Matt Benjamin
Founder & CEO
Matt is the Founder & CEO of Kapes. He started his career in Fashion & Textiles in 2010, working for the world’s largest custom clothing company. He went onto to start his own menswear company in 2017, with sustainability being a core part of the business. His growing passion for sustainability coincided with a life journey in which he became deeply connected to his purpose and culminated in him launching Kapes in 2020. What started off as a company using school uniforms as a vehicle for positive change, soon took on a focus to help people in marginalised communities that are disproportionally impacted by climate change. In 2022 it became clear to Matt that due to the market dynamics, simply providing sustainable uniforms was not enough, which led him to developing other solutions so that almost any school, anywhere in the world, could start their sustainability journey with Kapes. Matt’s goal is to provide 1,000,000 children in need in Africa with free school uniforms.
Advisors
Bernard West
Advisor
Bernard J. West has spent nearly two decades building education businesses with some of the most distinguished educators, school operators and investors in the sector. His professional experience includes managing and advising American and international schools, founding and growing leading education companies and brands, and establishing public/private school partnerships with governments in the USA, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.
Hannah Hall
Advisor
Hannah Hall is a recognised pioneer in school social media enhancement and a marketing expert with experience in education, publishing, and hospitality. Her creative marketing strategies and passion for storytelling engage audiences in active, authentic, non-intrusive conversations, resulting in increased brand loyalty and customer retention. With a solid understanding of how to market sustainably and how to market sustainability, Hannah's goal is to use all of the tools the digital world has to offer to support meaningful projects striving to make a positive impact. Carbon literate and experienced in delivering behaviour change for conservation, Hannah is a motivated, forward-thinking individual and an expert in her profession.
Our Partners
Metanoia
Metanoia are a team of technical sustainability professionals passionate about the transformative potential of sustainability in schools.
They partner with schools to unlock the sustainability learning that is embedded in the campus and the school’s daily life. They develop the capacity of students and schools to become truly sustainable communities and support students in leading the transition to a sustainable future. Their student-centered approach to sustainability in schools combines practical and substantive solutions with authentic educational opportunities and school-wide stakeholder engagement.
Since launching in 2018, they have conducted Whole-School Sustainability Audits with leading international schools such as Chinese International School, ISF Academy, and Kellett School in Hong Kong. Their audits develop over 100 actionable recommendations to guide schools on their journey to becoming more sustainable communities – like a zero-waste or carbon-neutral school.
Tsunami Sport
Tsunami Sport started life in 2003 with a simple enough premise: make truly distinctive team kit that worked harder and looked better – kits we wanted to wear ourselves.
From these beginnings they’ve now grown their product range from our original Rugby collection to include High Performance Match Kits for a comprehensive range of sports and activities from Football to Dragon Boat racing.
They also developed their expertise and research into fabrics, production and the specific needs of particular sports and activities. It has enabled them to supply garments with a quality that compares to and exceeds major brands, while at a competitive cost.
