Portugal
Urgent optimism. The first time I heard those words, I felt completely seen. That's me. I am an urgent optimist. It's how I live and work. And it makes me wonder: what if the world had more urgent optimists? What if future generations were taught how to be one? The future doesn't just happen to us. We create it through the actions we take today. By playfully and vividly imagining what's ahead, we build the courage to act now and shape the future we actually want to see. There are so many impact VCs investing in the ventures that will shape tomorrow's economy. So many purpose-driven brands and organisations making positive change happen, right now. I love working with them, and I've been lucky enough to do exactly that for years. In a world with so much negative news and pessimism about what's ahead, urgent optimism as a mindset has never felt more, well, urgent, to me. I work at the intersection of brand, narrative and futures. Helping impact VCs and purpose-driven brands tell the story of the future they're investing in and building, with clarity, conviction and feeling. And helping more organisations step into the future, so they can come back to the present with even more drive to act and create change. To be more urgently optimistic, too. When I'm not doing any of the above, I'm growing a regenerative food and flower forest and building an off-grid home in Portugal.
Leading communications strategy for the innovation team at one of the world's most recognised conservation organisations, with a remit spanning 9,000 global staff and the broader iNGO sector. The work is about repositioning how innovation is understood, valued and activated across a global network. Leading narrative development, content strategy and creation, including writing the annual Innovation Impact Progress Report, which tracks how innovation thinking is shifting conservation practice across the WWF network.
Introducing futures thinking and strategic foresight to WWF's 9,000+ global staff, helping conservationists think beyond today's challenges. In 2023, we began by building futures thinking skills across the network, training nearly 500 people to date. The work now spans introductory futures skills training, trend tours, and an AI-powered horizon scanning tool we built to surface emerging signals and trends at scale. All of our futures work contributes to future-proofing strategy, helping teams get unstuck, building resilience and (playfully) turning trends into future-proof (conservation) ideas and solutions.
Working with WWF's global innovation team to embed innovation thinking into the DNA of how teams work, coaching fundraising teams to scale existing innovative approaches and build entirely new ones. Facilitating workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions across geographies and cultures.
Working with impact-first ventures and organisations across Europe on value proposition development, brand strategy and innovation vision. Clients range from early-stage startups to established businesses ready to deepen their impact. Facilitated innovation bootcamps for the UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator and mentored female social entrepreneurs through the Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award.
Took on full brand and communications leadership for one of the world's largest networks of impact-driven entrepreneurs and changemakers. Rewrote the global narrative from the ground up, developed a new positioning strategy, led a full rebrand starting with a complete website overhaul delivered in three months. Rebuilt the content team, restructured digital, and launched a fresh PR and media strategy. Senior leadership and hands-on execution in the same role, the way I like it!
Built Secret City Trails from idea to acquisition, scaling city discovery games from 1 to 60+ European cities. Raised venture funding three times, backed by Speedinvest, Techstars and Transavia Ventures. Led product development, experience design, brand strategy and all marketing while co-leading the business day to day. Sold to CityGoose in May 2022. The most demanding, most rewarding and most formative chapter of my career. Building something from nothing teaches you, well, a lot!
Trainer and mentor of different accelerators run by Fabrica de Startups, Tourism Explorers (2020), Discoveries (2021). Training sessions I facilitate are in line with the Business Model Canvas framework. Mentoring on topics such as strategy, marketing, storytelling, pitching, growth hacking and product development.