We are For Purpose

Nō Kōtirana, Nō Ingarani ōku tīpuna
Ko Ahuriri te whenua tupu
Kei te noho au ki Tamaki Makarau
Nō Tairawhiti ahau
Ko Kristin Gillies taku ingoa

Kristin is Director at For Purpose, a dad, a renewable energy buff, a former Air New Zealand Aircraft Engineer and compost’s #1 Fan. 

Kristin got his start in campaigning in the days before smartphones, holding up coal trains and occupying mines on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. As Actions Coordinator at Greenpeace NZ, Kristin worked to accelerate political action on climate change by coordinating campaign-defining actions, such as the 6-week flotilla off the East Cape alongside local iwi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, to stop Brazilian oil giant Petrobas’ plans for offshore exploration. 

Trading his inflatable boat for a standing desk, Kristin sharpened his political and digital campaigning skills at the Green Party of Aotearoa. Here, he was elevated to National Campaign Manager and led the party’s shift to digital campaigning for the 2014 General Election.

For Kristin, working at For Purpose is about supporting the multitudes of good people doing good work to make Aotearoa a better place.

When not working, Kristin can most often be found riding a bike.

Anna is an audience strategist and award-winning writer with 20 years of experience in strategy, audience insights, communications, social media, editorial media, and fundraising. She believes the work of purpose-driven organisations is most valuable when audiences and supporters value it, and that getting there starts with paying close attention to the people you're trying to reach, what they engage with and what they’ll turn up for.

Most recently, head of audience and off-platform strategy at The Spinoff, she was executive producer of Now You Know, a rangatahi-led vertical that drew 10 million organic views on social media in seven months, and the architect of the Open Letter campaign, which substantially grew Spinoff membership and audience revenue.

Before The Spinoff, she consulted for corporate clients, agencies and arts organisations, spent five years leading social and content marketing at Bank of New Zealand, and managed development and partnerships at Auckland Theatre Company.

Nō Te Hononga o Amerika ōku tīpuna
I tipu ake au ki Detroit, Michigan
E noho ana au ki Orewa, Aotearoa
Ko Eric tōku ingoa

Eric and his partner relocated to Aotearoa in 2018 and opened a coffee shop, Drifter Coffee NZ, in the beach town of Orewa.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys camping, tramping, taking photos, making music, playing video games, and having deep meaningful conversations over a cup of tea (or coffee).

For Eric, working at For Purpose is about working with advocates and activists, helping solve their technical issues by building bespoke solutions.

Mary is an experienced Creative Director and Manager with a passion for kai sovereignty, humanitarian work and the arts. Born to US-Canadian parents, she moved to Aotearoa at six, later returning to the United States where she completed a BFA at Columbia, Chicago and worked for several years before returning home.

E mihi ana au ki ngā mana whenua. Mary acknowledges that her place in Aotearoa is upheld by her commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and sustained through the friendship of many.
Her work sits at the intersection of strategic thinking and creative execution. She has co-led lean teams delivering initiatives focused on social impact and environmental reform across aerospace, science, academia, and policy. Alongside her professional work, she has supported the development of a trauma treatment centre for children rescued from human trafficking, and contributed to organisations focused on faith, community development, the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity.

In service of impact, her work with For Purpose helps organisations tell meaningful stories, deepen connection and move people toward action. As Ram Dass wrote, she likes to believe “we are all just walking each other home.”

With a background in international development and roots in the not-for-profit sector across Australia and Indonesia, Ella has spent her career at the intersection of people, purpose, and technology.

Ella brings a rare combination of hands-on experience and strategic thinking to her work. From her time at Amnesty International Indonesia to Bob Brown Foundation, she knows firsthand what it takes to build movements, engage supporters, and grow a mission-driven organisation from the inside out.

As a NationBuilder certified expert and product trainer, she has helped organisations across Australia and New Zealand unlock the full potential of the platform, from restructuring databases, improving email deliverability, to driving real fundraising results.

During her spare time, you'll find her lost in a cookbook or enjoying time with her little family.

Kia ora tātou
Ko John tōku ingoa
E noho ana ahau ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara engari he pai ki ahau te haere

John has travelled around the world working as a developer for many years, and is now happy to be based back in his hometown Wellington. He still loves to travel and makes the most of the opportunity at For Purpose to work remotely.

For John, working at For Purpose is about learning technology and finding creative ways to use it to support those working to improve Aotearoa and the environment.

Ko Emma Bossley tōku ingoa
Nō Ingarani ōku tīpuna
Kei te noho au ki Tauranga

Originally from Tāmaki Makarau, she and the whānau currently live in Tauranga, away from the rat race, and when not helping good people do good things with For Purpose, Emma can be found painting in her garage-turned-studio. 

Emma is experienced in project managing digital and content production and is excited by projects that create positive social change. While working in the advertising industry, Emma was proud to produce the successful Shielded app for Women’s Refuge. This is an untraceable pop-up that appears on the homepage of partner websites, providing a space for women to seek support without alerting their abusive partners. 

Emma feels her mahi with For Purpose helps create a fair and just world for her three girls to thrive in and that is what motivates her.

Nō Ingarani, Nō Kōtirana ōku tīpuna
Kei te noho au ki Tamaki Makarau
Nō Sydney ahau
Ko Vanessa Atkinson taku ingoa

Vanessa is Chief Financial Officer at For Purpose, taking care of all things financial including budgeting, planning, and forecasting.

Vanessa's background is in project and campaign management across climate, sustainability, and community issues. In her time at Greenpeace Vanessa led multiple teams such as coordinating the team at the United Nations International Convention on Biodiversity in India and the New Zealand Climate team. She has also been Co-ED at a non-profit supporting families with young children and a Sustainability Educator.

Outside of work, Vanessa gets out and about walking and biking with her family in forests.