Innovators Connect: Cultivating Innovation in WWF

Accelerating breakthrough solutions for a living planet – An internal workshop of WWF facilitated by Impact Hub 

What was the intention of the event?

In March 2016, 35+ innovators from throughout the WWF network came together to explore the question: “How can WWF cultivate innovation?” As a result, the Pandapreneur community was born – a WWF internal community of practice that started prototyping various initiatives to cultivate an innovation ecosystem inside of WWF. Since then, the Pandapreneurs have prototyped and worked on various ideas.

What role did WWF and Impact Hub play?

WWF and Impact Hub jointly developed the concept and agenda for the workshop, which was facilitated by Impact Hub Zurich founder Michel Bachmann. Modules and techniques from Theory U as well as elements of design thinking concepts defined the frame. Impact Hub not only hosted the workshop but also invited members and contacts who shared relevant, inspiring perspectives and experiences. WWF participants had the chance to address their questions from the field and enhance the conversations through their knowledge of and passion for conservation management.

What was the resulting impact?

• The workshop led to continued collaboration between WWF innovators and a movement of culture change
• The change from a local to a global partnership between WWF and Impact Hub was a result of conversations of this group to support local WWF offices to integrate innovation into their daily practice
• The concrete ideas of the workshop were presented at the WWF annual conference

WWF faces the challenge of being a big corporation, a big animal, and it’s hard for it to be agile. We all work in conservation but we run organizations like engineers. We need to move from a machine to an ecosystem paradigm.

Peter Scheuch - Ennovent

I am committed to the bone to leave this world better than I found it. This is why I joined the Pandapreneurs; it is populated with souls who share the same commitment. Every time I learn something new, I link with someone new, whether it’s an innovative process, a venture that makes the world better or something that helps me at achieving my personal purpose in life.

Robert Ddamulira - WWF Regional Office for Africa