Reimagining the way we stay for a sustainable and inclusive future.
Photo Credit: Destination NSW
About Heartful
Heartful is a new, short-term accommodation platform for conscious hosts and guests. In layman's terms, people who give a s**t about other people and the planet.
We believe the time has come to manage and equip short-term accommodation in ways that better reflect our human diversity and differing needs while respecting and enhancing the natural environment.
We believe hosting should always be a force for good, aiming to enrich, showcase and support those in the communities in which we operate rather than take away from them.
Fundamentally, we believe everyone should have the ability to get away in comfort and style, regardless of their individual background or circumstances.
We're striving for a tourism sector where everyone is truly welcome.
Our Story
On the back of her top ranking podcast, Hosting With Heart, and the Australian accommodation directory of the same name, Heartful was founded in 2023 by social impact entrepreneur, professional designer and former short-term accommodation host Jen Clark.
Jen, a Macedon Ranges, Victoria local who lives with multiple disabilities and is a member of the LGBTIQ community, has spent over 25 years in the graphic and digital design sector, including 4 years leading the interactive design team at one of Australia’s largest online directories businesses, Sensis.
She was a finalist in the 2008 Telstra Business Awards and was also nominated for the Telstra Business Woman of the Year award in multiple years from 2008 to 2011.
Via her 13-year-old design practice, Jen Clark Design, she won the Australian Web Industry Association’s ‘Best Startup Website’ award in 2017, arming her with the technical skills and practical experience needed to oversee the build of a highly complex digital platform like Heartful.
In late 2023, Jen successfully spearheaded a Birchal equity crowdfunding campaign, raising $132,000 from over 130 investors to bring Heartful to fruition.
As someone committed to real action on climate change and to helping create a more accessible, inclusive world, Jen cannot wait to see Heartful grow and emerge as the accommodation booking platform of choice for conscious travellers and hosts alike.
