Meet Sustaira: Richard Loupatty – Building Technology for a More Sustainable Future
At Sustaira, we're bringing together talented people who believe technology can help solve some of the world's biggest sustainability challenges. Today, we're excited to introduce Richard Loupatty, our new Mendix Developer and Senior Mendix Consultant.
Richard brings decades of experience in software development, a passion for technology, and a strong personal connection to community, culture, and the next generation. We sat down with Richard to learn more about his background, what drew him to Sustaira, and why he believes sustainability is about much more than the environment.
Where do you call home?
Home is where I can be myself.
For me, that is Alphen aan den Rijn, where there is a strong Moluccan community. There are 92 houses there, built in the 1960s for the first generation of Moluccans who came to the Netherlands in the early 1950s. Many of them had served as soldiers in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, the KNIL.
That community is home to me. It is a place where I can speak my own language, celebrate our cultural traditions, and help organize events that keep our community and culture alive.
But being in the Moluccas gives me the ultimate feeling of being home.
What drew you to Sustaira?
Having children, and now grandchildren, makes you realize that there is more to life than just work.
It is about caring. It is about cleaning up your mess and not leaving it behind for your children and grandchildren to deal with.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work on projects with a social purpose. Those experiences made me realize how meaningful that work can be, and eventually led me to join an organization with that same sense of purpose.
What’s your role at Sustaira, and what excites you about it?
I am a Mendix Developer, so I will join the Developers team and work on the Sustaira Sustainability Platform.
I will also be available as a Senior Mendix Consultant.
The software development itself is not new to me. What makes this opportunity exciting is the sustainability domain. Being able to apply the skills I have developed throughout my career to something that has a meaningful impact is what really motivates me.
What does sustainability mean to you, personally?
When you hear the word sustainability, you immediately think about the environment. But for me, it is not only about the environment.
It is also about people, culture, and community. It is about preserving what matters, passing it on to the next generation, and making sure that what we do today still has meaning tomorrow.
It is also about giving people who are less fortunate a chance.
What opportunities do you see for technology, particularly Low Code, to accelerate sustainability goals?
We need to make it visible to everyone where we are heading with our environment, especially when we become too focused on the details and lose sight of the bigger picture.
Technology can help us do that. It can bring insights quickly and directly to people, companies, and leaders, making us more aware of what is happening in the world around us.
Low Code can play an important role because it allows us to turn those ideas and insights into practical solutions more quickly, while adapting them to the needs of the people who actually use them.
Tell us a little about yourself. What are some fun facts or things people might not expect?
When I was seventeen, I wanted to become a professional musician, but my parents were not very enthusiastic about that. So, school it was.
At the same time, IT was on the rise. It was new, exciting, and futuristic, and I wanted to be part of it. That is when I knew I wanted to become a software developer.
So, at the end of the seventies, I took my first steps into IT, but I also started my first band. And to this day, 40 years later, music and software development have always gone hand in hand in my life.
So one day, I will connect these two passions by building “a musical something” of my own, simply for the love of music.
We're delighted to welcome Richard to the Sustaira team. His extensive experience in software development, expertise in Mendix, and personal commitment to creating a better future will be a valuable addition as we continue building technology that helps organizations turn sustainability ambitions into action.
Welcome to the team, Richard!
