About

Our Kinds is the work of many.

A coalition of operators, designers, advisors, and First Nations leaders building the reuse infrastructure for a post-waste world.

Our story

From one café to an operating system.

Our Kinds was founded by Karen Monaghan in 2021, after a chance crossing outside a Subiaco café. Karen and the café's owner — two morning people with big ideas — aligned on family, community, and business innovation.

The first focus was simple: replace the single-use cup with a standard reusable cup, at scale. The flagship trial at The Corner Store ran 100% reuse for nearly two years — Perth's first café to do so.

The café owner stepped away in 2024. Karen carried the mission forward and widened the scope. Today, Our Kinds is the operating system behind a coordinated reuse ecosystem: cup libraries, shared dishwashing, training, communication, technology — eight pillars in total.

Our values

How we behave.

  • Grounded

    We respect the earth on which we live and all life on earth.

  • Flow

    We co-create systems that work for people. Precision and ease.

  • Measurable

    We are financially sustainable because we measure impact.

  • Defiant

    We challenge an unjust status quo.

How we operate

Four voice lenses.

  • Listen

    We listen deeply to understand the interactions of people and systems. We gain interest and involvement by creating systems that work for people.

  • Influence

    Behaviour change starts with inspiration, not instruction. We lead by example and enable better choices without judgment or guilt.

  • Transparent

    We share the stories of daily change driving impact locally. We measure and report on our commitments globally.

  • Collective

    We challenge the status quo with positive collective action. When we act as a collective, we create lasting change.

Leadership

The people who run this.

  • Karen Monaghan

    Founder & CEO

    Gets it done. Whatever it may be. Karen is an agile leader who has traversed the business world across fashion, childcare, and automobiles. Leaves the heart in business while striving to take the ego out, with a track record of innovation.

  • Alex Hender

    Chief Technology Officer

    Builds systems that last. Alex leads the technology and AI architecture behind the Reuserism Operating System, drawing on 17+ years across sustainability — including CEO and GM roles, decarbonisation strategy for commercial portfolios, and Abundant Kindling, a studio built around the idea that adaptability is the closest thing to sustainable competitive advantage.

  • James Eadie

    Chief Operating Officer

    Builds the rhythm that lets work ship. James leads operational architecture and delivery across Our Kinds, drawing on a career of portfolio leadership in transformation-heavy environments — Epworth, SPC, Grill'd, Saputo. Known for arriving when priorities are noisy and leaving with a delivery cadence that holds.

  • Nuriah Jadai

    First Nations Advisor and Artist

    Nuriah is a deadly force — Our Kinds' resident advisor and creator. Her artistry is boundless and her energy is absolutely astounding.

Our Kinds Community

First Nations leadership at the centre.

First Nations Australians are the original — and most experienced — spiritual and physical caretakers of this continent. Their sovereignty was never ceded.

Nuriah Jadai serves as our First Nations Advisor and Artist. Her guidance shapes the way Our Kinds engages with community and the way our story is told. Our commitment is to fostering a diverse and equal community across everything we build.

Press, partnership, or anything else? Get in touch.