About us
WHO is GreenUps for?
Our events are for people with an interest / passion / concern for the environment and sustainability. No matter what your profession. GreenUps is about creating connections across a range of different sectors. Whether you work in business, science, education, design, the media, the arts, the law, government, NGO’s, IT, you name it. We’d like to hear over a beer what you’re doing. Or what you think should be happening in Sydney or in your area of work when it comes to sustainability. Here's some photos of us in action - https://www.meetup.com/GreenUps-Sydney......
WHAT is GreenUps? (And how on earth will drinking help the Earth anyway?)
We reckon there’s a groundswell of Sydneysiders quietly beavering away at sustainability in this big, bad, development-centric city. Maybe you’re one of them. Or maybe you want to do more, and are looking for ways to seriously get into it. If this is you, you’re not alone! There’s more of us out there. (You can find us having a drink at GreenUps.)
GreenUps provide an incubator for ideas, connections, inspiration and support. We’ll organise the bar. You just need to come (and bring people like you.)
WHEN is GreenUps?
It's monthly – on the first Tuesday of each month (usually from 6pm.) On the GreenUps MeetUp homepage you'll find details of upcoming events.
WHERE is GreenUps held?
We're trying to keep GreenUps fresh - so you'll find us in different locations throughout the year. We like to find places that are interesting and a bit under the radar round Sydney. (Not the usual pub thing.) Venues will be posted at the latest a week before the event. You could check back, or if you sign up to this MeetUp you'll get an automatic update of where (and when) it's on.
HOW MUCH does it cost to get in?
We try as much as we can to make the entry free. (Other than that you just need to buy your own drinks.) Sometimes we have special events where we need to cover costs, so there may be a door charge.
WHO is behind GreenUps?
Currently there's: Liane Rossler (co-founder of Dinosaur Designs), Jess Miller (owner of Goody Two Shoes) and Ben Ward (owner of The Falconer Cafe) - with some new people now pitching in (including Saskia Howard of Green Arts Project.) The initial idea was germinated by Dan Cass (ex Greenpeace) and Phil Stubbs (of The Environment Show.) Other past organisers have included Alastair Walton (ex City of Sydney), Kate Bedwell (Qantas) and Dave Gravina (Digital Eskimo design agency.)
GreenUps is also part of Green Drinks International. It's a large, growing network - 800 cities around the world have green drinks gatherings. (Connect to the world site via http://www.greendrinks.org/Sydney)
JOIN and SHARE GreenUps
Join us here on MeetUp. You can also:
- bookmark our website: https://greenups.au/
- follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/greenups
- join our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/GreenUps
- friend us on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenups...
If you have any brilliant ideas for us or you’re interested in helping to organise future events, let us know. (GreenUps is a collaborative, volunteer event.)
Upcoming events
1
- A$25.00
Winter Greenups - Ethical Finance and Money
Impact Story Lab, level 2, 101 William St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Sydney, AUEthical Finance: Finding the Light in this Hazy Shade of...Winter
In 2026, Greenups is meeting quarterly and using the seasons as our guide.
For the Winter gathering Greenups will bring together voices from Australia’s ethical and sustainable finance sector to ask:
What does finance look like in the cold winter light of climate risk, ecological limits and social responsibility?
Finance is the hidden system shaping our future. It determines what gets funded, what gets protected, what gets scaled, what gets retired — and what kinds of futures become possible.
After a packed Autumn gathering at UTS exploring biophilia, biomaterials and regenerative design , we now turn to Winter — a season of clarity, contraction, resilience, hard choices, protection, repair and preparation - to look at our Finance and Money systems - are they getting us where we need to be, and soon enough?
This will be an accessible, grounded conversation covering ethical investing, ESG, superannuation, climate risk, transition finance, disclosure, stewardship, anti-greenwashing and impact investing — while also making space for deeper Greenups-style questions:
- What should capital help sustain?
- What should it help transform?
- And what should it help us let go of? (and how)
What to expect
Expect new ideas, new connections, new faces — and plenty of friendly old faces too ;-)
We’ll create an inclusive space for grounded conversation. Greenups is a diverse group of people from different fields, but aligned in our care for each other and this beautiful, fragile planet.
Together, we’ll share the stories, find the voices, and forge the pathways toward systems of resilience and regeneration — with room for care, compassion, purpose, meaning, art, and beauty along the way.
Light refreshments and drinks thanks to the generous support of SIX and UNLESS,
Drinks from Rosnay Wines + Young Henrys and food thanks to Parliament on King.
Contributors include:
- Justin Medcalf — (Panel MC) Co-Founder + Financial Adviser at UNLESS Financial.
Before co-founding UNLESS, Justin was a Financial Adviser at Ethinvest, Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) board member, co-founder the Ethical Advisers’ Co-op and led The Emerald Club, where he launched Australia’s responsible investment platform for retail and wholesale clients.
_- Adam Verwey — SIX (Sustainable Investment Exchange) Australia's first share trading app to combine activism with investing.
Adam is also a founder and former MD of Future Super - Australia’s first 100% fossil fuel free superannuation fund.
_- Persephone Fraser - Ethical Research & Climate Policy Lead at Australian Ethical.
Before joining Australian Ethical, Persephone worked in research across the Climate Justice Initiative, Common Capital, Reconciliation Australia, and the Greens.
_- Dr Stella Whittaker - Climate Change, Adaptation and Resilience Lead in Haskoning Australia.
A PhD in climate finance, Stella has more than 30 years of experience in climate change, climate finance, environmental policy, sustainability, circular economy and environmental planning, and recently the founder of the Climate Adaptation Finance Activation Group.
2 attendees
Past events
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