That spirit of giving is what inspired me to join Pledge 1%, making a commitment to give back in recognition of all I have received.

Hoopsy was born out of a deeply personal experience that sparked an unexpected discovery. After two failed embryo transfers during an IVF journey, I found myself reflecting on hope, resilience, and, surprisingly, waste. The IVF process, in particular, ovulation and pregnancy testing, meant to bring life, was creating another kind of problem: plastic waste. Every test I used, even for only a few minutes, added to a growing environmental burden. The realization that millions of women went through the same thing I did every month was sobering: a joyful and intimate process for many was silently contributing to a global plastic crisis. Determined to change that, I founded Hoopsy in 2021.

The name Hoopsy comes from the old Dutch word hoop, meaning “hope.” It symbolizes the optimism of trying to start a family and the perseverance required to navigate life’s challenges, the hoops we all jump through to achieve our dreams.

Hoopsy’s mission is ambitious yet necessary: to create sustainable, plastic-free diagnostic tests and set a new industry standard for environmental responsibility.

In 2022 and with immense support from so many people, we launched the world’s first 99% plastic-free pregnancy test in the UK. But the journey did not stop there. In pursuit of total sustainability, in 2025, I relocated to the United States to lead the development of a 100% plastic-free pregnancy test, currently undergoing clinical testing for FDA approval, expected by July 2026. Alongside this innovation, Hoopsy is pioneering an eco-friendly packaging solution to ensure every part of the testing experience aligns with our mission of protecting the planet.

Through Hoopsy, I am redefining what hope looks like, not only for those dreaming of parenthood but also for a world striving to live more sustainably.

Most importantly, giving back has been at the core of our business model. Thanks to Pledge 1%, we have been able to donate over 20,000 plastic-free pregnancy tests to university students in the UK, making a direct impact on young women’s lives. Each donation is a way to return the generosity I have experienced throughout my startup journey, creating a cycle of support and empowerment.

As Hoopsy grows, our commitment to community and sustainability remains stronger than ever. This Giving Tuesday, and every day, we celebrate the power of giving, the connections we build, and the positive difference a founder can make by paying forward the support they have received.

Beneath the waves lies a silent emergency—one that connects humanity’s maritime heritage to the future of our one global ocean. The Ocean Foundation’s Ocean Heritage Initiative stands at the forefront of this crisis through a revolutionary flagship project that demonstrates that cultural preservation and environmental protection are not competing priorities but complementary solutions to the same urgent challenge

More than 8,500 shipwrecks worldwide contain enough oil and hazardous materials to cause environmental disasters that would dwarf recent spills, while simultaneously destroying irreplaceable underwater archaeological sites and war graves. These aging vessels, many casualties of the World Wars, represent a dual threat that traditional conservation approaches have failed to address comprehensively. Our groundbreaking partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Waves Group tackles these ticking time bombs through an innovative model that recognizes shipwrecks as both cultural treasures and environmental hazards requiring integrated solutions.

The crisis embodies a profound injustice: vulnerable coastal communities that played no role in creating these underwater hazards face the greatest risks from catastrophic spills and heritage loss. Through international workshops spanning from London to Malta, we’ve built a global coalition of experts developing the standards and protocols needed to address these dual threats before they become catastrophes, while ensuring those most affected have the strongest voice in developing solutions. Our work has already prompted UNEP to commit to developing new guidelines for wreck management, while UNESCO has recognized the urgent need for cross-sectoral cooperation in protecting maritime heritage.

The project demonstrates how heritage preservation can drive environmental policy, creating frameworks that simultaneously safeguard marine ecosystems and honor the cultural significance of these underwater sites. Where traditional approaches see separate problems requiring separate solutions, we see interconnected heritage requiring integrated protection—transforming ocean threats into conservation opportunities that preserve both our maritime past and marine future for generations to come.

For more information on our Ocean Heritage Initiative, see here.

For the call to action on Potentially Polluting Wrecks read the Malta Manifesto here.

Our road map going forward is to implement or foster the implementation of the 14 recommendations in the Insight Report, “Potentially polluting wrecks: protecting people and planet.” See our road map here

I recently visited a 2nd-grade classroom to introduce the children to the fun side of Artificial Intelligence. We started by taking simple photos and then used AI to transform each child into a unique superhero. The excitement in the room was incredible.

Next, the students asked the AI their own questions—everything from “Do robots dream?” to “Can you make a story about my cat?” Together, we created funny and imaginative stories in just seconds, showing how AI can make creative tasks much faster.

At the end of the workshop, we talked about the most important idea:
AI can help us speed things up and make amazing images and stories, but real creativity and real feelings still come from people. AI can imitate emotions, but it cannot truly feel them.

The children left the classroom inspired, knowing that technology is powerful—but their imagination is even stronger.

At Odyssey Advisors, giving back has always been more than a corporate initiative — it’s part of who we are. Inspired by Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model and a 2019 holiday giving column by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof, we began imagining what a meaningful, authentic, and team-driven approach to philanthropy could look like for our organization.

That reflection led us to develop a hybrid giving model rooted in the Pledge 1% ethos: Odyssey donates 1% of our gross revenues each year, and every team member has the opportunity to direct a portion of that giving to the causes that matter most to them. Rather than leadership selecting organizations, we empower our employees to be the decision-makers, ensuring our impact is personal, diverse, and deeply meaningful.

Why this approach?

Because each team member brings their own passions, lived experiences, and perspectives on the issues affecting their communities. By centering their voices, we not only broaden our charitable impact but also cultivate a culture of empathy, awareness, and shared purpose. Our model allows employees to champion organizations doing work they care deeply about — from local rescue shelters and addiction recovery programs to global health nonprofits and child hunger advocacy groups.

Every year, the range of causes our team chooses reminds us of how powerful collective giving can be. Whether supporting Alzheimer’s research, providing life-saving medical care in Uganda, helping families adopt rescued animals, or ensuring children in the United States have access to nutritious meals, our employees continually highlight the needs they see in the world and the ways we can make a meaningful difference together.

Our goal in sharing this story isn’t to seek recognition, but to inspire. Like so many teams, we asked ourselves: How can we give back in a way that truly reflects who we are? Our Pledge 1% journey has become our answer. Each year, our team drives impact that extends far beyond Odyssey and we’re beyond grateful to our employees and clients who make that possible.

As we celebrate another year of giving, we’re reminded that generosity thrives when people are empowered to lead it. Every contribution, no matter the size, becomes part of a collective effort to renew, restore, and uplift our communities. This is the heart of our tradition and we’re proud to share it as part of the Pledge 1% movement.

At Equitable Philanthropy, we believe that when funders give strategically and charities are truly funder-ready, impact accelerates. In 2025, we supported charities across Australia to diversify income, strengthen cases for support, and engage with funders in authentic, values-aligned ways. We also advised families and foundations to identify genuine change-makers and structure their giving for long-term, multiplier effects.

A core part of our 1% commitment is sector capacity-building. This year alone, we delivered hundreds of pro-bono training hours through the Institute of Community Directors Australia, Pressroom Philanthropy’s podcast, Fundraising & Philanthropy (F&P) conferences, The Education Network’s national conferences, and Matchmore’s event program — all focused on lifting capability across the social impact ecosystem.

We don’t just move money. We build the bridge that helps it reach where it can create the most good.

Impact highlights

• Delivered countless pro-bono training hours through ICDA, Pressroom Philanthropy, F&P, The Education Network, and Matchmore.
• Ran Female Funders Networking Events quarterly to build community, capability and connection across the philanthropy landscape.
• Coached charities to prepare funder-ready cases for support and secure major donor relationships.
• Guided families and funders to identify high-impact partners aligned with their values.
• Delivered masterclasses for CEOs and boards on strategic giving, fundraising readiness, and partnership building.
• Created open-access frameworks that help charities reduce dependence on traditional funding and focus on impact.
• Supported donors and philanthropists to design giving strategies that unlock systemic change.

MahWengKwai & Associates was founded in Kuala Lumpur in 1985 by Dato’ Mah Weng Kwai, after twelve years of service in the Judicial and Legal Services. Built on a foundation of integrity, professionalism and an unwavering belief in justice, the firm quickly established a strong reputation in civil and corporate litigation, arbitration and criminal matters.

From a modest sole proprietorship to a full-service law firm of 73 staff and 35 legal professionals, MWKA has grown steadily in size, capability, and reach. We believe in our people, in their service to our clients, and in our collective purpose. Guided by our core values—Integrity and Justice; Effective and Efficient Solutions; Love and Respect for One Another; Continuous Improvement; and Profitable and Sustainable Growth—we remain committed to honoring our responsibilities and upholding the highest standards of the legal profession.

This year, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we have taken an important step that reflects who we are and what we stand for. MahWengKwai & Associates is proud to join Pledge 1%, committing a valuable portion of our time, expertise and resources to programmes that support legal education, community empowerment and access to justice. This commitment aligns naturally with the values that have shaped the firm’s identity and mission for forty years.

In 2025, the firm dedicated more than 40 hours towards pro bono legal work, set up the MWKA Foundation and are presently in the process of offering legal scholarships to underprivileged students and individuals from low-income households.

Our decision to join Pledge 1% also complements the establishment of the MWKA Foundation. Together, they represent not only our gratitude for the trust placed in us over the past four decades, but also our determination to give back meaningfully and sustainably. These initiatives allow us to convert our long-standing principles into structured impact, ensuring that our work with the community continues with purpose, accountability and heart.

As we honour our heritage and embrace innovation, MahWengKwai & Associates remains committed to growing from strength to strength – in service of our clients, our profession and the community we are privileged to support.

I was one of the first to enroll in Pledge 1% to support your idea in 2017. At that time I was developing IdeaSpies after having been on a trip in Canada where a guide said ” promote what you love rather than bash what you hate”. This saying resonated with me as I had been travelling a lot, seeing many positive ideas, and I did not believe were getting the attention they should, as a result of the media focus on negative news.

Over the next 8 years IdeaSpies shared over 7,000 ideas explained simply, with the help of many volunteers who posted and shared the ideas in 19 topics ranging from AgTech to Wellbeing. The platform achieved over 225 million views. The Pledge 1% idea achieved 790 clicks (39,500) views.

IdeaSpies had been following AI ideas as a topic however, when generative AI launched, the platform needed more support to be updated and become sustainable (see attached position paper). I did not receive the support we needed so I suspended IdeaSpies. However the tech has continued to be used in Australian schools as I gave a Design and Technology Teacher access to it.

I am now studying at UTS for an Entrepreneurial PhD based on my IdeaSpies experience. My thesis topic is “Does Alertness to Positive Ideas Enhance Wellbeing?”( see attached summary). I’m hoping to show that it does so more people can become aware of positive ideas like yours. The first phase has already been successfully completed with UTS Psychology students.

Here’s the Pledge 1% idea I shared on IdeaSpies in 2017:

Pledge 1 percent is dedicated to making the community a key stakeholder in every business. It encourages individuals and companies to pledge 1% of equity, product, and employee time for their communities based on the premise that companies and employees today want to have a positive impact on the world. The Pledge 1 percent website enables visitors to pledge equity, employee time and/or product directly on the site. Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquahar wants every start-up business to commit to giving employee time, equity and funds to charity. He and a program backed by salesforce.com have signed up more than 600 businesses in the past 18 months. The easiest time to pledge is when companies are startups and their value is unknown. IdeaSpies has committed.

At Airteam, our mission is to create software that brings about positive change. That shows up in the products we deliver, but also in the way we choose to operate as a business.

Six years ago, we made the decision to formalise that commitment by joining Pledge 1%. Since then, we’ve contributed 1% of our revenue to the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), an organisation that helps to protect Australia’s environment, wildlife, and communities.

For us, supporting EDO is a way to contribute to long-term environmental outcomes while continuing our day-to-day work creating software that makes a meaningful impact.

“Long-term partners like Airteam give us the stability to take on complex environmental cases and stand up for communities and wildlife when it matters most. Knowing that their support is built into how they do business means we can plan for the future and keep nature’s voice in the room.” – Jo Shulman, CEO EDO

Our commitment also matters to our clients. When they choose to work with us, part of their investment supports the protection of Australia’s environment for future generations. We work with great clients, and we know that this is just as important to the people we work with as it is our team. It’s a small but meaningful way their projects contribute to impact beyond the software we build together.

Over the years, our team has built a deeper connection to this cause. Most recently, our remote team came together to learn more about native wildlife and build nesting boxes for local bird species. Doing hands-on work that tied directly back to the things we care about as a team.

For anyone in the tech community considering how to make giving a consistent part of how you operate, we can say that joining Pledge 1% has been one of the most meaningful decisions we’ve made. It keeps impact front of mind and creates a rhythm of contribution that grows with your business.

Thank you to the Pledge 1% team for the work you do and for shining a light on how companies can use their business as a force for good.

Every day, conversations happen at the edges of services — in phone calls, WhatsApp messages, chatbots — each one holding a story that matters. Transceve exists to ensure those stories are heard.

At Trigg Digital, we’ve had the privilege of working with Transceve — a ground breaking platform that leverages generative AI to help third-sector organisations hear what their customers are already saying. Not by gathering more feedback, but by transforming live, unstructured data into actionable, measurable insight.

Through our collaboration, we’ve supported Transceve in scaling an AI-powered Salesforce Agent force engine — helping turn conversations into clarity, sentiment into strategy, and feedback into tangible real-time impact.

This #GivingTuesday, we’re proud to shine a light on that experience as part of our Pledge 1% commitment. It’s work that embodies exactly what we stand for: purposeful technology, amplifying human voices, and driving meaningful change.

Pledge1% #GivingBack #TriggDigital #Transceve