When Tegan Leibbrandt, a nurse and recreational diving enthusiast, witnessed plastic waste littering the ocean floor, she could have looked the other way, overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem. Instead, she, her husband, and her brother-in-law took action. They developed a product that would contribute to the solution. They forged a social enterprise business that would simultaneously deliver that product to market, help people and the environment, and operate ethically while turning a profit. Tegan is a nurse unit manager and Co-founder of outdoor brand Nakie.
After scuba diving in various renowned sites across the world Tegan, her husband Dean and Brother-in-law Jaryd identified the glaring impact single use plastic is having on the environment and specifically the water ways.
In 2019 they launched Nakie- a B Corp certified outdoor brand that uses recycled plastic bottles to create hammocks, blankets, towels and other outdoor gear.
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Tegan is passionate about making a difference, having dedicated the last decade to caring for the vulnerable in her nursing career and Nakie is no different. Through Nakie they have planted over 500,000 trees and counting and have donated half a million dollars’ worth of blankets to help warm the homeless.
When Tegan is not nursing or working on the business she is a loving mum to 6-month-old daughter Zara.
Tegan Leibbrandt
TEDx Speaker
Nurse, Social Entrepreneur & Recycling Champion
