Hi. I’m Tom. I’ve been involved in the Effective Altruism community in New Zealand (NZ) for a few years doing Community Building and other miscellaneous projects. If you’re reading this it’s probably because you’re working on making the world better and I’m interested in helping you!
If, after reading a bit more about me, you think I could add some value for you or your organisation, please get in touch over email or WhatsApp.
I am based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in Aotearoa New Zealand. While I’d consider travelling for the right role I intend to remain based here in the long run.
I am open to taking on more work in early 2025 (March-June) where there’s a good fit and where I can have a high counterfactual EV.
My ideal additional workload is 10-20 hours a week, though I may be willing to do more hours for a short-term project. I’m not particularly concerned with consistency of hours and am happy to take on work requiring flexibility.
My best work is done in collaboration and consultation with others, even if it’s just me and you collaborating on the project of You.
I am less likely to be interested in a role that is both 12+ months in duration and >20 hours a week (one of these alone may still be a good fit). Why?
I am a poor fit for solo (no team and unsupported) creative style work - I’m a professional enabler, adapter, and refiner. If you give me a blank canvas I’ll start by asking what you want on it.
I trained and worked as an Air Traffic Controller for ~6 years before pivoting in 2019 to pursue more meaningful work and a life more in line with my values. Since then I’ve been able to focus more on my volunteer work, and on fixed term projects where I can have an impact. Some of my recent roles and projects include:
I’m the Co-Lead for EAGxAustralasia 2024 (the event you’re currently attending?)
I’m currently working as an Accountability Coach for other members of my local EA community. This involves regular check-ins and discussions about habit forming, goal setting, and resources and systems that may be useful.
I’m open to taking on more coaching clients, for accountability or other forms of coaching. This will look slightly different for everyone and is dependant on us being a good fit. If you’re interested in talking about what this could look like please get in touch!
I was co-organiser for EANZ’s 2023 Summer retreats. We ran two 4-day retreats for ~45 participants, one with a focus on career decisions and one with a focus on connection & community. I have recently been re-hired to organise the 2024 Summer retreat. I also had a lead role on the programme team for the 2023 EAGx-Australia Post-Conference Retreat.
These roles have all included strategy development (theory of change), planning and logistics, establishing positive event culture, and facilitating sessions during the event.
Outward Bound Kora was a pilot outdoor-education and leadership programme for high school students.
As Kora Programme Co-ordinator I worked with a team to develop and deliver the programme to four high schools across Wellington. Core components of my role included stakeholder management, logistics, programme design and documentation, and facilitation of the programme.
RYLA 9940 is a 5-day residential course with the aim of developing community leaders aged 18-24.
My role as 2023 Programme Director included co-ordinating guest speakers, overseeing logistics, recruiting and leading the programme support team, and working closely with our lead facilitator and organising committee to plan all aspects of the programme.
After talking to people about my life management system in Notion I had several requests for a template. I put together a template version along with some explanatory notes that you can find here. While I wrote the explanations expecting anyone reading to have already talked to me, they are fairly self-explanatory. I’ve included the system here as a potentially useful demonstration of how I think and communicate.
If you’re interested and want to chat more about this system and how I use it, I’m happy to jump on a call with anyone who’s found their way to this page.
Tom was my co-organiser for the [2023] EANZ retreats. He was easy to work with and helped shape the retreats into a great experience for attendees. I appreciated his attention to detail, clear communication, and thoroughness in making sure we had everything we needed.
Sara Montgomery - EA New Zealand Community Director
Tom has been my accountability coach for the past year and a half I and have been impressed by his thoughtfulness and commitment to helping me overcome obstacles to building strong habits. He has brought a structured approach to the work and helped me to connect with the values underlying the changes I am making in my life.
Dylan C
<aside> <img src="/icons/mail_gray.svg" alt="/icons/mail_gray.svg" width="40px" /> [email protected]
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<aside> <img src="/icons/telephone_gray.svg" alt="/icons/telephone_gray.svg" width="40px" /> +64 22 633 1031 (WhatsApp)
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