People...

With over 20 years of experience in innovation, strategic design, research, community engagement and development Rowan in TbD’s visionary and ultimate polymath.

Rowan is CEO but still firmly a practitioner, often rolling her sleeves up to design, experiment, advise and curate teams that will lead to lasting transformation. Rowan is also deputy director of the new Just Transition Finance Lab at the London School of Economics, visiting Professor of Strategic Design at UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and associate faculty at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University and a Non-Executive Director at Live Work. She worked with Professor Mariana Mazzucato to lead the Mission Oriented Innovation Network, convening global policy-making institutions in a range of exploratory design projects focused on mission-oriented innovation and public value creation. Rowan was Director of Innovation at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and was part of the Design Team for London 2012 Olympic Park. She holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath and is a PhD Candidate at IIPP.

Shiza is a versatile researcher and multidisciplinary creative, beginning her journey in design policy at Policy Connect and consequently led the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Design and Innovation. A portfolio career means that Shiza has conducted research on community place-making and currently works with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation on The Collaborative Inquiry into Lived Experience in the Migration Sector. Shiza holds an MSc in Human Rights & Politics from London School of Economics & Political Science. Shiza is also interested in archival creative projects and has a few archival public murals dotted around South London.

Brendan's background and expertise reflect a dedication to integrating sustainable development practices and community engagement within the property sector. His educational background in Property Economics from Trinity College Dublin, coupled with an MSc in Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, equips him to address the intersection of purpose led property development, community asset management and community engagement.

He has a knack for navigating diverse stakeholders' needs while championing socially responsible development initiatives. An expert grassroots community engagement practitioner, he demonstrates an innovative approach to creating spaces that foster community well-being and cohesion.

Brendan's blend of skills acquired from his earlier career as a publican means he addresses complex challenges in the built environment while prioritising the well-being of communities.

Nicko is a psychologist and holds a master’s degree in Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value from University College London. He has led innovation and research strategies across various sectors, including public, private and academia. Nicko excels in resolving complex problems using his extensive experience and robust research toolkit. A Lego Serious Play certified facilitator, he was part of the founding team of the iCubo Institute of Interdisciplinary Innovation of the Universidad del Desarrollo.

Often found operationalising and executing the ambitious visions of colleagues and clients, Hannah has worked in the creative industries, front line in the public sector and the social impact world. Over her career, Hannah has worked at global advertising agencies (AMV BBDO, Mullen Lowe) to produce creative communications, worked as secondary school English teacher and led the business development team at The RSA. She has the experience and skills that can be pulled upon to just get stuff done. A facilitator, strategist and programme designer, she thrives on the development process - whether that be of great work or great people.

Much of Abigail’s work has been focused on working with purpose-driven businesses in urban localities, catalysing the development and sustainability of services that bring resilience, health and opportunity for all. Abigail’s experience spans across industries in consulting, service design, business development, strategy, not-for-profits, social enterprise, technology and stakeholder engagement. She is founder and managing partner of Little Bee Community and board member of Move the World.

Chris Thoung is an economist and public policy researcher interested in evidence for policymaking. He is a project manager and also the business development lead at Cambridge Econometrics, with an eye on emerging and long-term policy issues and a growing interest in robust/resilient approaches to decision making. Chris has experience in research consultancy, the public sector and think tanks covering areas including economics; health; education; energy, environment and climate change; infrastructure; and equality and human rights.

Giorgia has worked in the urban built environment for over 20 years and has gathered extensive experience of stakeholder consultation, communication and engagement particularly within the realm of regeneration and housing. She develops stakeholder management strategies and delivery plans for high-profile, multi-billion-pound public and private sector projects. Her expert strategic advice has supported large-scale regeneration programmes such as Olympic Delivery Authority, Westminster and the Houses of Parliament restoration programme, Transport for London, Highways England, and HS2. Giorgia’s methodologies communicate complex technical plans in ways that are both simple to understand and highly engaging.

Josie is a designer most interested in sustainability, manufacturing, making and economic democracy. Currently consulting for clients including Volans and thinkpublic, Josie also co-hosts the podcast Regeneration Rising alongside Dr Daniel Christian Wahl. Josie was part of the Design Council’s Design for Planet Fellowship and Head of Regenerative Design at The RSA where she co-developed and led the RSA Regenerative Futures programme, which sought to help more people understand and explore the concept of regeneration as a route to addressing our world’s social, economic and environmental crises.

Justin is a Political Economist from Los Angeles, California. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a researcher in the department of Global Studies, focusing on political transitions and energy markets in the Middle East. Justin's research primarily centres on technology, development economics, and global finance. He has presented original research including on public policy and cybersecurity at Stanford University. Outside of academia, Justin is also a marketing and strategy consultant for businesses, start-ups, and non-profits.

Laura’s work sits at the intersection of Service Design, Design Futures and Organisational Design. She is currently working for the Scottish government co-designing a decolonised, climate-conscious, non-paternalistic and trauma informed Social Security Department.  She’s picked up her skills working in the private and public sectors across justice, education, social care and healthcare in Colombia, UK and Saudi Arabia.

Nishita’s professional experience spans over a decade in strategy and operations, working across the US, UK, Asia and the Nordics for organisations including Uber and Amazon. Nishita combines strategy alongside design-thinking and systems-change experience, building her peripheral vision and ability to explore problems from different angles. Now, as founder of CollaboratEQ, she works with clients that align with her skills and values, guiding organisations as they adapt and align to the realities of 21st-century business.