From the very inception of fintech WLTH, its Founders, brothers Brodie and Drew Haupt, knew they wanted to build an organization with purpose at its very core. And having grown up steeped in salt spray, it was only natural that the ocean would find its way into the company’s DNA.
“Drew and I grew up surfing, sailing, being at the beach and I suppose early on in life became ocean conservationists without even realizing it,” CEO Brodie Haupt tells The CEO Magazine. “It might seem a little bit odd for a finance or tech company to be involved in dealing with the plastic pollution crisis, but it really speaks to our heart.
“There is a massive issue globally that exists right now and we want to bring awareness to it, but also help by becoming involved in the methodology to create change.”
Now, WLTH is working to engage its customer base, the partners it works with and to stir up the rest of the sector into action through its partnership with Parley for the Oceans. “Parley is a global organization that takes action against marine pollution, transforms intercepted marine plastic waste into the materials of tomorrow and supports marine research and material science,” Haupt explains.
“For every loan we settle, we assist and empower Parley to clean up 50 square meters of Australian coastline or beaches. We wanted to bring together an ideology for the business to make sure that purpose is key and at the forefront of everything that we do.”
In November, WLTH also launched a Visa debit card with G+D and Parley made with Parley Ocean Plastic®, a world first, linked to its mortgage offset accounts. “We refer to this as ‘our symbol of change’ in terms of what we’re trying to achieve,” he explains. “Rather than chasing B Corp status or doing a charity partnership, we’re actually involved in it.”
To date, the company has been involved in two “explorations”, traveling up to North Queensland to take part in major cleanup events. It has also signed a multi-year deal with the Australia team in global racing league SailGP.
“We’ve incentivized Team Australia to do impact based on their performance, which is a world-first partnership that we have in place,” he says. “That really gives us the exposure of what we’re trying to develop long-term with WLTH as an organization.”
Full Article: CEO Magazine
