Giles Cadman 
I am an ecopreneur. Ecopreneurial values drive everything I do. But I realise this is still a new concept that most people aren’t familiar with.
That’s why I want to talk a bit about what an ecopreneur is, and why I couldn’t imagine being anything else.
What Is an Ecopreneur?
An ecopreneur is someone who creates opportunities and develops businesses that are focused on reducing the earth’s climate change.
It doesn’t matter if the businesses focus on nature-based solutions or technology-based solutions; what matters is that their core business goal is to help the planet heal.
What Are the Principals of Ecopreneurship?
Every ecopreneur is different; there is no guide book detailing how to be an entrepreneur. But in my experience, there are three primary principals that all ecopreneurs live by.
The first is innovations. Entrepreneurs are innovative, and so are ecopreneurs. That’s where we got our name from.
The second is environmental transformation. Ecopreneurs aim to positively transform the environment they are working in.
The third principle is sustainability. Everything we do is sustainable, meaning our work can continue to combat global warming for decades to come.
What Makes an Ecopreneur Successful?
Successful ecopreneurs are experts at identifying opportunities and taking advantage of those opportunities.
They are also adept at balancing people, the planet, and profit. Each of these factors are equally important and cannot function effectively without the other two. In order to be successful, ecopreneurs must be able to balance the requirements of people, the planet, and profit perfectly.
How I Became an Ecopreneur
In hindsight, I have been an ecopreneur for a decade, but I didn’t call myself an ecopreneur until two years ago.
I came across the term entirely by accident when I was chatting to a friend. He inquired why I retired instead of continuing to make money. And it’s because money stopped becoming my primary driver. Instead, I wanted to commit my life to the environment, doing things in aquaculture that restore the balance of our coast lines.
That choice had been transformative in every part of my life. What I do now makes me happy, pure and simple.
What It Means to Be an Ecopreneur
Realizing I was an ecopreneur was eye-opening. In many respects, I was working toward this unreachable goal by myself for years. But suddenly, I met people who reached the same place as me from entirely different starting points.
I found myself in a community of like-minded individuals with whom I could share the transformative business ideas I had been harbouring. It was awesome getting to hear their thoughts and ideas, and see the wonderful things they had already achieved.
Now, as an established ecopreneur, my one aim is to reduce the temperature of the earth. That aim sets the tone of everything I do. Being an ecopreneur isn’t just a job, it’s who I am.
