Garrett Stoll
Whether knee deep in the Snake river or immersed in the Colorado landscape, Garrett, who is celebrating six years with 3Keel, loves the great outdoors of the USA.
The Basics
Name Garrett Stoll
Job title Consultant
Practice area Resilient Agriculture
Lives Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Qualifications BS in geology (University of Colorado), MA in sustainability management (University of Colorado)
How long have you worked for 3Keel now?
I started as an independent contractor with 3Keel in 2017. From 2018 to 2020, I took on only a handful of 3Keel projects while I was completing a masters in sustainability management. Following my graduation, I returned full time as a contractor, until I was able to join the company as a full-fledged employee in early 2021. I’m based in the USA and work with clients all over the world.
What are the biggest changes you’ve noticed in the organisation since you joined?
The organisation has changed hugely since I’ve joined. I’ve been privileged to witness 3Keel move from a single small office in Oxford housing fewer than 10 employees to the burgeoning organisation it is now. Though I saw relatively little of the day-to-day management as a remote contractor, it has been thrilling to see 3Keel mature and grow. One of the real highlights was in 2019 when the Financial Times named 3Keel as a Leading Management Consultant for Sustainability the first time.
Has your role changed? If so, how? If you are still doing the same role, what has changed most for you since you joined, in terms of the clients you’re working with, the team you’re in, the work you are doing?
My role has changed considerably over the years. My very earliest work was focused on sustainable commodities, but since then I have been able to work all over the business. As a contractor, I was less specialised in any one practice area, so I have worked on topics ranging from packaging waste, palm oil supply chains, net zero roadmaps and more. It’s been hugely rewarding to learn different skills and subject areas from some of the most knowledgeable people in the field.
As a consultant with 3Keel, I’ve been thrilled to find a home in the Resilient Agriculture practice area. One of the best changes about joining as a full-fledged employee in 2021 was joining a team of equally passionate sustainability professionals. Joining a practice area has also allowed me to focus on building a narrower – but deeper – expertise in the things I am most interested in. Much of my work in Resilient Agriculture currently centres on managing ecosystem services (like carbon sequestration) in working lands, as well as navigating the associated analytical requirements around verifying and accounting for land management outcomes.
Tell me about one of the projects you’re currently working on?
I spend a lot of my time developing monitoring, reporting and verification capabilities for 3Keel’s Landscape Enterprise Networks programme. I’m part of a small team that is creating a system for measuring how investments in farm resilience translate to verifiable outcomes that can be reported by funding partners. Because the approaches to translating landscape outcomes into robust reportable data are so nascent, it really feels like we are making meaningful progress on a critical issue.
What do you like most about working for 3Keel?
I’m never more satisfied than when I am learning new things, and my work at 3Keel absolutely depends on seeking out and distilling complex information. I love that every day, I get to challenge myself with creative problem solving and ideation. My work is never monotonous. Not only do new projects require me to develop new skills, but the sustainability field is constantly expanding.
Who or what inspired you to work in sustainability?
My work in sustainability was inspired by my upbringing in a small rural town in the mountains of Colorado. Spending much of my time outdoors instilled in me a deep curiosity for how all kinds of natural systems work and interact. This inspired me to study geology at university, but it wasn’t until starting at 3Keel that I found the right professional outlet for this passion. I hope that my work in the sustainability field is helping in some small way to preserve and restore the interlinked natural systems I still cherish.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
Outdoor recreation is one of my favourite outlets. Since developing a physical disability about four years ago, I have been less able to participate in hobbies like mountain biking, trail running and mountaineering. However, I’ve more recently renewed my connection to the great outdoors through fly fishing. I sincerely love wading into an isolated mountain stream and (often unsuccessfully) attempting to outsmart a trout. Though, any I am lucky enough to snag get released right back into the water.