Team

Elise
Elise Van Middelem
Founder & Chief Impact Officer
Elise is a Creative Brand Strategist with 16+ years of experience developing large scale interdisciplinary projects — from conception through execution. It was during a trek in Upper Mustang that the idea of SUGi was born. SUGi is the union of her two passions, Art & Nature, under one purpose: to empower anyone anywhere in the world to become a biodiversity builder.

Daniel
Daniel Diego Lincoln
Creative Director
Daniel is a multi-disciplinary creative strategist, working across fashion, lifestyle and technology. Daniel has built audiences for renowned brands with compelling messaging and simple, sticky tools for sustained engagement.

Tamsin
Tamsin Smith
Brand Voice
Tamsin is a social impact innovator. She is known for her pioneering work as founding president of the ground-breaking (RED) campaign, and has helped advise and build various mission-driven brands and public facing initiatives for global foundations.

James
James Godfrey-Faussett
Lead Forest Maker
James has 28 years of horticultural, landscaping and garden design experience, always with a desire to integrate organic and biodynamic methods. While researching for a practical solution to help our planet and heal precious forest ecosystems, James discovered the pioneering Miyawaki method of afforestation, which after extensive trialing, he now implements and teaches as a core member of the SUGi team.

Abby
Abby Marshall
Impact Coordinator
Abby is a devoted nature enthusiast with a passion for sustainability. Over the course of her career, she has been a guiding force for companies in their pursuit of sustainability and ESG objectives, continually underlining the pressing need to address these vital areas and seamlessly incorporate them into their overarching strategies to secure long-term success.

Teo
Teo Ursoiu
Junior Designer

Kevin
Kevin Hill
General Advisor
Kevin has worked in the international development field for over 35 years. He served as an associate advisor with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to support the creation of a global programme of environmentally sound and sustainable development (known as Agenda 21), which formed the basis of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Áine
Áine Devaney
Podcast Producer
Áine is a writer and producer with a background rooted in arts and culture. With a rich history across journalism, video and audio production, she produces our podcast SUGi Talks.

Mono
Mono Lee
Photography Coordinator

David
David de Rothschild
Rewilding Architect
David is an adventurer and influential environmentalist. Driven by his immeasurable curiosity for the natural world, he has ventured to some of the most remote and fragile ecosystems on our planet in order to bring widespread attention and innovative solutions to urgent global environmental issues.

Dr. Grey
Dr. Grey Coupland
Lead Scientist

Henry
Henry McCausland
Illustrator