Jade brings a wide range of experience of Design & Social Innovation space in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a Strategic Designer, Facilitator, Innovator, Collaborator & Educator, Jade is deeply passionate about Co-Designing Better Futures. Jade is a firm believer in tangata tiriti meaningfully partnering with tangata whenua, and collaborating with diverse people of lived experience to co-create innovative solutions with those most impacted.

Jade’s career has been more of a squiggly line, than a straight line. Prior to joining ThinkPlace, Jade worked on a myriad of game-changing projects with change-making organisations. She was most recently Innovation Director at AcademyEX | Tech Futures Lab, has been part of the leadership team at Foundation North, an associate at the Centre for Social Impact, Toi Āria & Innovation Unit, co-founder of the social change creative agency Curative, and co-host of CreativeMornings/AKL chapter.

Jade is a lifelong learner, she’s currently curious around the intersection of Design Thinking, Systems Thinking & Futures Thinking. She holds a Masters of Arts Management from AUT University, with distinction and most recently embarked on a Designing for Social Systems masterclass at Stanford D. School. 

Alongside being a Fractional Leader / Director at ThinkPlace, as part of her portfolio, Jade’s other hats include: Industry Advisor at AcademyEX, Co-Founder of Speculative Design Futures chapter in Tāmaki Makaurau AKL, and holds a couple of governance roles, as well as being a proud working mum of one, and a lover of cheese.