We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andi Cross. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andi below.
Hi Andi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
I love this question! The name Edges of Earth Collective didn’t come out of nowhere. The first time I heard it was from a surfer at Smiths Beach, a famous spot in the southwest of Western Australia. I had just moved to Western Australia from New York City, and I was out of my depth. Literally. I was attempting to surf one of the more advanced waves in the region with almost no ocean knowledge or swimming experience. Unsurprisingly, my first attempts ended with me getting absolutely and completely pummeled!
As I lay sprawled out on the beach, covered in sand, feeling wildly defeated, and basking in a moment of true self loathing, a group of locals approached me and asked how I ended up right here, right now. I explained that I’d just moved and was trying to adjust to my new normal, which included embracing the idea of being a total beginner at the not-so-ripe age of 31. One of them smiled and said, “Welcome to the edges of earth … mate.” Those words stuck with me. I’d left one of the most populated cities in the world for the remotes of Australia, and I was either going to retreat back to my old life, or dive into the unknown and seize every day—in the good and the bad times.
From that moment, the word “edge” began to follow me everywhere. Everything I did felt like toeing a fine line. Whether it was pursuing a divemaster certification, heading to some of the most remote corners of the world for scuba expeditions, starting my own business in the height of a global pandemic, or trying things I never thought I’d be doing—this word started to define me. The “edge” became about more than just physical remoteness or risk taking. It was starting to symbolize looking for new perspectives, asking questions I never would have before, and constantly challenging myself to go deeper.
When it came time to name a global sustainability consulting firm and production studio, the choice felt obvious. Edges of Earth reflects our mission: operating on the edges of unexplored possibilities, untapped solutions, and transformative change. It’s about helping businesses take bold, meaningful steps toward a more resilient and impactful future.
Andi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Andi Cross, founder of the Edges of Earth Collective, and if you’d told me even three years ago that this is where I’d be right now, I wouldn’t have believed you. My career started in corporate growth, spending over a decade helping brands like Victoria’s Secret, Coca-Cola, Rolls-Royce, and Hyundai scale. At the time, I was hyper-focused on climbing the corporate ladder. But by the time I hit 30, I couldn’t ignore how disconnected I felt from the companies I was working for and the agencies I was affiliated with. Watching climate collapse from a high-rise in Manhattan didn’t sit right. I needed to put my experience towards something that truly mattered to me.
In 2019, I left behind everything I knew and threw myself into the unknown. I went from being immersed in a world that was so familiar to me to moving to a place where I knew only one person. I forced myself to become a divemaster and spent my time embedding myself in places where the impacts of climate change were hitting hardest. And doing it completely solo. It was critical that I learned the art of being truly alone. Being based in the city of Perth, I was traveling around the eastern hemisphere to some of the most vulnerable regions on the frontlines of climate change, meeting people who’s stories were radically upending my way of looking at the world. I was starting to see firsthand what the climate crisis really looks like, and just as importantly, I was witnessing the resilience, creativity, and solutions that emerge in these places, by people who have so little but care so much. These experiences became the foundation of Edges of Earth Collective.
I like to think that we are more than just a typical consulting firm—we’re strategists, designers, operations experts, and storytellers that double as explorers, researchers, dive pros and connectors. We’re working with conservationists, scientists, academics and indigenous leaders to understand what’s happening in places that are being the most impacted by the climate crisis and translate those lessons into strategies that make sustainability tangible for startups through to enterprise level companies. Whether it’s diving into murky waters to study shellfish reefs in Hong Kong or meeting with Japan’s Ama freedivers, we are chasing truths that can inform actionable, impactful solutions at the highest level.
Currently, we are on a two-year expedition is to document the realities of a changing planet from the lens of those living on the fringes, and working with them to uncover hope in the places most people overlook. It’s gritty, exhausting, and far from glamourous. Yet, it’s the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m doing it with people that I love: we have a total team of 10 people that are based in our two HQ locations in America and Australia. And that one person I knew when moving to Perth: that’s Adam Moore who’s on the road with me, heading up our operations & logistics.
We’re traveling to places where ecosystems and communities are being pushed to their limits—such as exploring deforestation in Canada, overfishing in Sri Lanka, and rising sea levels in the Pacific. But we go beyond the challenges—we’re uncovering the positive outliers (as our dear friend and world-renowned professor, Boris Worm, likes to call it). We’re documenting the stories of innovation and resilience, connecting these insights back to businesses that have the power to drive the real change that’s needed if we want to see our planet thriving.
What sets us apart is our commitment to fearless exploration and our willingness to go where others won’t—both physically and strategically. When others say “no,” we say “yes,” as we don’t back down from the hard, dirty, wild things. For us, it’s about proving that doing well and doing good can go hand-in-hand—success and sustainability are not just compatible, they’re essential for the future. With that, I’m proud of how we bridge worlds, combining corporate expertise with in-field expedition insights to create actionable, real-world strategies.
This expedition has shown us that solutions are everywhere. They’re in the innovation of local communities, the resilience of ecosystems, and the opportunities others might dismiss. By operating with intrepid determination, we’ve earned the trust of the communities we engage with and the companies we partner with. The journey to blend business and conservation is far from easy, but to us, it’s a challenge worth taking on. On the edges, where change feels daunting but possible, we’ve learned that the key lies in amplifying these solutions amidst a world that’s rapidly shifting—and inspiring others to act boldly in the face of it.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Resilience is a cornerstone of everything we encounter in our work. In my experience, people most impacted by climate change often display the greatest version of it. On this expedition, every in-field partner we meet teaches us what it means to persevere when challenges feel overwhelming, exhausting, or even impossible. Their stories of determination push us to keep going, no matter the odds.
Here’s one that sticks with me. While working in East Africa with an organization called Elewana Collection, and their charity called Land & Life Foundation, we spent a month documenting how their teams bridge ecotourism, conservation, and community. During our time at one of their key locations, Loisaba Conservancy in Kenya, our guide, Dalmas Malcom Lemaiyan, shared his journey with us over the course of a week. Growing up in a local Maasai community, he was expected to follow the traditional path of becoming a cattle herder. But Dalmas had different ambitions—he wanted to go to school, a path that wasn’t accessible to most boys in his village at that time. To pursue his dream, he walked 10 kilometers, to attend school, every single day. He often arrived late due to elephant crossings or lion encounters. His many brothers and sisters questioned why he wasn’t falling in line like the rest of them and sticking to the status quo. His family moved, due to their nomadic lifestyle. And yet, he never gave up. He found his way to school.
Hearing stories like Dalmas’ on the regular reframes what resilience means for me. It’s the foundation of success—the relentless pursuit of something you want so badly, even when the road is hard, daunting, or uncertain. I think about Dalmas often, and others that the team and I have met that share similar stories, especially in my own moments of doubt. There have been countless times I’ve considered giving up—when I left everything I knew to move from America to Australia, when I faced skepticism about embarking on a multi-year expedition, or when I had to walk away from work and people misaligned with my values. Being surrounded by people who never back down, like those we work with in the field, reminds me why we keep pushing. Their resilience drives meaningful change, be it big or small, proving that, even in the toughest circumstances, progress is possible if you refuse to give up. That’s how I personally choose to live my life, making resilience just as much of a defining word for me as edges.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely. There’s one overarching goal that fuels everything we do: to prove that businesses can thrive commercially while building a more resilient, sustainable, and inhabitable future, simultaneously. Our mission is clear: to empower organizations to live their sustainability goals by transforming real-time data from the frontlines of the climate crisis into actionable strategies that benefit both communities and ecosystems directly and indirectly impacted.
When we set out on this expedition, we wanted to answer one core question: What’s it like living on the edges? The answers we’ve found so far have been as sobering as they are inspiring. Across diverse landscapes, cultures, and challenges, recurring patterns are emerging. For example, change feels inevitable, yet solutions often seem out of reach. Communities show incredible resilience, but need the proper support to thrive. Business and government decisions ripple into the lives of people and ecosystems alike, shaping futures for better—or worse. And while the environment is undeniably breaking down, we’ve witnessed firsthand that restoration is possible. Over the last 19 months in the field, it’s become even more clear to us that businesses and their consumers hold immense power. They’re not just participants in the system—they can drive transformative change within it to benefit both people and planet. The challenge lies in helping them understand that sustainability isn’t a trade-off. Doing good for the planet doesn’t mean doing poorly in business. The two can and must and can coexist. We’ve seen it happen first hand.
We will be successful in our work if we are able to connect those dots. We’re not asking for consumers or businesses to be climate perfect by the way. We certainly are not. No one is. Instead, we’re advocating for action—strategic, informed steps forward where progress can be heard, seen, and felt. By aligning tools, resources, and expertise with a shared vision for a future, where there’s more balance in how we exist with our natural world, we’re helping businesses and communities make tangible contributions toward a sustainable future.
Unlike many in our sector, who focus on pixel-perfect imagery of pristine landscapes and wildlife, we’ve taken a different approach in how we document what’s happening to our natural world. Yes, we love a stunning shot of marine species on a dive, or the wild spaces that leave us without words, no question. But what drives us is sharing what it looks like from the perspective of those living on the fringes: the tireless work of people safeguarding what’s left, restoring what’s lost, and building entirely new solutions to address what’s happening to our planet. Our aim is to look through a lens that’s always unfiltered and truthful, capturing the raw, often unseen side of the natural world and the people championing its preservation. From day one, our goal has been to highlight these stories so businesses know how and where to take action, and this will continue to be what drives this team forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.edgesofearth.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andicross1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andicross/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@edgesofearth_
Image Credits
Adam Moore & Marla Tomorug