What Bold Donut Is All About
Bold Donut is on a mission to scale climate engagement and impact through gamification. Forget the usual “doom and gloom” approach. Instead, they capture attention actively, bring joy rather than anxiety, and empower people instead of overwhelming them. It’s about making sustainability something people want to be part of, not something they dread.
The Main Benefits of Bold Donut’s Approach
Here’s what makes Bold Donut stand out:
- Games inspired by Candy Crush, a style downloaded over 2 billion times, making them accessible and fun across all demographics.
- Two customisable digital games launched: one focusing on waste segregation and the other on energy use.
- Our Waste Game helps players learn what goes in which bin, giving instant feedback and making a “boring” topic actually engaging.
- Our Energy Game educates on home energy use, demand flexibility, and grid-friendly behaviours with fun, interactive mechanics.
- Licensed to organisations aiming to engage employees, students, or customers on sustainability topics.
- Part of Ireland’s national waste campaign and used by banks, universities, and consultancies for employee engagement.
- Partnered with ESB Networks in 2024 to boost energy literacy and demand response participation across Irish households.
The Story Behind Bold Donut
Bold Donut was founded by Nathan and Kate. Nathan’s initial spark came from exploring how demand flexibility campaigns could shift energy customer behaviours. From there, they realized the need to frame climate action in a more positive, engaging way. Digital games, especially those like Candy Crush, seemed like the perfect medium — easy to pick up, fun, and played by millions worldwide. So, they set out to create games that make sustainability approachable and enjoyable.
Who Benefits from Bold Donut’s Games?
The games are designed for Sustainability and Marketing professionals looking for fresh, exciting ways to get their audiences on board with climate-friendly behaviours. Whether it’s a Sustainability Manager wanting an employee engagement tool or a Marketing Manager aiming to connect with electricity customers, Bold Donut’s games offer a meaningful, customizable solution. Their clients range from government bodies and grid operators to banks, consultancies, universities, and colleges.
The Team Powering Bold Donut
Kate Williams, Co-founder & CEO, brings a business generalist’s touch with a background in sales, operations, and go-to-market strategy. With an MBA from London and a Sustainability qualification from the Green Business Council, she leads sales, marketing, and contributes to game design and visuals. Nathan Cruz Coulson, Co-founder & CTO, is a technologist with a MSc in Data Science. He’s got experience in enterprise software, AI ethics, and gamified sustainability applications. Nathan handles the design and development of the games and the data platform behind them.
Bold Donut’s Impact on Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy — through educating on energy use and demand flexibility.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities — by promoting responsible waste segregation and reuse.
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production — encouraging better waste management behaviours.
- SDG 13: Climate Action — empowering people to take positive steps towards sustainability.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals — collaborating with organisations like ESB Networks and national campaigns.
Looking Ahead with Bold Donut
Bold Donut continues to explore new ways to make sustainability engaging and fun. Their games are more than just tools; they’re experiences designed to shift behaviours and build lasting climate engagement. Interested in a sustainability topic not yet covered? They’re open to conversations and collaborations, always ready to innovate and inspire. Because when it comes to climate action, a little fun goes a long way.
