Jonathan Kneebone

2019 Cohort

Pronouns: he/him

Jonathan is establishing and enabling collaborations, disrupting entrenched and extractive systems, and advocating for an inclusive and regenerative economy.

Jonathan is Head of Advocacy and Growth at Phantm based in Melbourne, Victoria, Wurundjeri. Phantm is a new Australian start-up contributing to circular economy solutions for organic waste and plastics. It is developing market-leading technology that converts organic waste streams into a compostable natural material that is fully recyclable, can be composted in soil , and biodegrades in ocean environments.

His career spans legal, policy, strategy, impact, and commercial experiences. This includes advocating for systems, particularly a finance system, and economy that prioritizes human well-being, social equity and protection of our environment. It has led him to a new role addressing climate change, plastic pollution, and our global addiction to fossil fuels. Environmental health is essential for achieving social equity and supporting well-being. Establishing a circular economy and market-based mechanisms through entrepreneurial ingenuity are critical to this. As they're needed to compete against, displace and replace products and processes that harm the planet.

“My work over close to 15 years with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has made it abundantly clear that communities, groups, and individuals desire self-determination and freedom of choice to improve their lives and livelihoods.”

Social change work

Jonathan has initiated a range of projects at Indigenous Business Australia that continue, and are aimed at facilitating the flow of capital to Indigenous businesses and opportunities. He is now focused on work that involves scaling entrepreneurial responses to solve our plastic waste and climate crises.