Who are EthicCo?
Not Business As Usual. Building a Future Rooted in Integrity
At EthicCo, we believe the blueprint for tomorrow’s successful businesses looks fundamentally different. We reject the notion that profit must come at the expense of our planet or people. Instead, we champion a transformative approach: empowering organizations to weave social and ecological responsibility into their very DNA.
Our journey began from a shared conviction: that true work transcends corporate hierarchies, that people are the ultimate differentiator in an age of emergent technology, and that every company, deeply rooted in its place, holds a profound responsibility to its community. We literally went back to the drawing board, designing a company we would want to work for—one built on purpose, not just profit.
Meet the team
Ewan…
Michael…
Our business model
EthicCo was designed from the ground up to be the company that we wanted to work for...
As a couple corporate rebels, we had a strong sense of what didn’t work for us. So when we decided to undertake this mission, we started from scratch (no assumptions, nothing off the table, just heads full of possibilities and a wall covered in stickies). Once we had our shared vision, we set out our non-negotiables in a charter so that our values would be woven throughout our company DNA. Every decision we make considers the question, ‘is this in service of Life?’
At EthicCo, we believe that the value created belongs to those who build it. Our wage structure reflects this, our company foundations ensure this. Authenticity is something we prize and it is fundamental that we work in ways which allow us to create and flourish. We do not strive to be the next biggest thing, we wish to sow the seeds for a better economy.
We fundamentally believe that businesses should exist in the context of their communities as a force for social good. As such, we have a tiered structure to redistribute excess profits to the local communities and causes we are passionate about. This model was adopted because we have a ‘work anywhere’ structure and we wanted to support the diverse passions of our people and the needs of their local communities. This responsibility to place is also reflected in our financial actions, we will always be rooted in this land and pay our taxes in this country.
Our price structures are geared towards the small end of town, we strive for inclusion rather than capital accumulation.
- We are a collective: The company belongs to those who create the value, not to executives or shareholders.
- Local & Open Source First: We support local, ethical businesses and open-source solutions over the tech oligarchy whenever possible.
- Sustainable Growth: Our revenue structures are aimed at long-term sustainability and giving back, not exponential growth.
- Radical Transparency: We practice radical visibility, making our finances, policies, and position public wherever possible.
- Ethical Choices: Every decision we make considers the question, “is this in service of Life?”.
What’s in a name?
The name EthicCo (also registered as the Ethical Collective Australia) was chosen because it reflected our commitment to building a business which aligned with our values. A fair, regenerative and engaging place to work, where employees are genuinely valued for their unique talents and have the flexibility to work in service of their life, not a corporate identity.
We are optimised not around exponential growth but for employee wellbeing and community engagement.
We are a collective because the company belongs to those who create the value, not to executives or shareholders.
The business choices we make reflect our values. Wherever possible, we use local, regenerative companies/services eg. We opted for Serversaurus for our hosting (they are a certified B-Corp with practices aimed at reducing the gender pay gap). When building this website, we used Spectra Pro over the market leader from Israel. This is not virtue signalling, it’s a conscious act in support of life, to abstain from feeding the beast. When building out our digital work platform there was no local/ethical alternative, so we opted for the Google platform, this will be subject to review.
The economy is a human construct which relies on a healthy planet and cohesive society to flourish. There are many industries and companies whose actions undermine this. At EthicCo, we attempt to avoid bad actors, although we do assume good intent. Our pricing structures are aimed at inclusion, favouring small, local and ethical businesses.
EthicCo – not about what we can do, but what we should do…
Talking tech…
Responsible innovation
At EthicCo, we have deep misgivings about the business models of some of the big players and the rise of the tech oligarchy. When our brains are being hacked to sell us junk we don’t need, when our kids are suffering mental illness due to the nature of content being pushed, when social cohesion is being traded for profit, it’s clear we must change course.
Technology is here to stay and it can be inclusive and designed as a commons, we support those who do this work. Where possible, we use ethical Australian companies rather than foreign owned multinationals.
As the climate emergency drives geo-political tension, we believe Australia must build out sovereign capability in our technology landscape. We would love partner with other local/ethical entities to shape a collective ecosystem that provides a democratic alternative to big tech.
A word on AI specifically…
At EthicCo, we sit with an inherent tension – between appreciating the benefits offered by AI whilst being impacted by climate and social impacts of this technology. We use AI heavily in our fast prototyping. Our stance (which we have codified and share) is that AI used in service of Life is acceptable, using AI for productivity alone, may not be. Eg. How would you use any productivity gains from AI? Would you reduce your workforce or would you step down to a 4-day week? Is it justifiable to use water to cool data centres during a drought while crops are failing?
Internally, we discuss this tension constantly. We strongly encourage others to come together to shape an informed trans-disciplinary approach, this technology is emergent and existential and should not be left to chance or Mars bound tech bros.
What’s with all the hand drawn pictures?
