Wellness With Jessica Bragdon of Koala Eco on Sustainable Living, Wellbeing & Purpose-Driven Business
Jessica Bragdon is the Co-Founder of Koala Eco, an Australian wellness and sustainability brand dedicated to creating natural, plant-based products for the home and body. With a background in organisational psychology and a passion for environmental stewardship, Jessica champions the belief that wellbeing begins with the spaces we live in and the products we use every day. Her work focuses on fostering healthier homes, healthier workplaces, and a deeper connection to nature.
ABOUT
I was born in Vermont and grew up in N.H. I have a B.A. from Northeastern University and a Master’s in Organisational Psychology from Columbia University. I worked in the boutique hotel industry in NYC before relocating to Australia, where I worked for the non-profit cultural organisation FORM prior to co-founding Koala Eco with Paul Davidson.
Koala Eco creates safe, powerful, plant-based formulas for a clean home, body, and mind, using Australian essential oils. All products are packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable materials, with refillable glass options. Koala Eco supports 1% for the Planet and the Conservation Scholars Program, which takes inner-city kids and teens on whale-watching trips and teaches them about conservation, and we champion a workplace culture based on wellbeing and nature. With clear market demand, standout positioning, and a mission-driven approach, Koala Eco is redefining home care—proving that products can deliver on performance, sensory experience, and purpose.
Q: Your mantra is “More Nature, Feel Better” — and you’ve built a whole practice around ecopsychology and spending intentional time in nature. What does that actually look like in your daily life, and how do you think nature connection and what we put in our bodies work together?
A: The link between nature connection and what we put in our bodies isn’t really a link, to me. It’s the same conversation. Ecopsychology is the belief that we are part of the earth, not separate from it. So, the food we eat, the air we breathe, what we spray onto our counters and wash onto our skin — all of it is part of how we live inside the natural world, not alongside it. Our nervous system responds to being outdoors. Trees release compounds — phytoncides — that measurably raise immune activity in people who walk among them. Hospital patients with a view of trees have been shown in studies to recover faster. What Richard Louv called nature-deficit disorder is the slow, accumulating cost of separating ourselves from all of that.
Q: Who in your life (or beyond it) inspires you most right now, and why?
A: My boys, Emerson and Arthur. Nature. If we care for nature, nature cares for us — that’s why Koala Eco’s giveback sits at the company’s core: 1% for the Planet, The Oceanic Society, Repurpose, and the Scholars Program. Paul and the team. Paul and I have built this company side by side, and with an incredible team.
Q: A morning (or nightly) ritual you swear by?
A: I run with my dog Matilda before the day starts. Pilates twice a week.
Q: What’s your favorite Juna product and how do you incorporate it into your everyday routine?
A: The digestive enzymes and the gut therapy make a difference in my mood and energy.
Q: What’s a wellness trend or practice you’ve tried recently that you love?
A: Honestly, none of the trends. What I keep coming back to is the unglamorous list. A good diet. Movement most days. Time outside. Wellness should be about mental and physical health.
Q: What’s your go-to meal or snack when you need something healthy and quick?
A: Apple — eaten at my desk or on the move.
Follow the Koala Eco journey and learn more:
Website: koalaeco.com
Instagram: @koalaeco
TikTok: @koalaeco
Substack: koalaeco.substack.com
