Kresse Wesling CBE

Kresse Wesling CBE is a Canadian entrepreneur, sustainability leader, and regenerative business pioneer, recognised globally for transforming waste into luxury. She is the co-founder of Elvis & Kresse, an award-winning accessories brand launched in 2005 which rescues and transforms decommissioned fire-hose into innovative lifestyle products and donates 50% of profits to The Fire Fighters Charity. The company now collects over 12 different waste streams, has saved over 315 tonnes of material from landfill, and donated more than £449,000.00 to its charity partners. ​Kresse’s pioneering work in sustainable design and circular economy innovation has earned widespread recognition: she was awarded an MBE in 2013, a CBE in 2021, was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and in 2025 she won an Impact Award from the Cartier Women’s Initiative for her long-term commitment to preserving the planet. Kresse lectures at institutions including the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership and Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where she also served as Entrepreneur in Residence. In 2021, Elvis & Kresse moved everything to a farm to operate regeneratively; to redesign the business ensuring that it gives exponentially more than it takes. This looks like a wetland system that cleans more water than the company uses, a straw bale workshop that generates its own renewable energy, and a chemistry free vineyard which puts soil first, fosters biodiversity and sequesters carbon. Beyond Elvis & Kresse, she serves on several boards and advisory panels, working with businesses and policymakers to advance regenerative systems that restore natural resources and create long-term value.