Holly Budge is a trailblazer whose adventurous spirit and unwavering determination have led her to remarkable achievements. As an Everest summiteer and the first woman to skydive Everest, she has earned recognition as one of the most accomplished female adventurers.
In addition to her feats in the world of adventure, Holly is the Founder and Chair of the international non-profit organization, How Many Elephants. Her impactful work in wildlife conservation has garnered praise from renowned figures such as Sir David Attenborough. Through How Many Elephants, Holly educates audiences worldwide about the devastating effects of the African Elephant ivory trade using innovative, design-led approaches.
Holly’s commitment to environmental causes is evident in her efforts to raise over GBP 500,000 for various environmental projects. She has also spearheaded initiatives like World Female Ranger Week, aimed at supporting female rangers who are on the frontline of wildlife conservation efforts.
Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Holly has been honoured with prestigious accolades such as the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in NYC, where she was named ‘Woman of the Year in Non-Profit.’ She is also a UN Women UK Delegate and has been included in the list of ‘100 Top Women in Social Enterprise.’
As a keynote speaker on mental toughness, Holly’s down-to-earth and inspiring demeanour has captivated audiences, earning praise from HRH Prince Edward and others. Her passion, purpose, and relentless drive continue to inspire others to think big and dream bigger in their own pursuits.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Holly Budge:
Describe your past journey and what did you do before started your professional career?
At 21, I threw myself out of a perfectly good aeroplane for the first time. That 60 second shot of adrenaline changed my life forever. It dawned on me that people were getting paid to jump out of aeroplanes every day of the year. Funnily enough, my careers advisor at school hadn’t mentioned this to me. I decided, in those moments, that I wanted to work as a skydiving camerawoman. Just one issue, I didn’t know how to skydive. Unfazed, I returned to the UK armed with my audacious goal. I worked as a graphic designer in the big smoke and saved up enough money to return to New Zealand and firstly learn how to skydive & then how to get employed as a skydiver!
It was a far-fetched goal as I knew no one in New Zealand; I knew nothing about skydiving and less about filming. But none of that mattered because I knew I could learn those skills, or I could at least have a go. At the time, less than a handful of women had ever worked as skydivers in New Zealand. This motivated me even more. Eventually, I landed my job and was getting paid to jump out of aeroplanes up to 12 times a day, with bulky film cameras strapped to my body (pre-digital era!). On reflection, the ”boldness of youth” enabled me to achieve this goal because I didn’t overthink it; I didn’t talk myself out of it or let the fear of failing get in the way.
Tell us about the inception of the company.
As much as I loved working in the adventure industry, I wanted to return to my roots in graphic design. In 2013, I studied for a Masters in Sustainable Design. The idea for ‘How Many Elephants’, now a UK registered charity, was born. As I began researching the African Elephant crisis, I was shocked by the poaching statistics and set about creating a new, fresh, design-led awareness campaign. I was specific in my goal to create a 100% non-gory and non-political campaign. I designed and built a necklace displaying 96 elephants – the daily poaching rate in Africa – cut in vegetable ivory, a sustainable plant material from South America. I then designed a hard-hitting exhibition displaying 35,000 elephant silhouettes to represent the annual poaching rate. For people to see and connect with this data in a purely visual and factual way has proved to be highly successful in engagement and impact.
I’m using design as a powerful communication tool to bridge the gap between scientific data and human connection. How Many Elephants quickly gained momentum as the exhibition travelled to international audiences, receiving global recognition, and I’ve delivered keynote talks about the campaign around the world.
My next focus was on supporting female rangers. Why female rangers specifically? I was so inspired by the rangers I have had the privilege of spending time with that I wanted to create a platform to share their stories and raise funds for them. I have also found the more specific I am about my goals, the greater the motivation, clarity and impact I have.
I launched World Female Ranger Week, taking place on June 23-30th, to find, connect and amplify the voices of female wildlife rangers on a global stage. They’re bold, changing the game and paving the way for women to stand alongside men at the forefront of conservation, but they need allies.
I’ve spent much time on the front line immersed in all-female and mixed anti-poaching units across Africa, including patrolling with the Black Mambas in South Africa; these rangers carry just pepper spray and handcuffs. Plus, with the Akashinga Rangers in Zimbabwe, who are fully armed with AK47s and come face-to-face with poachers. I’ve also been part of an ambush ranger team with the Mara Elephant Project in Kenya, resulting in the arrest of a bushmeat poacher. These teams are making huge strides forward for wildlife conservation and female empowerment.
It’s evident why the female ranger movement is picking up such momentum. Women are proving to be highly successful at easing local tension and strengthening relationships within communities, as well as their patrolling skills. However, there is still a significant gender imbalance in environmental conservation, with just 11% of the global ranger workforce being female. Through World Female Ranger Week, my team and I have identified over 4500 female rangers in 18 African countries. We are collating gender-specific data about female rangers to identify their specific needs, find tangible solutions and help build effective policies toward positive outcomes for female rangers and conservation.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I’ve found that passion is contagious but combined with purpose, it’s powerful. The sky is the limit for what you can achieve with hard work, passion, dedication, skills and a positive active mindset. My motto is Think Big. Dream Bigger.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Our vision is ‘A thriving natural world that women are empowered to protect’. Our values are honest, open and fair. We are in the business of connecting the dots and bringing passionate, purpose-led people together.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
At How Many Elephants, we are innovative in our non-gory, non-political approach to conservation storytelling.
