#Follow haumea_cathy
Q1. How would you describe your business in 6 words or less?
Haumea makes ecoliteracy accessible and transformative.
Q2. What prompted you to start your business?
The idea for the world's first online Ecoliteracy course arose from my struggles to communicate my long-term creative practice The Hollywood Forest Story (featured in The Irish Times in 2020). I amassed a lot of learning in my PhD, about why ecoliteracy represents a huge shift and challenge for our whole culture, including business and the creative sector. Given how essential ecoliteracy is for all sectors, and with the seemingly impossible time frame scientists are giving us to create a sustainable culture (less than a decade), people need access to high-quality, transformative education in this area immediately. Online learning has proven effective for ecoliteracy in particular.
Q3. Tell us a bit more about yourselves
I'm loving teaching online, and that students love learning online so much, is the biggest surprise for me! From my earlier career in science, I knew this is a crucial topic – but I had never taught before. My collaboration with my ecophilosopher friend Nikos, who has long taught at universities in the U.S., gave me the confidence to try, and I launched the first course just as the pandemic arose in 2020. Nikos wanted a means to bring his philosophy work to the creative and business sectors, and this collaboration has helped us both navigate the world outside of academia. There are crucial conversations between philosophy and the arts that can help all of us figure out the cultural mess we are in. Most heartening for us is seeing the personal transformations and insights and watching participants' confidence grow in communicating and using new values and frameworks for a better world in their creative work, their business goals, and in their life.
Our business goal last year was to successfully pilot this unusual course - and now we're offering our 6th course. I've also had unexpected interest from the media in our first year, which was daunting as no one had heard of ecoliteracy and I have little PR experience–but now I see ecoliteracy as our unique selling point–(listen to my interviews on LyricFM, and DublinFM).
And who is Haumea? (pronounced 'How-maya')
As I, and my great. grandfather traveling from Ireland near 150 years ago, were born in the Pacific region, I chose the name of the creative, strong, and wise Earth Goddess–Haumea. Haumea is also the name of a new planet in our solar system that some associate psychologically with rising ecological consciousness, which fits with the eco-educational values of our endeavours.
Q4. How has being part of the AwakenHub community helped your business?
Awaken Hub is so supportive. Already, I see an inspiring map for my entrepreneurial ecoliteracy adventures – from the generosity of fellow female founders who are further along the road than me. Thank you all, and especially to the founders for bringing us together, especially now!
Follow Dr. Cathy Fitzgerald on Twitter @haumea_cathy, Linkedin, Instagram @haumea_learn_ecoart