TRANSCRIPT: The Impact Files Podcast – Introducing podcast co-host Ruth Davis
Ned Wells: Welcome to season two of The Impact Files.
When I was planning the podcast, somebody – and I wish I could remember who – recommended that I have a co-host, because this turns episodes from being a question-and-answer session into more of a chat, with the three of us interacting in a much nicer way.
So I’d love to introduce you to my season two co-host, Ruth Davis. Ruth is co-founder of Oxygen, a creative agency and B Corp based in Oxford, and we met through People Planet Pint. Ruth, it’s lovely to have you here.
Ruth Davis: Thanks, Ned, and thanks for having me on The Impact Files – it’s so exciting.
Ned Wells: So, Ruth, tell me about Oxygen. What sort of work do you do?
Ruth Davis: Yeah, of course. As you mentioned, we’re a creative agency, and we work with purpose-led organisations – charities and other B Corps – on things like brand, graphic design and websites. Initially we did a lot of brand and graphic design work, but we’ve now created a bit of a niche for ourselves in the low-carbon web design space. That’s something we were really drawn to as a team once we became aware of the massive carbon footprint of the internet.
We work with other B Corps – names like Charity People and Philosophy Consulting – and small charities, especially quite a few working with young people and in the care space. We also work with some international charities, like Spark the Journey in the US and the Uganda School Project.
Ned Wells: And it’s quite a young business, isn’t it? What’s the origin story for Oxygen?
Ruth Davis: Yeah, it’s really interesting, actually. We were originally the marketing team within a business called Oxford HR. They’re a leadership consultancy based in Oxford, and they specialise in executive search, succession planning and leadership development, but only for the global purpose-led sector – again, including charities, purpose-led businesses and UN agencies.
We were doing the marketing and communications for them, often in the brand style of the client organisations – organisations like WWF, Médecins Sans Frontières, Greenpeace and UNAIDS. We were getting really great feedback from those clients, so we approached the CEO of Oxford HR about adding design as a service to what Oxford HR was doing, and he was really supportive.
It took off, and we’ve really grown. That was in 2020, and at the end of 2024 the time was right for us to become an independent agency.
Ned Wells: And you were saying it’s been quite a collaborative, nice process of morphing from being the design team within a business into your own standalone team.
Ruth Davis: Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s quite a unique situation. A lot of agencies have to stand on their own two feet straight away, and we’ve been a bit more sheltered than that. We were spending maybe 20% of our time on Oxygen and 80% on Oxford HR, and it grew and grew until it was probably 50-50 at the moment we decided to become independent. Oxford HR is actually one of our clients now as well, so it’s a really good working relationship.
Ned Wells: Oh, cool! So that explains to our audience the design and communications side of your skills. What about the sustainability side? Where does that come from?
Ruth Davis: It comes from a few places, really. After doing my undergraduate degree at the LSE, I saw a lot of classmates moving into the corporate world – going into graduate schemes at big banks and in government – and I knew that wasn’t a path I wanted to take. Although at the time, that made me feel lost, rather than feeling I was in a good space. I also knew I didn’t want to be in London, so I was exploring the idea of using my time for good, and that’s actually how I found Oxford HR – by looking at charity and Oxford.
Ned Wells: And what was your first degree in?
Ruth Davis: It was actually in international history, purely because a careers adviser told me it would keep my options open – although I now wish it had narrowed them down slightly.
Ned Wells: Okay. And did you go on from that to do a master’s?
Ruth Davis: No, not initially. I was working with Oxford HR for a couple of years after university, with the charity clients they work with. Obviously I was aware of the climate crisis, but when you work with those NGOs, you really see how it’s affecting other countries. A colleague once said to me that every job is a climate job, which was a saying I really loved.
After I’d been there a couple of years, Oxford HR were also exploring the idea of becoming a B Corp. I didn’t really know much about it at all, apart from maybe recognising the logo, and fortunately I was able to be involved in their B Corp process, which I found fascinating.
In the back of my mind, I always knew I wanted to continue my education – I call myself a bit of a sponge, in that I like to absorb as much information as possible. So once I’d done the B Corp work and thought, actually, maybe this is something I’m interested in, I found a master’s degree at the University of Sussex that was fully remote, so I could do it part-time alongside work.
It was a really great course. It covered everything from business supply chains to policy, deforestation and market-based solutions, and even things like Indigenous knowledge. It was a really great global overview of the sustainability sector.
Ned Wells: Fantastic. Ruth, that’s brilliant. How can people find out more about you and Oxygen?
Ruth Davis: For Oxygen, we’re at designedbyoxygen.com. And I’m on LinkedIn – if you search Ruth Davis, and probably Oxygen, because I think there might be a few Ruth Davises, you’ll find me.
Ned Wells: Wicked. So we’re leaping into season two next, and our first episode is going to be with Josh Pittman, MD of Priory Direct. I look forward to seeing you on that in a week or so.
Ruth Davis: Yeah, thanks, Ned.
Ned Wells: Cool. Many thanks, Ruth. See you soon.
Ruth Davis: Bye.
