Andy Middleton, Founder Director, TYF EcoSapiens
Andy is a third generation entrepreneur and innovator. He’s worked as a gold miner, lifeboat crew, sea kayak coach, organisation development consultant and business director. Inspired by social and environmental justice and armed with a combination of instinct and conviction, he founded TYF in 1986 is currently spending much time on co-developing the Do Lectures, which he runs with David Hieatt, and on the launch of a ground-breaking Biomimicry Innovation Centre in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and colleagues at consultancy BCI.
His experiences from delivery of UK and international projects and conferences on leadership, sustainability and innovation confirmed the need for big changes in the way the world of life, work and government is taught and designed. He’s convinced that this is possible using tools, ideas and knowledge we already have.
Andy works to help organisations change inside out; sustainability and climate programmes with Business in the Community, the Welsh Assembly and Chinese government are starting to show the way that learning and change can be achieved. He is a Council Member of Countryside Council for Wales and a Board Member of Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales, and lives with his family on the coast in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, where he recently completed the design and build of an eco house near the surf.
Andy Middleton's experiences in 12 micro-stories
- Learning about change and persistence from my mother, father and grandparents
- Understanding risk as a UK whitewater kayak team member and adventurer
- Making the connection between geography and ecology and the world of work
- Running inspiration events at the Do Lectures and Hay on Earth
- Sharing ideas and urgency with HRH Prince of Wales and colleagues on the Prince's Business & Environment Programme
- Reshaping the entire business operation at TYF around sustainability
- Continuing to work with passionate people in the corporate and public sector to help them make change
- Enjoying the memory of saving an electronics sector client the profit equivalent of £100m of sales in 6 months
- Staying close to nature in the ocean, on single track and in the hills
- Connecting to a wonderful network of like-minded people
- Developing plans to build a zero carbon conference centre as a hub for sustainable education
- Recalibrating the scales of change - from a 'what's possible' 10/10, to what's realistic. R10 - real targets for action that will deliver sustainability
