Kelvin Mureithi of Makao Group
Director of Makao Group
A chat with Kelvin Mureithi, Director of Makao Group.
Join us with Makao at the 2019 Gala Dinner. Tickets can be purchased here.
q: In one sentence, who is Kelvin Mureithi?
K: Kelvin is a curious mind deeply interested in people and ideas that push humanity forward.
q: Please tell us about your business and what motivated you to get started.
K: Makao is a green building and sustainability consultancy based in Melbourne. We help homeowners and clients in the built environment design and build environmentally friendly buildings.
Occasionally, we work with other businesses that are passionate about sustainability but are not sure how they can implement it in their business. Our mission is to help all our clients achieve their sustainability goals – both environmental and social. The by-product of this is ideally, to promote health, wellbeing and comfort.
To me, sustainability is about putting human needs first, being respectful of the environment and the limited resources available to us. It is about creating solutions that work for us today and are mindful of future generations.
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a deep interest in how things work, how they are designed and how they are built. This interest led me to studying Mechanical Engineering at RMIT University. After finishing my studies, I followed this passion and pursued a career in the built environment. I was particularly interested in exploring how building design relates to sustainability. Makao was therefore born out of a combination of a deep-seated passion, and a desire to create solutions that have positive impact on social and environmental outcomes. The long-term vision is to tackle bigger, more complex problems such as affordable housing – both here and in East Africa.
q: What are some of the challenges you have faced since launching the Makao Group.
K: There’s been one major challenge I’ve experienced since launching Makao. After starting the business, I realised there was so much I didn’t know. Marketing, accounting, legal, product development etc. Thankfully I had (still have) mentors and advisors to guide me through the journey. And the internet, I can’t forget to shout out the internet. But I believe if you don’t know how to do something, you can always learn how to do it. And then you just continue to grow.
q: Please describe your brand identity and how it aligns with your core business values and vision.
K: Our brand identity strives to be simple, approachable, and friendly. This aligns with our collaborative approach to doing business. To work ‘with’ our clients and partners instead of ‘for’ them. And to build a community around the people that choose to work with us.
q: What's your one book recommendation for any entrepreneur?
K: The E Myth by Michael Gerber.
q: Three words that you hope can inspire others to take a leap of faith and create their own business?
K: Pursue your interests
q: One of your career goals is to contribute positively to collective human happiness. We are excited to hear more on this. Please share.
K: The answer to this question might need an entire blogpost of its own (one I’m currently working on). I’ll therefore try and keep it brief.
Let’s start with the building blocks.
I believe our happiness is strongly tied to living a meaningful life. And a meaningful life is subjective. It could be doing what you love, raising a family, starting a business, or simply meeting your basic needs. In other words, if you follow what brings you fulfilment then happiness will naturally follow. Unfortunately, there is no formula for attaining fulfilment. A meaningful life is, therefore, like a jumper we get to knit for ourselves. And what works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next.
My goal is to use my skills to help as many people (as I humanly can) achieve whatever is meaningful to them. How? By creating spaces and places that promote heathy living and wellbeing. Places where people play, work, and live. By creating platforms where people can share, learn and ultimately realise their potential. By crafting a business model that puts social impact in the front seat. By forming partnerships with organisations that seek to empower people that are either underprivileged or disadvantaged.
Hopefully when I arrive at the other end of my career, I’ll have contributed positively to the collective human happiness.
“...If you follow what brings you fulfilment then happiness will naturally follow.”