My research focuses on innovative collaborative practices that can foster the transition to more creative, equitable, and regenerative societies. I have studied 'new organizational forms' like impact hubs, open source communities, coworking spaces, and living labs, to answer the question: How can unusual alliances between businesses, communities, policymakers, startups, and universities connect technological, social, and environmental innovation?
I am an Affiliate of the Discipline of Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Sydney Business School and a Visiting Scholar at the Research Institute for Urban Management and Governance at WU Vienna. Within the team science platform, Organizing Social Transformation at VU Amsterdam, I am researching how urban living labs and innovation precincts can serve as incubators for ecosystem business models that account for plural value creation.
Theoretically, I focus on how relational, place-based, and atmospheric dynamics influence collaborative governance. I am especially interested in how the lost art of community-driven business or 'commoning' is rejuvenated in today's energy communities, food and housing co-ops, open source projects, and steward-owned businesses.
Combining my passions for organizational ethnography and participatory facilitation, I employ co-design as a research methodology. Together with colleagues, I create serious games and co-creative workshops that serve as both research tools and practical instruments for project teams. Beyond the ivory tower, I work as a consultant and trainer around creative leadership and collaboration design. My pedagogy combines arts-based methods, serious play, and adult development theory to foster creativity and responsible innovation.
