Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is disrupting the university monopoly. We can't "hire our way" out of this transition, and trying to control emergence is a losing battle. Are sandboxes our best option to prototype a future University operating model?
Living Labs
Living Labs come in many shapes and forms. This post aims to tease out some of the different forms to better understand their strengths and focuses to advance how we build and sustain Labs over time.
Complexity
About a decade ago, I heard the term "Trojan Mouse" as a way to speak about small experiments or safe-to-fail tests. Ever since I've been thinking about what their role is in systems change.
Living Labs
Living Labs are evolving over time, geography and in response to the challenges and opportunities for collective action. This post introduces Three Generations of evolution.
Living Labs
In October, I was fortunate enough to join forces with leading lights in the University Living Labs space at the Open Living Lab Days 2025 conference in Andorra.
Living Labs
University Living Labs are a relational infrastructure to orchestrate and catalyse portfolios of impact-oriented initiatives in collaboration with societal partners.
Living Labs
Open Living Lab Days 2025, a conference for Living Lab practitioners from around the world is upon us, and I'm in Andorra to explore three lines of enquiry.
AI is disrupting the university monopoly. We can't "hire our way" out of this transition, and trying to control emergence is a losing battle. Are sandboxes our best option to prototype a future University operating model?
University Living Labs are a relational infrastructure to orchestrate and catalyse portfolios of impact-oriented initiatives in collaboration with societal partners.
Can we really be Place-based if we only pay attention to the People who live there?
Regional innovation doesn't just happen. Exploring the role of orchestration in regional innovation ecosystems - beyond the Lab.
Exploring practices for working in and with complexity to regenerate place, people and planet
Can we really be Place-based if we only pay attention to the People who live there?
The lichen-ous current state of my work and community life, and what's coming for the rest of the year.
What value does an innovation orchestrator create, and what are the future aspects we need to address to increase their effectiveness?
Regional innovation doesn't just happen. Exploring the role of orchestration in regional innovation ecosystems - beyond the Lab.
Funding and frameworks for a world in transition - session recording, reflections and exploration
Join us for a timely exploration of difference types of finance, funding and investment suitable for tackling complex challenges faced by communities in Australia and Canada.
Most people have never experienced a social innovation lab, so how do we talk to these people about what they do and why they're useful?
The Future of Labs 2024 Gathering Report is out! Find out more about what happened and the recommendations for social (innovation) labs from 65+ practitioners who gathered in Canada to explore the future of lab practice.
Systemic investing is a promising complement to impact investing - moving from single point impact funding to a coherent portfolio logic to fund connected systems change initiatives and ecosystems.
Ecotone organising offers a promising approach for fostering collective action on complex challenges. By creating spaces that are independent of existing organizational structures, we can cultivate hybrid cultures, shared capabilities, and flexible governance.
We need to address the complexity gap in climate responses.
When you imagine the future of your Street does it feel like a thriving place to live?