Among our numbers are a reformed marketeer, science guys,
digital whiz kids and a former Buddhist monk.
Setting off to become a monk at the age of 22, his meditation training took him all over the world, culminating with full ordination at a Tibetan Monastery in the Himalayas.
Ten years later, Andy returned to the UK with the singular wish to demystify meditation, to make it accessible, relevant and beneficial to as many people as possible.
And thus the seeds of Headspace were sown.
Things you might not know about Andy...
When Andy finished his time as a monk, he did what all ex-monks do...he went back to university and did a degree in Circus Arts! Although these days he seems more interested in surfing and snowboarding than acrobatics!
Rich is the driving force for all of our exciting ventures around the world. A former marketing exec, he has more great ideas than we know what to do with. With a strong social mission, a passion for meditation, and a flair for making things happen, we like to think of him as ‘the man who can’.
Having spent many years working in ad-land (leading the accounts of some of the worlds most famous brands) Rich decided it was time to direct his creative talent towards something he felt genuinely passionate about (not that he didn’t feel passionate about deodorant and washing powder of course). Fortunately for us, his real passion just happened to be meditation.
Things you might not know about Rich...
Rich is a massive fan of off-piste skiing, and is hoping to add the Himalayas to his list of conquests in 2012. Away from the slopes, Rich was featured in the Top 100 influential media people in the UK. But we love him more for his commitment to the powder.
Shona is our all-round team ringleader. She makes sure that everyone’s a happy Headspacer, and that everything’s happening at the right time and in the right way. After a law degree at Oxford University, (where she decided that a future of books was just not for her!), she spent many years as a busy, jet setting Events Producer, working with some big blue chip clients across the globe. Shona was passionate to find the missing link; the key to sustaining a busy and fast paced lifestyle in this day and age. She did. And mindfulness did the trick. So now the passion is to spread the message; finding the perfect practical Headspace solution for everyone.
Things you might not know about Shona…
Shona's a dab hand with a machete. She spent 2 months living in the jungle in Belize in nothing but a hammock strung between 2 trees. If you need someone who can make a fire from 2 sticks, teach you to wash in a puddle or walk in the dark, she's your girl.
With her firsthand experience of the incredibly awesome effects of meditation, when joining Headspace Maria did everything and anything to help the project grow. She has been around since the start and has seen her role develop into handling many of the digital bits and pieces that make Headspace tick. With her background in charity work she is also heading up the Headspace foundation, aiming to help those who need it most around the world.
Things you might not know about Maz...
Her other passion being music, sings in an acoustic 90’s rnb band. She knows all the words (including the rap-bit) to Montell Jordan’s ‘This is how we do it’ and is not afraid to let anyone know.
Louise is the newest member of The Headspace team, and was a very welcome addition indeed!
As our super sparky, eye on the ball project manager she goes through everything we do here at Headspace HQ with a fine toothcomb. With a meticulous eye for detail and her head wrapped around the Headspace brand, she deals with all sorts; from replying to your lovely emails, to being the voice of reason with our strategy plans.
She also gives the best hugs. Fact.
Things you might not know about Lou...
Louise has been playing the piano since aged 6. Having had a passion for music from a young age, she composed her first piece at age 8 and has since written several pieces. She also recently jumped the highest bungee jump in the world!
Nick is our resident geek (geek-chic, he likes to think) and heads up our scientific research. He manages our collaborative research projects with universities and brings the science of mindfulness to the public.
He really is a geek - he graduated in physics, moved into financial mathematics and worked as an actuary in investment consulting for 9 years.
It all changed when he went on a 3 month meditation retreat and lent his brain to neuroscientists for probing - it was never the same again. He gave up corporate life to retrain in positive psychology and cognitive science and now works to extract pearls of wisdom lost in academic papers into practical advice for the everyday person.
Things you might not know about Nick....
At age 9, he reached the pinnacle of his career, when life-size cardboard cut-outs of him as a tennis champ were placed in schools around the country to promote sport.
Jim is our resident creative design genius. Having worked on some of the
biggest brands in the World he decided that he would use his illustration
skills to try and take Headspace to the next level. Jim was responsible
for our colour palette, all our animations (with help from the brilliant
Kwok Fung Lam) and more importantly the Mr Brain character. Who if you
haven't noticed yet, has appeared as a pimp, a weight lifter, a pilot,
Sherlock Holmes and an evil genius. Who said meditation wasn't fun. He is
also the most dedicated and hard working guy you will ever meet. Jim we
salute you.
Things you might not know about Jim...
He has a young son called Finn, who is only 5 but is already far smarter than him. His nick name is "TheBlets", he is greek with a South African accent and he used to be good at golf. He also has the loveliest family known to man, including Barney the
dog.
Anna Charity is the Headspace illustrator extraordinaire. She is a London-based designer who specialises in all things digital and is the proud parent of the animated Headspace family members dotted around the Headspace website. Anna's many other skills encompass art direction, animation, app design, game design and facebook campaigns - wowsers!
Things you might not know about Anna...
Although she might not agree, we think Anna's true talents lie with the many voices she creates for her characters she is working. Truly varied and completely ridiculous, we are still trying to think of a way to include these on our site!
Lucinda is an Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist. She’s also one of the fittest people you’re ever likely to meet! Sure, she has lots of fancy letters after her name, but we love her for her down to earth attitude, and her ability to make health and wellbeing fun again.
Formally a competitive athlete, Lucinda has spent the past 10 years specialising in the fields of strength conditioning, corrective exercise, and dietary advice. But with a passion for meditation, she’s now using her expertise to help us out with some very exciting new projects for 2012.
Things you might not know about Lucinda...
Although she’s unlikely to tell you about it, Lucinda competed in both running and cycling for Great Britain and came 5th in the World Championships in 2007. Oh, and she also just happens to be the fiance of our very own Andy!