"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."— Nelson Mandela

With a successful career in education, including classroom teaching and school leadership, Kath Long has lived this ethos throughout her professional life. After years of inspiring young minds to think critically about the planet and sustainability, Kath is now finding new ways to make a difference—beyond the school gates.

A commitment to building their own sustainable line-fishing company led Kath and her husband Tom to the natural beauty of Far North Queensland. While continuing to teach, Kath played a key role in growing TomKat Line Fish—a purpose-driven business focused on ethical, environmentally conscious practices operating on the outer reefs of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.

But the story didn’t stop there. Frustrated by the wasteful, environmentally harmful packaging used in seafood transport, Kath’s focus expanded. She and Tom began exploring alternatives to polystyrene—and from that, the TomKat KoolPak was born. A sustainable, reusable solution, the KoolPak became the foundation of TomKat Global Solutions, co-founded by Kath and Tom.

As CEO, Kath takes a hands-on approach to advancing the company’s mission: accelerating the transition from linear to circular systems in packaging, and proving that sustainable design can be good for business, the planet, and people. Drawing on her background in education, she continues to advocate for responsible packaging solutions, reduced food and packaging waste, and a more sustainable global food supply chain.

Having inspired over a thousand future changemakers, Kath remains deeply committed to the belief that education leads to action—and that action can change the world.