Why Ecosystems United exists

For 15 years, I watched the same pattern repeat: a company gets serious about sustainability, hires consultants, buys expensive software, attends workshops… and still ends up with nothing they can actually use.

Small and mid-sized companies weren’t failing. The tools were failing them.

Most solutions were built for large enterprises, then awkwardly “downsized” for teams of 10–250 people. The result? Confusion, dependencies, and systems no one has time to maintain.

SMEs don’t need more theory. They need usable tools — the kind that work the way normal business software works: practical, affordable, and immediately understandable.

In 2025, I built Ecosystems United to close that gap by removing complexity, not adding it.

What makes Ecosystems United different

• Tools, not dependencies: You get templates and frameworks you can actually run yourself. If you need us forever, we’ve failed.
• Excel-first: Everything works in Excel or Google Sheets. No new platform, no lock-in.
• Built for SMEs: Designed for teams where “the ESG person” also has ten other responsibilities.
• Plain language: No PhD required. Just clear instructions and honest options like “not yet” and “work in progress.”

The Five Stacks Framework™

Sustainability only works when it strengthens the business. The Five Stacks Framework™ translates sustainability into a sequence of practical, value-building steps — each one improving your operations before you move to the next.

Stack 1 – CSRD / Data Foundation
Build clarity, not chaos. Set the core metrics that show where you are today and what matters most.

Stack 2 – Operational Efficiency
Use your new visibility to cut waste, reduce costs, and streamline workflows. This is where most SMEs see the fastest wins.

Stack 3 – Circular Value Creation
Turn process losses, by-products, and waste streams into value streams. What used to cost money now earns or saves you money.

Stack 4 – Operational Resilience
Strengthen your supply chain and operations against environmental, economic, or regulatory shocks. Build systems that bend without breaking.

Stack 5 – Regenerative Operations
Move beyond maintenance into improvement. Build operations that compound in value over time — your moat and your margin.

Together, the stacks turn sustainability from a reporting exercise into a business advantage.

About Cat Yeldi

I’m Cat Yeldi — systems designer, sustainability strategist, and the founder of Ecosystems United.

I’ve spent more than 15 years building the operational systems that make organizations run better — and the sustainability systems that make them future-proof. With a Master’s in Natural Resource Management and a long career in operations, I’ve seen what actually works in the real world versus what only works on stage at a conference.

Much of my career has been about designing systems so effective they eventually run without me. That’s the point: good systems reduce friction, dependencies, and uncertainty. Sustainability is no different.

The Five Stacks Framework™ grew out of watching real companies succeed by:

• Treating CSRD as a data foundation, not a burden
• Using metrics to find efficiency and cost savings
• Turning waste into value
• Building resilient operations and supply chains
• Implementing sustainable processes that improve over time

Based in Germany. Working with tech, consumer goods, agriculture, and food companies across Europe.

My belief is simple: sustainability initiatives that don’t deliver business value will not survive. We help companies build the systems that do.

Ready to get started?

Pick the next step that fits where you are today.

The 3% who deliver results aren’t luckier than the 67% who set goals.
They just have better tools.