Ilma Stankeviciute joined the Social Design Unit as a PhD student in September 2024. She is part of CoDesign4Transitions, a four-year doctoral network that connects eight universities across seven countries. The network focuses on original research at the intersection of co-design, democratic innovation, and climate transitions.

About Ilma

Ilma is an action researcher, facilitator, and program manager with extensive expertise in the circular economy. She holds an action research based MSc in Sustainability and Responsibility from Ashridge Business School. Before starting her PhD, Ilma worked at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, where she designed and facilitated large-scale, high-impact circular economy events and digital experiences. Prior to that, she held various project management and business development roles in Cairo, Kuala Lumpur, and London. Beyond her professional work, Ilma facilitates nature connection activities and enjoys telling stories around the fire.

About the project

As part of the CoDesign4Transitions doctoral network, Ilma’s project is titled “Facilitating future practices and institutions for just circular transitions” and it aims to study and explore how sustainable, niche innovations (or micro-utopias) can be scaled to inspire other communities to adapt them to their own unique ecologies.

During her project Ilma will closely collaborate with the Danish Design Council, Climate-KIC, and the other PhD candidates in her cohort.