Reimagining Business Models for Societal Change with Melanie Wendland from Sonder Collective
About the Guest
Melanie Wendland is a pioneering design strategist with over 18 years of experience in service design and a decade applying design to global health challenges. Specialising in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, she combines design, behavioural science, and data to drive better decision-making and social impact. As co-founder of Sonder Collective, where she led as chairwoman until 2022, Melanie has spearheaded innovative approaches to tackle complex global health issues.
Currently pursuing a PhD in Health Sciences, Melanie is a sought-after advisor, mentor, speaker, and lecturer on service design and social innovation. She has collaborated with world-leading organisations, including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, and Merck for Mothers, to create transformative change in global health.
This Episode Covers
Exploring Alternative Business Models: Businesses can operate beyond traditional hierarchies by adopting models like cooperatives, which emphasise shared ownership, democratic decision-making, and reinvesting profits back into the organisation to create sustainable and inclusive structures.
The Role of Human-Centered Design: Human-centered design is a problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding the needs and experiences of people. By collecting insights, creating prototypes, and refining solutions, organisations can develop products and services that are effective, relevant, and meaningful.
Addressing Complex Challenges Through Research and Design: Combining thorough research with thoughtful design can help solve large-scale societal issues. For example, blending qualitative interviews and quantitative data can inform strategies that directly address community needs or systemic problems like public health challenges.
Decentralised Leadership and Decision-Making: Decentralised organisations demonstrate that leadership doesn't always require traditional hierarchies. By distributing roles and responsibilities based on expertise rather than position, these systems allow teams to operate flexibly while maintaining transparency and collaboration.
Practical Strategies for Business Innovation: Gathering feedback from users or customers and analysing it effectively is crucial for innovation. Businesses can improve their offerings and customer experience by using structured processes to build solutions that reflect real-world needs.
Integrating Structure and Creativity for Success: Effective organisations find a balance between creative freedom and structured systems. Clear processes for decision-making, transparent communication, and feedback systems enable teams to operate efficiently while fostering innovation and collaboration.
Links
Website: Sonder CollectiveSocial media: Linkedin
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