Alice Peinado
Anthropologist and professor of design management

Alice studied at Columbia University in New York, where she specialised in political anthropology and symbolism. Over the years, she has engaged with anthropology both academically and in the world of business. She is the Chair of the Design Management Department at the Paris College of Art where she teaches courses on material culture, globalisation, sustainability and social design. She has her own consulting practice where she puts her ethnographic insights at the service of business.

Fumiko Ito
Sociologist and design manager

After working in the editorial office of a publishing company, Fumiko became the personal assistant to the artist/designer Shiro Kuramata. She met Italian design maestro Ettore Sottsass and was hired to represent Sottsass Associates in Tokyo. She moved to Italy and, while working as a consultant, also studied goldsmithing. Back in Japan she set up her own design management agency and consultancy, Pax.

Joanna van der Zanden
Curator and creative director

Joanna works on trans-disciplinary design projects in a social context. She is an acclaimed pioneer in cultural formats involving a broad public, all the way from questioning and research to making. In 2009 she was the initiator and co-writer of the Repair Manifesto in which repair was advocated as a positive alternative to our throwaway society. She is currently working for the Stedelijk Museum in s-Hertogenbosch on a long-term social project called Reinventing Happiness.

Dr. Jonas Hoffmann
Professor at SKEMA Business School.

An expert in the luxury industry in emerging countries, Jonas provides executive training and consulting in Europe, China and Brazil. He advises companies on developing innovative market strategies and scenario planning. He has co-authored Sustainable Innovation Strategy, Global Luxury Trends and Luxury Strategy in Action.

Kevin Gallagher
Product Design Executive & Educator

An independent consultant with extensive experience in consumer lifestyle technology, Kevin is an expert in cross-functional product development processes and life-cycle management. His experience as Design Director at Case Logic/Thule- where he initiated and established internal product design- to his role as Vice President of Design at Targus Group International enable him to build the broader perspective necessary to bring integration to our projects. Drawing from his experience in academia as the Director of Graduate Study in Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design, Kevin fosters a collaborative learning environment, especially crucial to front-end processes.

Mark Bergt
Executive coach and founder of Cresco

An experienced trouble-shooter, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and works with clients on issues such as low workforce engagement, high staff turnover, loss of talent, succession planning, communication across teams, lack of leadership, lack of vision and direction. Cresco supports clients in making work significant and meaningful for individuals and businesses. Tools include tailored training, executive coaching, assessments, and auditing of results. The outcome: enhanced brand attraction through the harmonisation of people, behaviours and action.