Monica Meldrum, the founder of Whole Kids is on a mission to nurture healthy kids and a healthy world.
Following an extensive corporate career in the construction industry, Monica travelled to Indonesia with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in 2000 to deliver an aid program to children living in poverty. The experience challenged her assumptions about the meaning of success and how she could make a greater contribution with her life. At the time, Monica vowed to make a difference to children’s health.
On returning to Australia and witnessing food related illnesses amongst children and an abundance of over processed, heavily marketed children’s foods, Monica launched Whole Kids.
Whole Kids has since grown to become Australia’s largest range of certified organic, additive free and allergen-friendly snacks for kids, the proceeds of which are funding kids health and environment projects nationally, through Whole Kids Small Seeds Community Grants Program.
Whole Kids was the first Food Company in Australia to be certified a B Corporation and in doing so is committed to creating a healthy life and a healthy world for kids.
In recognition of her sound business strategy and great vision for the future of Whole Kids, Monica was awarded 2015 St George Banking Group Ausmumpreneur of the Year. Monica was also awarded Emerging Entrepreneur 2013 by NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership awards for her innovation, leadership and a strong commitment to creating change for the future.
Podcast: Play In New Window
In this exclusive Eco Chat episode Monica and I discuss:
- What kick-started her eco journey
- How she juggles motherhood and business
- Things she does day to day to reduce her eco footprint and areas where she’d like to improve
- What triggers her ‘green guilt’
Discover Wholekids here.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Laura Trotta is one of Australia’s leading home sustainability experts. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering, a Masters of Science (in Environmental Chemistry) and spent 11 years working as an environmental professional before creating her first online eco business, Sustainababy, in 2009. She has won numerous regional and national awards for her fresh and inspiring take on living an ‘ecoceptional’ life (including most recently winning the Brand South Australia Flinders University Education Award (2015) for the north-west region in SA and silver in the Eco-friendly category of the 2015 Ausmumpreneur Awards). With a regular segment on ABC Radio and with her work featured in publications like Nurture Parenting and My Child Magazine, Laura is an eco thought leader who’s not afraid to challenge the status quo. A passionate believer in addressing the small things to achieve big change, and protecting the planet in practical ways, Laura lives with her husband and two sons in outback South Australia. 
Ah the green guilt – I can totally relate. The party food is so hard. I had a combination of healthy food (fruit salad, sandwiches and gelato – all served first) and “normal” party food served at my daughters birthday party. I made watermelon gelato and I actually had kids bringing it back saying it “tasted weird”.
It can be hard Ellissa – especially when kids expect to receive one thing and serve another. One child questioned me at my son’s 5th birthday party wanting to know why I didn’t put a present behind every layer in pass the parcel!!