ABOUT US
Learning platform & community
Julia Zajac
Community Manager & Ambassador
Service Designer
I am a trained multi-disciplinary designer with a degree from the Royal Danish Academy for Design in Copenhagen, Denmark. My curiosity and love for learning, and my interest in people, society, and sustainability guide me in my work. This has given me the opportunity to work in many different sectors and industries. Before joining Social Innovation Booster, I founded and ran an award-winning circular fashion brand in Sweden. I have also worked with diversity and inclusion, and for improving artists' working conditions, in arts and culture. I have developed human-centered design research tools and designed for the public sector in Sweden and Denmark, and I have trained and mentored design students. When I don't work with Social Innovation Booster, I’m a social entrepreneur, a biking gardener, and an artist. I am passionate about sustainability and developing services & businesses for the circular economy, and for positive social and environmental impact. That drove me to join the Social Innovation Booster team!
Susanna Nissar
Founder
Service & Business Designer
I founded Social Innovation Booster with a wish to democratize human-centered innovation tools and make them accessible to anyone. It evolved into a community and a learning platform. Today we offer Booster Programs run by recognized experts who work actively with each participant through hands-on coaching sessions, workbook exercises, and peer support. I have worked as a service and business design consultant for 10 years and was one of the early adopters of service design & design thinking in Sweden. I helped many of the Swedish public sector organizations towards customer-centricity and to design services that citizens value and trust. I co-founded the service design agency Expedition Mondial. When I don't work, I love to spend time outdoors with my family and dog. I also serve as a mentor and advisor to a few impact-oriented entrepreneurs.
I look forward to guiding you in the following Booster Programs:
Service Design for Impact 1 - Exploring the gap & opportunity,
Service design for Impact 2 - Service Prototyping
Instructors
Patricia Alvarado
Impact Branding
Founder of Powered by Women
I am a certified trainer in the Brand the Change methodology. I am a marketing & branding professional and have worked with changemakers, startups, SMEs, and nonprofits organizations in Venezuela, Mexico, and Sweden.
I know how hard it is to find your place when you move to a new country. I have done it twice, once from Venezuela to Mexico and a second time from Mexico to Sweden. I started my business Powered by Women to support foreign-born female entrepreneurs and help them succeed in Sweden. The purpose is to actively promote equality where we define our own terms and make progress both personally, professionally, and economically. When I don’t work with coaching and Powered by Women, I love to spend time with my beloved family and girlfriends, run my Zumba Classes all over Stockholm, and work with my social enterprises.
I look forward to guiding you in the Branding for Impact Booster Program!
Ruth Brännvall
Impact Investing & Impact Models
Founder of Impact Invest
I began investing for social purposes in the early 2000s while working as a business director for a global telecoms company in London. In 2007, I decided to devote myself full-time to working with social investments and supporting social entrepreneurs. I have since helped private investors, foundations, and government organizations to build impact funds and has to date assisted hundreds of individual investments. In parallel to this work, I am active in contributing to national and international standards and guidance on social responsibility, sustainability and impact investing.
I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial Economics & Management at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) which I acquired while building Impact Invest's business. My thesis investigates opportunities and challenges in scaling social ventures and contributes to new knowledge about some key aspects of inclusive innovation and businesses. Ruth also holds an MBA from Warwick Business School (UK) and a degree in journalism.
I look forward to guiding you in the following Booster Programs:
Theory of Change and