The Current: Scaling Innovation for Development Impact

Join us for a virtual lightning talk on April 14 with Benjamin Kumpf, Head of Innovation @ OECD Development, and Parsons student Jarmilla Skare.

Join CoDesign Collaborative for a new episode of The Current. This virtual lightning talk series is student-led and highlights vital topics in design. On April 14, Parsons student Jarmila Skare will host Benjamin Kempf for a conversation about the ways design thinking and innovation can move beyond small-scale pilots to achieve systemic development impact.

As global challenges become increasingly complex, the “innovation graveyard,” filled with successful pilots that failed to scale, continues to grow. Drawing on deep experience at the OECD, FCDO, and UNDP, Jarmila and Benjamin will discuss how organizations can move past the “innovation-as-usual” mindset. They will share insights on building the specific strategies, organizational cultures, and internal capabilities required to scale solutions in partnership with governments and deliver lasting, large-scale change. Join us to learn how we can design not just for novelty, but for enduring impact at the systems level.

Their conversation will delve into:

• Why most innovative solutions stall and how to design for scalability from day one.
• Building the organizational infrastructure and culture needed to support long-term innovation.
• Effective models for collaborating with public institutions to integrate and scale impactful solutions.
• How design thinking must evolve to address systemic challenges and deliver lasting global change.

About Jarmila Skare:
Jarmila is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Strategic Design Management and minors in Economics and Creative Coding at The New School, Parsons School of Design.

About Benjamin Kumpf:
Benjamin Kumpf is the Head of Innovation for Development at the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate. Prior to joining the OECD, he worked as Head of Innovation at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and led the Innovation Facility of the United Nations Development Program. In these capacities, Benjamin managed flexible funds to support experimentation, exploration and the scaling-up of development innovations, co-led programs on adaptive management and advised country offices and partners on strategic innovation opportunities.