Meet the DEAL Community

Paris, France

I recently graduated with a dual bachelor's in Political Economy (B.A.) and Society & Environment (B.S) from UC Berkeley. This academic journey was completed with a summer course at the University of Cambridge, where I took classes in Sustainability, the Economics of Inequality, and the Political Economy of Natural Resource Management. My studies have offered me a great dive into the world of sustainability, and more specifically, the systems that define it. My interests focused on the interdependencies between ecological, social and economic systems, and I got fascinated by how the environmental crisis is embedded within our economic system. I’m driven to learn from others, to organize, and to collaborate to effect meaningful environmental change. 

臺南市, Tainan, Taiwan

Craig is designer and developer helping Taiwan transition to circular economy. At Leafer Circular Design, we help organizations create profitable and sustainable solutions in line with circular economy principles. Our services include optimizing materials, rethinking operations, and designing user-first products and services. Leafer's ultimate goal is to help clients maximize value creation and leave a positive impact on the environment and society.

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Kia ora! I’m Kylie, a business and economics educator from Aotearoa New Zealand. I work in both the public education system and through my two side ventures - Youth NZ, a charity supporting youth leadership, and Good Ed, which helps young people (and the adults who guide them) explore futures thinking, creativity, and systems change. I’m joining the Doughnut Economics Lab because I’m keen to learn, connect, and find any classroom or extracurricular resources/activities that involve teaching the doughnut - and ideally, eating them too. 🍩 Ngā mihi nui,  Kylie

Sarawak, Malaysia

An Ecologist serving ecosystem restoration communities in Borneo through bio-circular green stewardship for planet and livelihoods.

Paris, France

Physicist turned strategy consultant and AI product leader, focused on transforming economic ecosystems to create more value and meaning for all

Jos Chathukulam is the former Professor of Sri. Ramakrishna Hegde Chair on Decentralization & Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) Bengaluru & currently, Director, Centre for Rural Management, Kottayam, Kerala, India, and a national-level expert on Decentralized Governance and Rural Development. He has wide fieldwork experience throughout the country. He is associated with several consultative committees of the National Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. He also has an equally good record of publications. His publications have appeared in World Development, UNU- WIDER, International Journal of Rural Management, Public Administration and Development, Journal of Health Management, Asian Journal of Women Studies, Journal of Development Alternatives and Area Studies, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Gandhi Marg, Mainstream Weekly, Indian Public Policy Review, Journal of Rural Development, Man and Development, Indian Journal of Public Administration, and several others. He was one of the key organizers of the People’s Plan Campaign in Kerala and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) in other states in India. He had administered and evaluated 176 projects covering different parts of the world, including Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, Sudan. He has done extensive research on decentralization and local governance across Indian states, Latin America, and Africa. He is an expert of Devolution Index which is used to compare the rate of decentralization across the Indian states. Recently, he has co-edited two books, Challenges to Local Governance in the Pandemic Era: Perspectives from South Asia and Beyond (Cambridge Scholars Publishing UK, 2022) and Deepening Democracy: Comparative Perspectives on Decentralisation, Co-operativism and Self-Managed Development (Routledge India, 2023). Email: joschathukulam@gmail.com

Brasil

Engenheira de Produção, máster em Gestão de Projetos. Durante meus 15 anos de trajetória corporativa liderei mais de 30 projetos focados em impacto social corporativo e portfólio de projetos e suas operações. Atuei ao lado de grandes players do mercado, como Bayer, BASF, GOL e Alpargatas.  Reconhecida duas vezes pelo LinkedIn como Top Voice (Equidade de Gênero em 2023 e Projetos de Impacto Social em 2025). Minha atuação é marcada pela união de áreas transversais de estudo, dados e storytelling estruturado, capazes de apresentar projetos sociais estruturados, escaláveis e mensuráveis. Hoje, faço uso do meu conhecimento, também como educadora e articuladora social em empresas como Yunus e Quintessa, como mentora de negócios de impacto, na Escola Municipal de Administração Pública de São Paulo, como educadora institucional e no Alma Preta Jornalismo, como colunista fixa. Com a Margem Viva, desenho projetos capazes de impactar e alavancar a periferia urbana, através da conexão com investidores e marcas que tenham como propósito realizar impacto social real.

India

I am an Economics graduate with an interest in exploring the ethics of growth-first economics. I write about my views on Substack and assist in production at a local radio channel.

Indonesia

Hi, greetings from Indonesia! I'm Veda, I graduated from the University of New South Wales (Gadigal Land) with a degree in Commerce, specializing in Global Sustainability and Social Impact, and Strategy and Innovation. I have no background in environmental management or engineering. In fact, I used to study brand management and worked for 3 years as a marketer. However, the two fields brought me closer than ever to understanding the role of the private sector in creating an 'operating space' that is ecologically safe and socially just—just as Kate Raworth explained in her Doughnut Economics theory.  I am looking to connect with the community who have applied the Doughnut firsthand and gain more insight on what I can do to help my country and my workplace. 

Mexico City, Mexico

I am an international human rights lawyer and Founder & CEO of Equitable Global Futures (EGF), US-based boutique advisory with global work (EN/ES). I bridge human rights, economic governance, and sustainability into actionable strategy for governments, multilaterals, and companies. Known for advancing conventionality control in the Inter-American System of Human Rights, I lead the Right to a Sustainable Economy framework with rights-by-design toolkits, UNGPs due diligence, accountable ESG, and KPI-based roadmaps. Within DEAL, I focuse on co-creating wellbeing policy and budgeting: sector pilots, procurement and licensing with safeguards, rights-aligned indicators, and independent assurance. I also advises on Bitcoin & open blockchain for social impact (privacy, inclusion, humanitarian access) and public-interest Web3 governance.       

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

I have a background in human rights monitoring and advocacy, and I've founded GoZero to work on climate change and planetary boundary overshoot, here in Aotearoa New Zealand. I'm really interested in applying a holistic, systems approach to these challenges, and building community understanding and engagement in order to generate much-needed buy-in for transformational change.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Studying circular economies of education & research in India. Trying to build a small-med size business to increase adoption of open access & open educational resources. CTO of Youth Dreamers Foundation, an India-based non profit helping students with university scholarships.  Semi-academically binging in no particular order: Michael Hudson, Mark Blyth, Marianna Mazzucato.

Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom

With over 25 years of experience working in several areas across the built environment, I’ve shaped my career around a deep passion for sustainability, innovation and making a real difference. I specialise in strategy, risk management, reporting and transformation, with a focus on driving practical change rather than sticking to convention. From promoting net-zero solutions to supporting circular economy principles and rethinking how we design and deliver communities, I enjoy challenging the status quo. I take a collaborative and creative approach to engaging stakeholders, always aiming to balance environmental, social, and economic priorities. I believe bold ideas should translate into real outcomes, shaping places that future generations can be proud of. I am a self-motivated leader who thrives on turning ambitious visions into reality and making the impossible possible. Outside of work, you can find me building Lego sets, traveling or playing water polo. 

Budapest, Hungary

GreenFormation aims to trigger green and social transition and transformation. GreenFormation consists of dedicated individuals with a diverse background ranging from ecology through economy and policy to geography. It focuses on biodiversity and the well-being of society, sufficient energy use, socio-economic transition and transformation, as well as behaviour change. For this, GreenFormation carries out research, measures impacts, provides advice, and implements projects. It involves multiple stakeholders, builds dialogues and bridges, and brings experience and networks from both Western and Eastern Europe.

Orange County, California, United States

I wrote the Bread Standard and heard about this other economic systems themed around food and really like the ideas I'm seeing here.

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

I've spent the last 18 years working to develop organizations, public policy, and a diversity set of projects that advance regenerative futures and meaningful climate action. I'm currently the CSO at Climate First Bank. Prior to this role I served as a presidential appointee for the Biden-Harris administration at the U.S. Department of Energy, and before as the Chief Sustainability & Resilience Officer for the City of Orlando, Florida. My career also includes entrepreneurship endeavors such as founding the eco-action nonprofit org, IDEAS For Us, and an urban farming enterprise, Fleet Farming.

North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I'm excited to be bringing a place-based perspective from British Columbia, Canada. As Executive Director of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, I work to strengthen the connections between outdoor recreation, community wellbeing, and environmental stewardship. I’m passionate about putting the principles of Doughnut Economics into practice, helping communities thrive within ecological limits while ensuring that everyone can lead healthy, connected lives. My work focuses on collaboration with governments, recreation groups, and local leaders to create more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities across BC.

Morristown, New Jersey, United States

Believe in the common good Favorite quote:  “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it”.   Upton Sinclair My career in finance was accidental, but at it did keep me from wasting my time on a Phd in economics from a US university.  I spend 35 years in the financial markets, most of that as a global fixed-income portfolio managers.  I am astonished that anybody who has 'invested' in the markets can believe in the rationality or that they don't need strong regulatory oversight.  Free market orthodoxy created many of the of the challenges highlighted by the donut economic framework.  They won't create the solutions. Currently focused on the BS of global carbon markets  and working to install a new generation of leaders in the US.     

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

I'm working as part of Oxfordshire Doughnut Ecnomics Collaboration (www.oxfordshiredoughnut.org.uk) to encourage Oxfordshire groups and initiatives of all kinds to use Doughnut Economics to make their activities more effective and impactful.

Doctor in applied human sciences from the University of Montreal, I undertake transdisciplinary research at the intersection of sustainability transitions theory, public policy, and social movement studies, with a particular interest for radical societal transformations and the acceleration of a just and equitable grand societal transition. Director of HEC Montréal’s Sustainability Transitions Ecosystem, I’m responsible for catalyzing innovative transition-based collaborations between the university’s various research centers and external partners from various sectors of society. With more than ten years of teaching experience in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and social innovation, I’ve also led the social impact incubation and acceleration entrepreneurship programs at HEC Montréal’s Social Impact Hub, where I also worked on consulting projects supporting municipalities and para-municipal organizations in the development public policies for sustainability and social impact strategy. Co-founder of two social enterprises in Permaculture design, I also sit on the board of two non-profit organizations in the fields of circular economy and food education. As a research-activist member of the Montreal Climate Coalition; I’m also engaged in various citizen-led transition initiatives at the neighborhood level. Holder of an MBA, I also have nine-year of corporate experience in business development for the multinational Procter & Gamble. I’m also an active member of ROOTS McGill, a research group focused on organizing towards sustainability. 

Berlin, Germany

🌱 Hi, I'm Beth. I help founders and leaders to build businesses that thrive in the next economy - rethinking what value means for people, nature, and communities. How I work: I partner with established businesses and regenerative pioneers who need hands-on support to drive positive impact and long-term resilience. Together, we develop a tailored plan that's focused on the areas that matter most, whether that's: → Clarifying Purpose → Redesigning Products → Evolving Ownership → Transforming Operations → Communicating Impact What I bring: Over a decade of experience integrating sustainability into strategy and operations across startups, corporates and non-profits, including: 🔸 Shaping sustainability strategies and double materiality assessments for leading brands 🔸 Scaling sustainably-sourced products across 4000+ brands at Zalando 🔸 Assessing the climate impact of circular business models for Vinted and Otrium 🔸 Communicating annual progress towards impact goals for On 🔸 Upskilling teams on the new B Corp standards for everdrop 🔸 Speaking at events including UNEP x World Circular Economy Forum, Fairtrade Germany, and Textile Exchange Let's connect if: ✨ You're interested in building a regenerative business and need practical guidance ✨ You need help integrating sustainability into your strategy and operations ✨ You're a consultant, founder, or leader in the new economy space

Ennis, Clare, Ireland

I am a lifelong environmental campaigner and nature advocate. I started working in organizational sustainability 6 years ago and now work as a sustainability consultant for SMEs in the west of Ireland. The Doughnut model is the easiest way for me to explain what businesses have to do to stay relevant and competitive in the future without destroying our natural resources. I am looking forward to connecting with likeminded people so that I can learn from your experiences and put new ideas into practice.

London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

I'm a student of Sustainable Development (MSc University of Sussex), an operations professional, a volunteer Recycling Champion, and a parent. I learn every day. I aim to contribute to solutions over problems.

Vienna, Austria

I am a team member of Donut Wien (Doughnut Vienna) and want to help bring Vienna into the doughnut. One of our core projects is to create a city portrait of Vienna, which shall serve as a compass for the city's transformation (and hopefully also as a model for further doughnuts in Austria and abroad).  Over the last 25 years I have been working in business consulting, international development cooperation, public R&D funding and as finance manager in small biotech companies.