Matteo Volani, Co-Founder of not so creative, is a marketing strategist and entrepreneur with a passion for combining creativity, culture, and sustainability.
Born and raised in northern Italy, Matteo’s picturesque but quiet hometown fuelled his desire to explore the world from a young age. His journey took him from studying business in Milan to discovering his creative calling in Venice, where he pursued a degree in arts and cultural management. Matteo’s early career highlights include working with Red Bull, where he honed his skills in brand marketing and developed a deep understanding of the power of storytelling in connecting brands with people.
Driven by a desire to explore beyond Europe, Matteo moved to India, where he managed a co-working space and launched his first startup. This experience, coupled with roles in Rotterdam and Berlin, shaped his entrepreneurial spirit and laid the foundation for his eventual move to Bali. In 2023, Matteo co-founded not so creative, Indonesia’s first and only B Corp-certified agency, dedicated to impact marketing for sustainability-focused businesses globally. With a love for juggling diverse projects and creating meaningful impact, Matteo has brought his global experience and innovative mindset to Bali, where he continues to inspire and lead in the sustainability space.
What shaped your passion for sustainability and social impact?
Two different sentiments that grew within myself. First, in my previous roles, I often felt disconnected from the products or services I was marketing. While I enjoyed the creative and branding processes, I struggled with promoting things I didn’t see as essential in the bigger picture. This disconnect made me long for work that felt meaningful—something that positively impacted people and the planet, leaving me proud of how I spent my time.
The second turning point was the birth of my daughter in June 2021. Her arrival amplified my awareness of the challenges facing the world and deepened my desire to create something impactful. It also pushed me to rethink my professional path. I proposed the idea of an impact marketing and strategy studio to my wife, a talented professional whose project management and HR expertise perfectly complemented my creative skills. It was the first business idea she genuinely believed in, and together we decided to make it happen.
Having experienced the failure of my first startup, I knew I would return to entrepreneurship when the time was right. Combining my drive for meaningful work with my wife’s support, we built a business focused on tangible, positive outcomes for the world. At its core, our approach emphasises positivity over fear. Instead of focusing on doom and gloom around issues like climate change, we highlight solutions and celebrate progress—showing that there is a way forward, and it’s worth pursuing.
For those unfamiliar with not so creative, how would you introduce the studio and its mission?
not so creative is an impact marketing and strategy studio dedicated to sustainability and social impact. Our focus is on supporting startups and for-profit businesses, as we firmly believe that achieving large-scale sustainability requires integration into the economic system, rather than relying solely on charity or donations. However, we also collaborate with NGOs and passion projects that align with our mission to create positive change.
We prioritise working with businesses that have sustainability or social impact at their core. Our belief is simple: if removing the sustainability or social impact element leaves a business without purpose, it’s not a fit for us. This approach allows us to focus our efforts on entrepreneurs and organizations committed to making the world a better place, professionally and personally.
As a young studio, we’ve embraced trial and error to refine our strengths and understand how best to serve our clients. Our work focuses on three main components: brand strategy, content marketing, and creative campaigns. We help businesses define their values, craft meaningful messages, and connect with audiences through channels like social media, newsletters, SEO, and email marketing. We’ve also recently ventured into podcasting, collaborating with high-profile clients on innovative projects.
Campaigns are always a lot of fun to work on, and for us they are often an entry point for a broader collaboration. Recently, we worked with Sky Farm Island, an educational urban farming game for kids developed by MeshMind and supported by the United Nations’ Play for the Planet initiative. This project built a global community of urban farms, teaching children across cities in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America about food origins and agriculture. The campaign was shortlisted for two international awards, putting us alongside industry giants like ByteDance, Tencent, and FarmVille—a milestone we’re incredibly proud of.
Lastly, we strive to bring cutting-edge communication to sustainability. Impact businesses often use messaging that resonates only within the sustainability niche. Our mission is to make sustainability relatable and appealing to a broader audience by creating messaging that’s fresh, engaging, and universally accessible—not just for purpose-driven consumers.
Congratulations on being Indonesia’s first B Corp-certified agency! What was the journey like to achieve this, and what does it mean for your work?
We’ve been very familiar with the B Corp framework through my previous experience with &why, a B Corp certified agency based out of Munich & Berlin, for which I had the privilege of leading marketing campaigns for. This deepened my appreciation for the B Corp framework as a benchmark for companies committed to high standards in environmental, social, and worker impact. From the inception of not so creative, we were determined to align with this ethos and pursue B Corp certification.
In 2024, achieving B Corp certification was a major milestone for us, and I have to give full credit to my co-founder, Khadija Kooijmans, for her incredible work in securing the score of 103 in October. While the B Corp framework isn’t perfect and has, rightly so, faced scrutiny—particularly regarding its application to larger polluters—I still believe it’s the best and most comprehensive tool we currently have for evaluating businesses on environmental and social performance, as well as transparency.
We pursued B Corp certification because our mission is to create meaningful impact, and we wanted this to be reflected in every aspect of our work—from the clients we partner with to how we build and nurture our team. While we are dedicated and hardworking, we believe life is about more than just work. That’s something that I always felt very strongly as an employee and now as an employer, it’s crucial to foster an environment where the team feels valued, fulfilled, and aligned with a greater purpose. By prioritising trust, flexibility, ownership, and authenticity, we aim to ensure everyone can bring their whole selves to work while contributing to something bigger than themselves.
Another important factor in pursuing B Corp certification was its reputation for being exceptionally challenging to achieve. Securing it at such an early stage in our journey demonstrates our commitment as a team of committed senior professionals dedicated to making an impact through our clients. Having this certification not only reflects our values but also helps legitimise the work we do.
How does not so creative differentiate itself from other marketing and strategy studios?
What sets not so creative apart is our exclusive focus on sustainability and social impact, paired with a deep understanding of diverse impact areas. We’ve developed our own framework to explore new industries and better grasp the nuances of sustainability as we expand our client portfolio. This approach ensures we communicate effectively by understanding the core of each company’s impact and amplifying it authentically.
Every project begins with in-depth research to equip our team with the knowledge needed to highlight critical information in a positive and encouraging way. Our goal is to inspire action—prompting companies and individuals to engage without relying on fear but instead focusing on solutions and the tangible benefits of taking action.
Our marketing strategy emphasises organic growth and community building, especially for startups that often lack large media budgets. We believe long-term value comes from sustainable, community-driven efforts rather than short-term ad spending. By maintaining consistent messaging, addressing problems constructively, and showcasing impactful solutions, we help startups build a lasting competitive advantage that resonates with their audiences.
Ultimately, it’s about seeing how your work creates real-world change. For both our clients and our studio, success lies in ensuring every effort—every ounce of hard work—translates into meaningful impact, making the challenges and dedication worthwhile.
How do you stay motivated and inspired while working in a field that often tackles systemic global challenges?
It’s both a personal and team challenge when at times, our efforts can feel like just a drop in the ocean, especially in light of recent global events like the disappointing outcomes at the COP conferences and the missed opportunity for a global plastic treaty at INC5. While systemic change through government and policy is crucial, impact businesses play an essential role in bridging this gap by addressing key issues and presenting solutions. Our mission is to amplify their work, supporting them in driving the change that’s urgently needed when macro-level action falls short.
Despite the challenges, we draw a lot of our inspiration from the people we collaborate with—teams of passionate, brilliant professionals dedicating their lives to solving critical issues for our planet and society. Their commitment in turn fuels ours, reinforcing the importance of carefully choosing to work with clients who are genuinely serious about sustainability. It’s not about following a trend or improving sales; it’s about making a real, lasting impact.
What’s next for you and not so creative?
The new year is off to a strong start, with several exciting projects launching between December and January, expanding our impact areas. We’re collaborating with k-ID, a successful startup focused on internet safety for kids, alongside initiatives in impact investment and green finance. Our 2025 goals include expanding into new markets like Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia while strengthening our presence in Indonesia by supporting local businesses driving sustainability and social impact. Indonesia is home to exceptional companies and entrepreneurs making a difference, and we aim to amplify their efforts.
2025 is also set to be a year of growth for our team, with plans to bring on one or two new members to manage the growing workload and client portfolio. Additionally, we’re exploring opportunities to lead our own impact projects through grants and tenders. These initiatives will allow us to address social and environmental challenges directly, beyond supporting businesses. By leveraging our expertise, we hope to run impactful campaigns for NGOs and government programs, diversifying the ways we create meaningful change.
NOT SO CREATIVE
- LinkedIn: Matteo Lodovico Volani
- Email: matteo@notsocreative.studio
- Website: www.notsocreative.studio