My research explores what becomes possible when organisations are governed according to non-hierarchical principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. In 2017-18 I undertook a short-term ethnographic study with four not-for-profit organisations: Friends of the Earth Melbourne (Australia), Pachamama Alliance (US), Enspiral Foundation (Aotearoa-New Zealand) and Sustainable Economies Law Centre (US). My background as an educator and organisational leader. I value the discipline of strategic thinking to guide action. I enjoy exploring the tension that emerges when theoretical concepts are consciously brought into living.
I learn best by application and reflection; with my partner I have built an energy efficient house, applied principles of permaculture and bio-dynamics in our garden and experimented with aquaponics. My career could be seen as an exploration of different expressions of leadership – as an entrepreneur in small to medium enterprises and in a trans-national manufacturing company, as a teacher in secondary schools, in formal (universities) and informal contexts (community-based workshops) and more recently as a consultant through Glasshouse Creative Media projects.
Governance, Systems and the Shaman 