Speaker profiles After first meeting with the London Fire Brigade in 2005, Kresse launched Elvis & Kresse, which turns industrial waste into innovative lifestyle products and returns 50% of profits to charities related to the waste. Elvis & Kresse’s first line is made from decommissioned fire hose, 50% of the profits from this line are donated to the Fire Fighters Charity. The company now collects 12 different waste streams, has several charitable partnerships and is involved with collaborations across industries, from fashion houses to FTSE 100 companies etc. Simon Barnes, Funding and Partnerships Development Manager, University of Kent Simon’s role is to create and build links between academics and industry to solve challenges through a combination of new technology, business systems and leadership. Simon began his career in 1982 at the Port of Dover and since then has worked in supply chains and industry for Whitbread and SCA, as well as in the marine, automotive and grocery sectors. Supply chains and business systems have been a common thread of Simon’s work. Simon has a post-graduate diploma with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership and is a Business Fellow of the Connected Places Catapult. Dan Crooks, Director, iFruit iFruit is a fresh produce company supplying both continental and UK retailers. In its tenth year, it also is delivering to new online retail platforms, kitchen retail and has a diverse wholesale client base nationwide in the UK. It is one of the first carbon negative companies in the sector.
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Prior to forming iFruit with his European partners, Dan’s career started at the Fresca Group, in quality control finally becoming commercial director of one of the largest fresh produce companies in Europe spanning an 18 year period.
Sustainable finance Susan Elliott, Senior Manager, UK Network – South East, British Business Bank Susan is an experienced commercial professional working with British Business Bank stakeholders, intermediaries and delivery partners to help smaller business plan for and access the finance best suited to their needs. Her knowledge and strong connections in the funding and business support community developed through co-founding and running her own consulting business, providing strategic advice for scale ups, delivering a number of business accelerator programmes, managing public sector business support contracts and through partnerships with sources of finance for small and mid-sized businesses. Rob Robinson, Sustainable Business Project Manager, Low Carbon Kent Rob’s knowledge and expertise is in all things sustainability and resource efficiency, community and business engagement, building surveying, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, medico-legal. Rob has a wide variety of skills and experience through his work in the public, private and third sector in a range of industries. Rob has worked on various EU Resource Efficiency projects over the past 10 years. Originally graduating in Biomedical Science he was in Pharmaceuticals for 5 years before moving into building energy surveys and helping first embed sustainability into their operations and business plans.
