Greenpop’s journey began with a moment of personal revelation. In 2010, our co-founder Misha Teasdale returned home to Cape Town after an extensive period travelling 16 countries as part of a film production crew. While the adventure had offered incredible personal growth, Misha and his colleague Rowan Pybus became keenly aware of the environmental footprint of their nomadic lifestyle.
This concern sparked a pivotal conversation with ten friends over supper one evening. Resolved to take immediate, tangible action, the group committed to getting their hands dirty for our planet. Their ambitious first goal: to plant 1,000 trees during September (Arbour Month) in Cape Town’s under-greened, marginalised communities. They rallied support, researched appropriate planting locations, and successfully completed the campaign.
The project concluded, and the group returned to their day jobs. But the phones didn't stop ringing. Schools were requesting trees, companies were offering support, and individuals were eager to volunteer. It quickly became profoundly clear: there was an ongoing, tangible need for an organisation dedicated to connecting people to the planet, to each other, and to themselves.Seeing this burgeoning opportunity, Misha, his partner Lauren Teasdale (our current CFO), and their friend Jeremy Hewitt (now an internationally acclaimed musician, Jeremy Loops) decided to focus all their energy on making this vital connection a reality.
And just like that, Greenpop was born.
Greenpop's early days were filled with the start-up energy of excitement and possibility, passionate volunteers, community spirit, and the first sprouts of our Treevolution. Explore a gallery of our earliest planting days, activations, and the vibrant faces that shaped our journey.
Our name, Greenpop, wasn't a stroke of marketing genius, but rather a gift born out of a moment of pure necessity! We were scrambling for a catchy title, realising "The Month of 1000 Trees" was a mouthful. A friend, seeing our predicament, simply offered "Greenpop," and it clicked. It's been our name ever since, perfectly capturing our spirit.
"Green" embodied our core purpose: fostering positive environmental action, nurturing our planet and cultivating a sustainable future. It spoke to the hands-on work and the visible difference we make.
"Pop" spoke to pop culture. We aimed to make environmentalism genuinely popular – especially as we engaged with young people. We worked to make environmental care a natural part of everyday life.
This conviction, born from that initial drive to make a sustained impact, led to our enduring tagline: "Join the Treevolution." Treevolution signals our commitment to:
Driving significant positive change through tangible environmental action.
Inviting everyone to actively join a movement that continually expands its reach and impact.
Empowering individuals to be active participants in building a better world, fostering a sense of shared ownership and responsibility.
Maintaining our commitment to making environmentalism fun, playful and approachable, ensuring anyone can step up and contribute.
Over the past 15 years, Greenpop has evolved significantly. What started as a passionate, community-focused initiative run by a group of friends has matured into a highly professional, impactful organisation working across diverse ecological and social landscapes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Today, we channel our expertise through four interconnected themes of work: Landscape Restoration, Urban Greening, Education & Awareness, and Nature-Based Events. Additionally, our proven track record in these areas allows us to consult for global organisations, realising our vision at scale and activating new partnerships.
Our professionalism underpins every project, from meticulous planning and scientific measurement to robust partnerships and transparent reporting. Yet, the core spirit of Greenpop remains the same: an unwavering belief that joyful, collective action can truly restore our planet and (re)connect people with nature.
When you encounter Greenpop and hear Join the Treevolution, you're engaging with an organisation that combines passionate roots with a proven track record, dedicated to creating a world where people and nature thrive together.
Greenpop’s journey owes a great deal to its founders and evolving leadership. The initial idea, sparked by Misha and Rowan after their film trip, rapidly involved a bunch of friends who offered their bakkies, spades, and time to get the ball rolling.
After that first "Month of 1000 Trees" campaign, the initial crew had to return to their day jobs, but Misha, Lauren, and Jeremy felt this movement needed to continue. They juggled their full-time gigs with keeping Greenpop alive in the evenings and on weekends, famously operating out of their small Cape Town apartment—which doubled as Greenpop's first HQ.
Things took a professional turn in early 2011 when Lauren entered a social enterprise business plan competition. Greenpop won, but to claim the prize, the organisation had to be officially registered. With support from the Department of Economic Development in the Western Cape, Greenpop became a proper entity overnight. Slowly but surely, the organisation began to grow, bringing on its first interns.
Lauren, Misha, and Jeremy ran the show until the end of 2014. At this point, Jeremy Hewitt's successful music career as Jeremy Loops was really gaining momentum, making it too much to manage everything. Jeremy stepped away from the day-to-day operations but remains a valued Greenpop Board Member, continuing to share his wisdom.
It was then up to Lauren and Misha to manage Greenpop as a couple, receiving valuable advice from the Board, including Jeremy and lawyer friend Eitan Stern.
In November 2023, recognising the need for fresh, highly organised energy, Zoë Gauld-Angelucci stepped in as the third director. Zoë had already been a part of the furniture at Greenpop since 2014, having done everything from basing her Master's thesis on Greenpop to working across the fundraising, communications, and programmes teams.
Today, Misha, Lauren, and Zoë co-manage Greenpop, taking on the roles of CEO, CFO, and COO. Their combined leadership, rooted in a foundation of friendship and shared vision, continues to grow Greenpop’s mission and impact exponentially.
