adoption, as well as the confronting challenges brought on by COVID, shifting market narratives, and scaling a purpose-led organisation.

This is a raw and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, leadership, and the tension between impact and profitability. Abigail’s insights are as grounded as they are galvanising—and essential listening for anyone building a values-based business that aims to drive real change.

Abigail is a leader in the global campaign to promote sustainability.

Known worldwide for its bright, bold and instantly recognisable reusable cups, KeepCup is a global campaign for reuse. Since launching the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup in 2009, KeepCup is now embraced by reusers the world over, diverting millions of single-use cups daily.

KeepCup is in business for better - a certified B Corporation, living wage employer and member of 1% for the Planet, donating at least 1% of global revenue to environmental causes.

Following a successful career as a solicitor, Abigail and her brother Jamie set up their own chain of cafes across the city. Alarmed by the amount of disposable packaging being wasted, Abigail started her search for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way to serve food, and the concept of KeepCup soon became a reality.

Abigail has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in the General Division, for her years of outstanding service to sustainable design on the Queens Birthday list for 2021.

Abigail has opened offices and warehouses in Australia and the UK, and set up hub operations in the USA to service growing consumer demand in over 76 countries around the world, but the business has stayed loyal to its roots. KeepCup’s HQ is located in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, where Abigail lives with her family.

• Abigail’s leap from law to entrepreneurship

• The inspiration behind KeepCup and how it found early traction

• How KeepCup became a global lifestyle brand with a loyal tribe

• Navigating major setbacks—from COVID to cultural backlash

• Why profitability is vital to sustaining purpose

• Leadership lessons learned through growth, failure and recovery

• The evolution of KeepCup from innovation to lifestyle

• The launch of their new campaign, #SipCheck

• 🌐 KeepCup: keepcup.com

• 📸 KeepCup Instagram: instagram.com/keepcup

• 🔗 Abigail Forsyth on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abigail-forsyth-68886211

• 💡 The Cause Effect (Carolyn’s consultancy): thecauseeffect.com.au

• 🎧 More podcast episodes: Podcast Page | Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Episode Summary

What does it take to turn outrage and opposition into legitimacy and consent?

In this episode, we explore that question with one of the world’s leading authorities on social licence and legitimacy. My guest, Katherine Teh, is the founder of a pioneering social purpose company that’s rewriting the rules of mining—transforming the industry’s most polarised conflicts into powerful opportunities for inclusive, ethical development.

You’ll hear how this consent-based model is unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and delivering long-term value for people, planet, and business.

We explore:

The power of empathy in business—even in high-stakes, high-conflict sectors.

Why legitimacy isn’t a compliance issue, but a foundation for resilience and profit.

The real meaning of social licence—and why it’s vital to the net zero transition.

How the “DAD” model (Decide, Announce, Defend) is being replaced with “DAVE” (Declare dilemmas, Acknowledge issues, unify Vision, Evaluate).

Why partnering with Indigenous communities is essential to ethical growth.

This is a conversation about reimagining what development can look like when business begins with humanity, listens deeply, and leads with purpose.

Guest Bio

Katherine Teh is a strategist, reformer, and changemaker whose work has helped reshape some of the world’s most complex and contested industries—from mining and renewables to public policy, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.

Katherine Teh is one of the world’s foremost authorities on social licence and legitimacy. For over three decades, she has worked at the intersection of sustainability, governance, and public trust—bringing sharp clarity where others see only risk. Her ability to align fractured interests and rebuild trust has made her a trusted adviser on more than $200 billion in major projects around the globe.

But Katherine’s story begins far from the boardroom.

Driven by an early ambition to become a war correspondent, she rose quickly through the ranks of journalism—becoming the youngest female A-graded journalist in Australian history. At 29, she led one of the country’s most influential gender justice campaigns, mobilising over one million women to reframe gendered violence as a workplace safety issue—more than two decades before the #MeToo movement swept the world.

Since then, she has led national and international public dialogue processes on polarising issues, designed innovative products and business models to solve systemic problems, and helped industries navigate outrage, restore legitimacy, and deliver long-term value. In 2002, she founded the world’s first social licence agency—developing a methodology that combines strategic foresight, stakeholder alignment, and social impact design to turn opposition into durable, earned support.

Today, as Executive Chair of Spektrum, Katherine leads a new kind of critical minerals company—one that does development differently. By partnering with Indigenous communities and applying consent-based models, she and her team are unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and creating nature-positive regional futures.

Katherine is on a mission to transform not just who development is done with—but how it’s done, and what it leaves behind. She builds systems that restore legitimacy, resolve conflict, and demonstrate that ethical, inclusive development isn’t a trade-off—it’s the foundation for resilience and long-term success.

She’s an entrepreneur. An activist. A visionary. And a woman who’s never waited for permission to lead.

• Learn more about Spektrum: https://www.spektrumdevelopment.com/

• Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn: Katherine Teh

• Book Mentioned: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Explore how purpose-led business can drive systemic change: 👉 thecauseeffect.com.au

Grab your copy of For Love & Money—and help protect rainforest with every sale: 📗 Buy the book

In Part 2 of this two-part feature on Woollahra Council’s transformation, Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, the Council’s General Manager. Craig offers a refreshingly candid account of what it takes to embed purpose and values across a whole organisation. He reflects on the early culture challenges, the creation of a new leadership structure, and how trust, honesty and consistency enabled real change to take root. From navigating tough decisions—like a significant restructure—to seeing the payoff in a post-redundancy engagement survey, Craig shares how a unifying purpose helped guide the organisation through both challenge and change.

- How leadership enables culture and values to move beyond strategy documents.

- Why organisational transformation requires investment in people.

- The challenges of shifting legacy mindsets and breaking down silos.

- How a clear purpose and set of values can guide even the most difficult decisions.

- The importance of embedding purpose into leadership behaviours, not just branding.

- What it looks like to lead with honesty, integrity, and accountability.

• Aligning a leadership team around shared purpose
• Leading through transformation and restructure
• Reimagining culture in a historically siloed organisation
• Building a respectful, values-led workplace culture
• The role of storytelling, transparency, and consistency in leadership
• Why council staff engagement improved after one of the toughest periods

Craig Swift-McNair is the General Manager at Woollahra Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, a role he commenced in July 2020. Prior to this, he was the General Manager of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on the mid north coast of NSW, from 2014 to 2020.

Craig has spent over 20 years in local government in NSW in a range of roles across three Councils and prior to his time in the public sector, he had a twenty-five-year career in the private sector. Craig is dedicated to giving back to the local government sector and as part of that, he has been on the Board of Local Government Professionals Australia, NSW since 2018 and is currently the Vice President.

Craig is focused on building a strengths-based and values-based organisation that delivers on its purpose; provides its people with opportunities to grow in their roles and as individuals, which in turn delivers an improved customer experience and services for our community.

Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

Episode 81 (Part 1): Patricia Occelli on Culture, Community & Customer Experience

Connect with Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

Explore For Love & Money Podcast: Podcast Homepage

Buy Carolyn’s book For Love & Money

In this episode of the For Love and Money podcast, In this episode, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with Patricia Occelli, Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council. Patricia shares the story of how doing the work to create a unifying purpose transformed the Council’s vision, culture, and strategic direction. What began as a challenge to create a meaningful customer experience strategy evolved into a whole-of-organisation transformation—fuelled by purpose and a deep commitment to community. Patricia reflects on the pivotal moments, the leadership challenges, and the lasting cultural shifts that followed. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on Woollahra Council’s purpose-led transformation. Part 2 features General Manager, Craig Swift McNair, sharing his perspective on the transformation process.

• How a unifying purpose can drive whole-of-organisation transformation

• Why purpose is essential in local government and public service

• How to bridge silos and shift culture with a shared North Star

• The difference between customer service and customer experience

• What it takes to embed values that guide everyday behaviour

• How the council has seen results in both internal culture and community engagement

• The transformational impact of a unifying purpose

• Bridging organisational silos with a shared North Star

• Driving cultural change in complex public environments

• The role of language, values, and tone of voice in public service

• Why brand archetypes matter for councils and community connection

• How purpose-aligned strategy drives both internal and external outcomes

Stay tuned for Part 2, Episode 82, where Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, Woollahra Council’s General Manager, to further explore the leadership behind this transformation.

Patricia Occelli is the Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council, leading customer experience, communications, community engagement, cultural and arts initiatives, and Woollahra Libraries. With over 35 years of leadership in the human services sector, Patricia has driven transformation across local and state government and the for-purpose sector. She is passionate about social justice and delivering high-quality services that make a real difference in people’s lives. Her expertise spans service integration, cultural reform, customer-centric design, and staff engagement. She has successfully led ICT transformations, governance frameworks, and operational efficiencies—all while fostering empowered employees and engaged communities. A strategic leader, Patricia is committed to shaping innovative, sustainable, and impactful services.

• Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

• Connect with Patricia Occelli on Linkedin

• Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

• Learn more about the For Love & Money Podcast

In this powerful and deeply thoughtful episode, political economist and changemaker Katherine Trebeck joins Carolyn to explore what it means to build an economy that works for people and planet. Katherine shares her journey from working with Oxfam and Rio Tinto to co-founding the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), and how her work is reshaping the way we define economic success. Together, they unpack the shortcomings of our current growth-at-all-costs model and what’s possible when we embrace a wellbeing economy — one designed with purpose, prevention, equity, and people-powered participation at its core. Katherine also reflects on the rise of Trumpism, the role of business in systemic change, and where she finds hope in uncertain times.

• Why GDP is an outdated and inadequate measure of progress
• What a wellbeing economy is — and what it looks and feels like in practice
• The 'four Ps' of a wellbeing economy: Purpose, Prevention, Pre-distribution, and People-powered
• How businesses can be powerful actors in system change
• Why the current economic system is driving disconnection and despair
• The impact of far-right populism and why it signals an urgent need for economic transformation
• The power of storytelling and imagination in creating systemic change

• Economic system change and the rise of the wellbeing economy movement
• False binaries: economy vs society, business vs love
• Reimagining success: from growth to wellbeing
• Practical pathways for transforming economic structures
• The danger of failing systems and the opportunity they create for bold leadership
• Community, belonging, and the importance of connection in resilience
• The role of business leaders in shaping a more just and sustainable future

Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) and WEAll Scotland, and played a key role in initiating the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) partnership. Katherine is Writer-at-Large and Co-Director of the Compassion in Financial Services Hub at the University of Edinburgh, and Strategic Advisor for the Centre for Policy Development. She also serves in advisory and governance roles for numerous progressive economic institutions around the world.

Katherine’s website

Follow Katherine on LinkedIn

Follow Katerine on BlueSky

Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll)

Katherine’s TEDx Talk: “Why the Future Economy has to be a Wellbeing Economy”

Carolyn Butler-Madden on LinkedIn:

As mentioned in the episode:

• Link to video of “Restaurant of Mistaken Orders”
• The “Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism” book by Anne Case and Angus Deaton

More episodes of the For Love & Money Podcast

Episode Summary

In this inspiring episode of the For Love & Money Podcast, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with David Ferreira, Head of Marketing at wholesale bakery Bob & Pete’s, about their transformative journey toward becoming a purpose-led business.

What started with one passionate junior marketer asking the tough questions—“What are we doing for our community and our planet?”—has evolved into a deeply embedded purpose strategy that permeates every part of Bob & Pete’s operations.

From waste reduction and food donations to employee engagement and redefining sustainability in the food industry, David shares the real, raw and practical story of how purpose—“Baking Things Better”—became the foundation for stronger culture, deeper customer relationships, and sustainable profit.

This episode is a must-listen for business leaders, marketers, and purpose-driven professionals seeking to integrate meaningful impact with business performance.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✔ How Bob & Pete’s uncovered and activated their business purpose: “Baking Things Better” ✔ The surprising origins of their purpose strategy—and the impact of one junior employee’s bold questions ✔ How purpose drives decision-making across safety, sustainability, and innovation ✔ The creation of the Foodbank Donut and how it's helped provide nearly 60,000 meals to Australians in need ✔ Practical insights on engaging employees and embedding values deeply into business culture ✔ The importance of measuring what matters—from waste, power and water usage to employee engagement and customer alignment ✔ How being purpose-led helped Bob & Pete’s achieve top-tier results in Gallup’s global employee engagement benchmarks

Key Themes Discussed

• Purpose in Practice: How Bob & Pete’s purpose drives everyday operational decisions, from food safety to packaging and energy use
• People First: Embedding values across the workforce, from factory floor to leadership, and measuring impact through employee engagement
• The Power of One: The ripple effect of one young employee’s purpose-fuelled initiative that sparked systemic change
• Purpose-Driven Innovation: Turning food waste into new products and repurposing bakery waste to benefit the community and environment
• Strategic Partnerships: The evolution of a deep, meaningful partnership with Foodbank that goes beyond donations
• Courage and Conviction: Navigating internal pushback to stay true to a long-term purpose-led vision
• Impact Aspirations: David’s bold vision for reaching 100,000 donated meals through the Foodbank Donut initiative

About Our Guest – David Ferreira

David Ferreira is the Head of Marketing at Bob & Pete’s, a wholesale bakery supplying quality baked goods to cafés across Australia. With a rich background in FMCG marketing and operations, David brings a deeply human, practical and strategic approach to leading purpose within the business.

Over the past seven years, he has championed Bob & Pete’s purpose journey—from guiding the articulation of their higher purpose “Baking Things Better,” to embedding it in their values, operations, and stakeholder relationships. David is a passionate advocate for businesses being a force for good, showing that purpose doesn’t just inspire—it delivers.

Connect with David and Bob & Pete's

Bob & Pete's website

David Ferreira on Linkedin