Elissa Knowles
Meet Elissa 👋
Role: Operations Assistant
Background: BSc in Psychology, Project & Communications Officer, Marketing Executive
First-hand experience: Living in & working from a campervan, converting a campervan
Areas of expertise: Strategic operations · Customer support · Environmental psychology · Sustainable living · Remote work workflows
Experience and expertise
Elissa uses her background in psychology and her personal experience living off-grid to keep our daily operations running smoothly. After studying Environmental Psychology at university, she worked as a Project & Communications Officer for a climate charity that helped people upgrade their homes to be more energy-efficient and eco-friendly. She later handled corporate marketing schedules before joining Nohma, where she now looks after the day-to-day team workflows and support systems that help our business run efficiently. Her role brings together smart project planning, clear organisation, and practical, everyday knowledge of van life.
Personal story
Before city-life could really take a hold on Elissa, her mother whisked her away to the gorgeous rural landscapes of the Lake District and the life it has to offer - she hasn’t looked back since. Growing up, the two of them would explore the Lakes and hike to their hearts content, whilst also spending as much time as possible wild-water swimming, or horse-riding, and using their spare time to reconnect with nature. This upbringing transformed Elissa’s outlook on life, and more specifically the natural environment; she has since been a huge environmental activist and does whatever she can, wherever she can, to reduce her footprint.
Elissa spent her younger years completely infatuated with education and excelling in school. She revelled in the organisation and buffet-style variation of classes. When it came to picking a subject to specialise in, Elissa needed something that would incorporate everything: maths, english, and science, while still allowing her creativity to flourish. Naturally, this is where she found Psychology.
At 18, she moved across to the city of York and began university there, transitioning from the rural countryside to a bustling city that was just big enough (but not too big). Like a deer in the headlights, she delved into her Bachelors of Psychology degree and loved every minute of it (despite her first year being somewhat disoriented by COVID-19). Her outgoing personality helped her make friends despite the bumpy start, and she spent 3 glorious years falling in love with York and the neighbouring Yorkshire landscape. Naturally, Elissa developed a strong love for Environmental Psychology and used her freedom in her 3rd year of university to hone her knowledge, eventually writing a final dissertation on: The Psychological Distance of Climate Change (and its effects on activism).
After graduation, Elissa moved around the UK following work and trying to find herself in the midst of it all. She landed herself a position as a Project & Communications Officer in the south of England, with a climate-conscious charity who championed the eco retrofitting of homes for both the residents and the planet. Natural progression led her to taking on a more marketing focused role for a large tech distribution company, with a strict 9-5 office routine in the north of England. Over the last couple years, Elissa, Olivia and Kika spent much of their holidays travelling around the UK in a tent, taking on both the NC500 and a full circuit of the South West. On returning home however, despite their new-found love of the city of Liverpool, Elissa found herself thoroughly burnt out from living in back-to-back cities, and desperately needed a change of pace.
So in the summer of 2026, Elissa, her partner, and her dog threw caution to the wind and started planning for life on the road. They sold 90% of their belongings, poured hours into figuring out their finances, and despite every hurdle, they finally bought a long wheelbase Peugeot Boxer. Around the same time, Elissa was able to leave her corporate 9-5 and join us here at Nohma! Her eco-conscious mindset, organisational skills and excellent communication are invaluable to our team. Aside from being able to provide Elissa with the remote and flexible working pattern that van-life requires, we were also able support on the electrical side whilst her van was with the conversion company - a win-win! One day they hope to build their own van from scratch when the time is right, as they will 100% be using Nohma for their next electrical system. Thinking of doing the same? Get our experts to design your bespoke electrical system, supplied as a complete kit.
Campervan electrics leaving you confused?
Back in nature, Elissa is spending her time travelling the UK, mostly drawn towards her celtic ancestry in Scotland, Wales, and the South West, whilst Olivia picks up various seasonal jobs. They make sure to say hello to as many horses and dogs, or any animal for that matter, along the way as possible! To unwind, Elissa adores a variety of things: a good book series, a long yoga session, some new music, time out on the paddle board or swimming, cooking and trying new food, or reconnecting with her spiritual side. She also continues to enjoy learning new things, which is great because there is so much to know about van-life electrics, and she has very nearly finished reading our Van Conversion Bible from front to back! If you need any technical support, please do not hesitate to reach out, as she is more than capable of helping with any questions you may have!
Since starting van-life, Elissa’s passion for an environmentally friendly lifestyle has only grown stronger, and she encourages everyone to reduce their footprint wherever possible! Their ginormous 668Ah battery paired with 450W of solar and a 50A DC-DC charger has allowed for a consistently off-grid lifestyle, and they couldn’t be happier for it! The pair also strictly use eco-friendly products, shop second-hand, and reduce their waste as much as possible.
Working for Nohma has completely opened up my world. Between remote working and flexible hours, we are able to live our lives to the fullest. The team here is absolutely fantastic, and I am finding so much joy in helping other people reconnect with nature through their own off-grid systems!”
Elissa Knowles, Operations Assistant
Fun fact about Elissa: she has something called synaesthesia! This means all the numbers and letters in her head have designated colours, and sometimes even tastes - she’s aware of how mad this sounds.
