About IB1

Independent, neutral,
public benefit

Making data work harder for net zero

Icebreaker One (IB1) is a UK-headquartered, neutral, public benefit non-profit company. It works to enable trusted, interoperable data sharing for private sector, public and environmental benefit. It supports the development of data infrastructure by designing and operationalising governance, trust frameworks, and policy mechanisms across sectors.

Non-profit UK-headquartered Sector-neutral Open standards CC-BY licensed

IB1’s work ensures that data is used as an asset to drive economic growth, policy effectiveness and net zero innovation. Its approach is designed to ensure open markets, transparent governance, and infrastructure that any verified organisation can use.

What we do

Governance, trust frameworks, and policy at market scale

IB1 - The time for theory is over
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What we do

Three integrated services: Constellation (connect), Icebreaking (co-design rules), Trust Services (implement at scale). Read more

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Membership

Our membership model supports collaboration and development. Free Constellation membership, paid Champion tiers, and organisational Trust Services membership. Membership options

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Icebreaker Principles

Our public statement of values for trusted data sharing: open, verifiable, pre-competitive, non-partisan. Read and endorse

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IP and licensing

All IB1 outputs are openly licensed (CC-BY or MIT). This does not apply to your IP. IP policy

Advisory Board

Independent experts advising on our mission

Advisory Board members are independent experts who advise Icebreaker One in the delivery of its mission.

Celeste Connors

Celeste Connors

Twenty years experience at the intersection of economic, environment, energy, and international development policy. Previously Director for Environment and Climate Change at the National Security Council and National Economic Council in the White House.

John Elkington

John Elkington

Award-winning world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable capitalism. Bestselling author and serial entrepreneur. Founder and chief-pollinator of Volans.

Irene Graham

Irene Graham

CEO of the ScaleUp Institute. Former senior banker at Standard Chartered Bank and Managing Director at the BBA responsible for Commercial Banking.

Volker Buscher

Volker Buscher

Founder and CEO of ds30. Experienced in developing and implementing data and digital strategies. One of 53 Arup Fellows (out of 16,000 global staff) and former global Chief Data Officer.

Baroness Bryony Worthington

Baroness Bryony Worthington

Life peer in the House of Lords. Leading expert on climate change and energy policy, instrumental to the adoption of the UK Climate Change Act. Former Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund Europe. Was part of IB1’s founding Advisory Board.

Team

Built by practitioners, not theorists

Gavin Starks

Gavin Starks

Co-founder and CEO

Founder and CEO of Icebreaker One. Founded, funded and run over a dozen organisations including as founding CEO of the Open Data Institute, Co-Chair of the Open Banking Standard, and CEO of global environmental intelligence company AMEE. Appointed Co-Chair of the UK Smart Data Council in 2024.

Gea Mikic

Gea Mikic

Co-founder and Programme Director

Leads projects focused on systems-level interventions that reduce vulnerability to disasters and protect livelihoods from climate change by changing the cultural mechanics of data sharing. Background in disasters, urban resilience, and languages with a particular interest in how we view and communicate risk.

Frank Wales

Frank Wales

CTO

Over 25 years of software development, management and innovation experience. From mission-critical systems engineering, Frank has developed products for organisations including Hewlett-Packard, Oxford University Press, and the BBC.

Emily Judson

Emily Judson

Head of Energy

Sociotechnical researcher interested in the interplay between data, technology, sustainability, and social domains. PhD explored governance of the digital energy revolution for net zero by 2050. Previously worked in international education, research and innovation policy.

Icebreaker One team offsite

A selection of team members at one of our many offsites.

Our Directors are committed to the Institute of Directors Code of Conduct for Directors and are members of both the IoD and ICAEW.

Meet the full team
Get involved

Ready to make data work harder?

Whether you want to observe, shape, or implement, there is a level that fits. Start with the free Constellation or talk to us about Icebreaking and Trust Services.

Join free at ib1.io Contact partners@ib1.org