Our network is a growing community of the most disruptive thinkers, risk takers, and doers on the planet. Our goal is to enable our network to connect the dots between opportunity and system impact.
Interested in becoming a part of our network? Here’s how to connect with us.
What is the LAUNCH network?
Our network is cross-sectoral.
The decision-makers we bring together represent the entire system, including the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The diversity of our network helps us avoid an echo-chamber effect.
Our network is full of leaders.
We seek out people who have a proven track record in their field and decision-making power in their organizations. By connecting these network members with innovators, we make it easy for them to act upon decisions that directly impact their sustainability and social responsibility goals.
Our network is active.
Our members are involved in every step of the LAUNCH process, from challenge framing to reviewing applications to advising our innovators on their journey to scale.
Meet some of our network members
Hannah Jones
CSO & VP of the Innovation Accelerator | NIKE Inc.
“We believe that the innovations required to create the future won’t come from a single source. Not from science. Not from technology. Not from governments. Not from business. But from all of us.”
Steve Howard
Co-Chair, World Economic Forum; former CSO, IKEA
“Let’s not be complacent. There are huge opportunities if we collaborate. But it requires everybody to laser focus– and LAUNCH can really contribute to that.”
Chris Librie
Senior Director of Global Impact and Giving, eBay
“Through eBay, we make it as easy as possible for consumers to sell and participate in the power of the Circular Economy. We are excited to join this extraordinary network of LAUNCH Circular that nurtures innovation and drives towards systems change.”
Anders Byriel
CEO, Kvadrat; Co-Chair, Circular Economy Advisory Board
“Circular Economy is on everybody’s lips these years. But action rather than talk and reports will drive the transition. That’s why I love working with pioneering partners and innovators through LAUNCH.”
Håkan Nordkvist
Head of Sustainability Innovation | IKEA Group
“I’m happy to see the large global interest in the LAUNCH program and look forward to working with new partners.”
Henrik Norlin
Henrik Norlin, Re:Newcell: LAUNCH Textiles Innovator
“At the LAUNCH Forum we not only got in contact with some of the most important actors in the market, we got a chance to develop our business plan in cooperation with both our future customers as well as our future suppliers. This was a true accelerator!”
Dave Ferguson
Director of Innovation, USAID
“We are here to disrupt. Things will continue to change. It’s up to us to make sure they change for the better.”
Beth Beck
Open Innovation Program Manager, NASA
“LAUNCH is a brain feast for me — an opportunity to talk about what if, and why not, and let’s do it. New ideas bubble up and collaborations are born.”
Shally Shanker
Founder & CEO, AiiM Partners
Todd Abraham
Former Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Mondelez
Grace Muriuki
Research Fellow, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland
Rob Kaplan
Managing Director, Closed Loop Fund
Jackie Saumweber
Former Senior Manager, Walmart Global Food Sustainability
Sherry Khan
Director of Economic Growth, Cardno Emerging Markets USA
Gilbert Hakim
Founder and CEO, SCC Soft Computer
Barruch Ben-Zekry
Director, Sustainable Business Value, VF Corporation
G Nagesh Rao
Chief Technologist, U.S. Small Business Administration
Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella
Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Laura Meadors
Corporate Water Program Lead, Apple
Diana Yousef
Founder and CEO, change:WATER Labs