Ren Fernando

Co-Founder, ReLove

Ren Fernando is an architect, artist, and Co-Founder of ReLove. Together with her Co-Founder, Ben Stammer, she founded ReLove in response to a surge in domestic and family violence during COVID. With a background in sustainable architecture and a deep commitment to social and environmental change, Ren recognised an opportunity to tackle furniture waste while helping people in crisis create safe, fully furnished homes.

ReLove has created a free furniture store for women impacted by domestic violence and homelessness where they can choose great-quality furniture, household goods and all the furnishings that they need to start again. ReLove then delivers everything within the next couple of days and helps to set up the client’s new home to ensure that the transition out of crisis is as stress-free as possible.

ReLove currently partners with over 55 charities that refer people in crisis to ReLove when they access safe housing. In the last twelve months, ReLove furnished the homes of 780 families (including 1200 children) of women and children impacted by domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness.

Ren was a 2023 Snow Entrepreneur and AMP Tomorrow Maker, Finalist Marie Claire Woman of the Year Eco Warrior, 2023 NSW Local Woman of the Year, Maroubra and 2021 Westfield Local Hero. ReLove was the winner of the 2023 Tomorrow Awards Change maker of the Year.

Ben Stammer

Co-Founder, ReLove

Ben Stammer is a former finance professional with a passion for social entrepreneurship. Ben Co-Founded ReLove in 2020 with Ren Fernando. ReLove is a charity providing high-quality preloved furniture and household items at scale to women and children impacted by family violence and people experiencing homelessness. Ben also co-runs a private debt funds management business, advises Indigenous-run businesses about access to loan capital and is a non-executive board member. Prior to ReLove, Ben was a banker with Deutsche Bank/Bankers Trust for 25 years.