Hello! I'm Kate, a freelance behavioural designer and strategist
I work on the things we can do to bridge divides, build communities and strengthen relationships.
Why I do what I do
Relationships are what bring me joy, and I’d say there is nothing more compelling or attractive than joy - nor anything more therapeutic.
Moreover, having worked for well over a decade on climate, migration and international development issues, I’ve realised what many people have realised before me: that at the root of all these problems is a breakdown in human relationships. Until we fix our relationships we’re going to carry on making the same mistakes, no matter how clever the tech, sophisticated the policy or inspiring the leader.
So I’m passionate about finding ways to help individuals, organisations and communities build, repair and maintain thriving relationships.
Sometimes this is about helping people from opposing perspectives find ways to respect each other and work together
Sometimes it’s about addressing a skills gap, habit or environment that gets in the way of people connecting
Or it might be about designing new processes and rituals that strengthen community ties
I like working on innovative projects that incorporate new technologies (like AI) alongside ancient human tactics (like eating dinner) to create solutions fit both for now and the future.
What I do and how I do it
Design work
Drawing on human-centred design and behavioural science, as well as principles from social psychology and group analysis, my work covers:
Scoping, ‘ideating’, researching and running design sprints for new projects
Developing and testing new theories of change
Designing bespoke training courses, programmes and/or experiences
Presenting and pitching ideas (to internal audiences, potential clients and/or the public)
Writing content and preparing other materials to accompany the above
Prototyping, refining and critically evaluating the success of interventions
Strategy
My experience derives first from being a commercial lawyer advising large, complex private companies, and then from spending the last decade (plus) working in start-ups and not-for-profit organisations. I also ran my own social enterprise for four years.
Piecing together what needs to be done and when
Working with teams to develop efficient internal systems and processes
Advising on scaling models, including “train the trainer” learning programmes
Recruiting team members and consultants
Writing and implementing policies and guides
Project development
I really enjoy being part of a team and rolling up my sleeves to do whatever it takes to get an organisation or project up and running. I’ve led teams and trained / worked as an individual and group coach. Things I love include:
Managing partnerships and projects, including liaising with multiple teams and stakeholders
Designing and running communities of practice
Hosting and facilitating small, medium and large group events and workshops
Training and supervising hosts and facilitators to run courses, programmes and experiences
Group and individual coaching, including reflection sessions and action learning
Background
The now-implausible truth is that I began my career as a corporate finance lawyer in the City with Hogan Lovells. I put this choice down to a total implosion of imagination and self-knowledge, given how highly I prize creativity and the last thing you want is a creative lawyer. Still, I learnt a lot - in particular, how to work in teams and on big, fast-moving and high-pressure projects, and I met some wonderful, smart people.
Once I’d figured out that law wasn’t my route to fulfilling work, I went back yet again to academia (a MSc in Environmental Technology at Imperial College) and started working on sustainability and climate issues - first in policy and politics (at E3G), and then in renewables start-ups (Estover and bio-bean). It was here that I got the taste for entrepreneurship - the thrill and challenge of creating something new in the world that other people find useful.
At this point, a slightly madcap hobby I had started began to gather steam. The Hot Breakfast was a membership-based community that brought ambitious, purpose-driven people from all sorts of backgrounds together first thing in the morning to eat eggs and talk about how to change the world. Word spread, the membership grew into the thousands, and soon I was having to learn all sorts of ingenious ways to bring out the best in groups of strangers who hadn’t even had their first coffee of the day. We developed lots of different formats for our gatherings - walks, talks, curated small groups and “Big Breakfast” parties - and spun out a successful peer mentoring programme.
But by the time 2020 hit, I increasingly felt like I wanted to work more squarely on the political and social issues I could see fracturing my family, community and country. I joined Larger Us, a small, not-for-profit organisation offering psychologically-informed approaches to bridging divides and broadening coalitions through change-making. I designed and hosted the events and courses, helped to build the community, and led the ‘climate conversations’ training programme, which we ran in partnership with organisations including UNISON, the Women’s Institute and the Wildlife Trusts.
I’m now pursuing my interests both as a freelance consultant and in partnership with others - please do get in touch if you see a way we might be able to work together. Alongside this, I tutor on Imperial College’s Innovation & Design Engineering MA and am a proud trustee of Globe Community Project, a charity addressing loneliness among isolated and under-served groups in and around the London borough of Tower Hamlets.
And the rest
I read an unfashionable amount of fiction (and non-fiction); like to cook (but love to feed); have to be exercised daily (like a spaniel); and am an active member of my local Buddhist community.
I live in north-east London with my boyfriend, Jonny.
Contact
