Meet SEAOAK's Founders

Ebony Greaves
Oct 24
7 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

SEAOAK is coming up on 2 years in operation, with lots of new faces supporting us from the sidelines or actively partnering with us on various projects. We wanted to take a minute to reintroduce the two Founders of SEAOAK - Ebony Greaves and Carli Davis.

What inspired us to start SEAOAK Consulting?

Ebony: Before starting SEAOAK Consulting, I spent seven years as a senior leader at a big four consulting firm. I often worked long days, sometimes more than 70 hours a week. Eventually, I found myself completely burnt out, undervalued, constrained by a glass ceiling, and increasingly disconnected from the sense of purpose and meaning I desperately needed in my work. Living in the rural Victorian High Country, I also became increasingly aware of how many decisions that shape regional and rural communities are made in city boardrooms, often without truly understanding or considering their local impact. Over time, I realised that my purpose lay in giving those rural communities and industries a stronger voice.

Carli: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners. All of my role models built something from nothing and turned it into success through hard work, patience, and persistence. So, I’d say my biggest inspiration is definitely my family, especially my mum. I wanted the flexibility to spend more time outdoors, stay connected to nature, and have the freedom to explore creative, no-red-tape ideas. When I met Ebony, I immediately valued her authenticity, her clear communication, and her down-to-earth approach. She works incredibly hard, is an amazing mum, and shares the same vision for doing purposeful work. we clicked from the moment we met and I knew she was someone I wanted to build trust with and build something great alongside.

Where does the name SEAOAK come from?

The name SEAOAK is inspired by nature - a blend of Sea Oak, a type of seaweed, and She Oak, a native Australian tree. Both are resilient, adaptable, and deeply connected to the environments they thrive in which are qualities that reflect the spirit of our work.

What values guide the way we work with clients and our team?

Ebony: Our work is grounded in three core values that shape everything we do with our clients, partners, and each other. Grassroots has always been at the heart of SEAOAK. It reflects our belief that meaningful change starts from the ground up - with communities, industries, and people who live and breathe the challenges and opportunities of their regions. Even as our business and team continue to grow, this value remains central to who we are. It reminds us to stay connected, listen deeply, and keep our work practical, relevant, and real. Collaboration is another cornerstone of how we operate. We know that creating real impact isn’t a zero-sum game - progress happens when industries, innovators, and communities come together around shared goals. That’s why we’re proud to lead and support genuine collaboration across agriculture, natural capital, ag-tech, and agri-renewables, both here in Australia and with our international partners. Finally, integrity is the value that underpins it all. Integrity means being honest, ethical, and consistent - doing the right thing because it’s right, not because it’s easy or advantageous. It’s about holding ourselves accountable and maintaining trust in every interaction, decision, and partnership. For me, these values guide not just how we work, but why we work - to create lasting, positive impact for the people, industries and landscapes that sustain our communities.

Carli: Integrity and grit are the two values that shine through for me every day. If we say we’ll do something, we’ll do it. And we’re not afraid to say no to projects that don’t align with our values (rare, but it’s happened). Grit is a big one too. Ebony is often up before the birds working (editing documents at 4am) and I’m usually online during the weekend.

Both founders have formerly worked for big-four consultancies. What’s one thing we do differently from other consultancies?

Ebony: I personally believe decisions that significantly impact rural communities and industries should not be made in corporate boardrooms, or in isolation by teams with little connection to the land or environment. SEAOAK is a rural business. We operate with a "farmer-first" philosophy, meaning that we place farmers and rural communities at the forefront of our decisions, and rural industries and landscapes at the heart of everything we do.

Carli: We’re always aiming for a win-win scenario with our clients. Having worked for both a Big Four consultancy and corporates, I’ve seen first-hand how consulting can sometimes miss the mark in delivering real value for money. Ebony and I are driven by delivering high quality / high value work for our clients, without the fuss or fluff. We also aren't interested in half-finishing a project just to upsell another project. We’re lucky to have built genuine relationships that lead to ongoing collaboration with our clients (who we also think of as our partners).

What has been our proudest moment at SEAOAK?

Ebony: There are too many to choose from but my proudest moment at SEAOAK has probably been getting the beef sustainability traceability pilot off the ground with 12 industry partners. I think this is a really strong demonstration of what is possible when a project is underpinned by genuine collaboration and diverse companies are working together towards a common outcome, which in this case is increasing sustainability and resilience in the Australian beef industry.

Carli: I would echo Ebony. The beef sustainability traceability project has been an absolute highlight. It’s such a unique initiative, and we haven’t seen anything quite like it globally. We’re really proud that Australian agriculture, particularly the beef sector, is leading the way in supply-chain traceability, sustainability claims, and values-based marketing.

What are we most excited about for the future of the business?

Ebony: We have some fairly ambitious plans for SEAOAK over the next 5 years, and I have no doubt we’ll achieve them. While sustainable agriculture has been a foundational pillar for our business over the past 1.5 years, I am excited as we now begin expanding our business into natural capital and landscape resilience, agri-renewables and ag-tech. The one thing I am most excited about is bringing the UK-developed Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) model to Australia for the first time, in partnership with 3Keel. I truly believe this international model has the potential to be a game changer for Australia, bringing a collaborative approach to linking business and supply chain investment with long term landscape-scale outcomes.

Carli: I’m also excited about bringing the LENs model to Australia. Seeing the landscape resilience impact it’s had across the UK and EU, including $50 million paid to farmers in just four years for regenerative practices like tree planting, cover cropping, and fencing waterways, it’s inspiring. But personally, I’m most excited to watch our team grow.

What does a “day in our life” look like?

Ebony: Most mornings start early, usually around 4:30am. By 5am, I’m online, often preparing for meetings that can begin as early as 6am. I start the day by walking the dog or doing a class at the gym, which gives me a moment of “me time” before a busy day. Family time is non-negotiable for me. No matter how full the day gets, I make it a priority to have breakfast and dinner with my daughter. Our evenings always end with a story - usually a new animal adventure I make up before she goes to sleep, and I return to work. On weekends, you’ll almost always find me out mountain biking, snowboarding, or in the vegetable garden tending to the 30+ varieties of fruits and vegetables we grow at home.

Carli: My mornings start early (not as early as Ebony’s) with a surf at The Pass, a beach run, or yoga. Then I dive into work: a mix of meetings, writing reports, building proposals, and managing operations. Weekends are surfing, pickleball, running, hiking, cooking, reading, and catching up with friends.

What’s something most people don’t know about us?

Ebony: I was quite the adventurer before having my daughter (who is now 3, almost 4). As a former rock climber, mountaineer and backcountry snowboarding enthusiast, I’ve climbed mountains throughout Australia, Nepal, France, Spain, Norway, Alaska and the Middle East. My adventures didn’t always go to plan, but I always learned something from the experience and came out more resilient. As a mother, my adventures are much more subdued these days, opting for hiking the mountains in my own backyard including Mount Bogong and the Bogong High Plains (which my daughter has been happily joining me on since she was a little baby). I believe these experiences have all made me who I am today - mentally strong and resilient, and able to keep putting one foot in front of the other when things get seriously tough.

Carli: I still have baby teeth.

What motivates us on tough / challenging days?

Ebony: Family is the biggest motivator that gets me through tough or challenging days. That, and knowing that my work has meaning and purpose.

Carli: Music is something I've always turned to when I'm having a tough day. I also jump on the phone for a yarn to my parents or brothers. And I find a lot of perspective in stories of people overcoming massive challenges. It’s grounding and reminds me how small my worries really are in the grand scheme of things.

What advice would you give to others starting their own business?

Ebony: Starting a business requires you to be comfortable taking calculated risks and continuously navigating through the ambiguity and unknowns. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. When taking risks, be prepared to fail fast, learn from the experience and move on. Being an authentic leader is very important - people see straight through you if you are anything other than your authentic self.

Carli: Never take yourself too seriously. People connect with authenticity, showing up as your real self and letting your guard down a little can go a long way in building genuine relationships. That said, you also need to stay savvy and assess situations carefully, every decision carries some risk, and in business, there are always wins and losses along the way. I’ve also learned how important it is to balance short-term focus with long-term vision. I’m usually the one keeping an eye on the day-to-day i.e. what bills need paying, which reports are due, what meetings are on the calendar. While Ebony brings a strong strategic, big-picture perspective that keeps us moving toward larger goals. Together, that balance helps us stay grounded while still creating ripple effects that matter.