Birth of a Conscious Consumer

To say that Urbano Village has been a labour of love would be quite the understatement. The idea germinated on a girls getaway in the Blue Mountains, ruminated around for a few months, collected a partner with a similar vision…& 18 months later, with much help from a bunch of talented & willing people it finally came to life. 

In a nutshell, we've created a place where like-minded people can shop their values, be a conscious consumer, & make a statement with their dollars about the kind of world they want to live in. From the very beginning it’s been important to acknowledge that each of us are different, with different passions, skills & ethical focus – it’s what makes life so interesting & diverse…hence our seven values or ethical categories. 

Our ultimate aim is to create a space where you & I aren’t judged for the ethics we do & don’t hold dear, but rather celebrate the ones we cherish, knowing that together we are casting a vote for the kind of world we want by the way we spend our money.

So here’s a bit of a look at a couple of the key players that helped Urbano Village find it’s feet.

Kylie – Chief Creative

Curiosity is in my blood, along with creativity, passion & an acute sense of justice. Thanks to a father who worked in the ‘Not for Profit’ sector, instilling the wanderlust gene in me that’s carried through to adulthood, I’ve had the privilege of living in a few different cultures: Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Australia, UK & Singapore. It’s given me an appreciation for various cultures & a sense that there is no single way to travel this journey of life. We’re all travelling it together & we’re all connected. I’ve seen people with ‘nothing’ & those with ‘everything’ who are dreadfully happy, content, & living their values in such beautiful ways. I’m certain happiness & contentment come from living your life in an authentic way.

So for me, all roads lead to Urbano, & here I am doing something I’m dreadfully passionate about & hoping to make a real difference in my own little patch of grass & those I may or may not ever set foot on. 

David – Chief Nerd (yes, that’s the official title on my business card!)

Before partnering with Kylie to start Urbano Village, I’d been keen to use my background in technology & law to create positive social change & in my own way make the world a slightly better place. I’ve been lucky enough to see a fair bit of the world, including a few of the less travelled bits - Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu & central China. They were fantastic adventures filled with great stories & left me incredibly grateful for the circumstances of my life. I was born into a middle class Australian family & that fact alone has meant I have privilege & opportunity that, through no fault of their own, much of the world will never get to experience. 

Getting Urbano Village off the ground has been a fantastic, daunting, challenging ride. But now it’s here & no matter what you’re passionate about, I look forward to working with like-minded partners to collectively create a better future for all of us. 

Both David & I really, really hope you choose to join our village, & collectively we can create the kind of world we all hope for.

There you have it, Urbano Village thus far. Of course it didn’t happen without a lot of talented people lending a hand, but that’s a whole other story …

By: Kylie Banks

Photos: Hannah Puechmarin / Klaylife / Kylie Banks