Rowan leads the Mission Oriented Innovation Network (MOIN at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP). MOIN brings together leading global policy-making institutions – including state investment banks, innovation agencies, cities and government departments to share the challenges and opportunities they face when trying to create and nurture public value. In the last year, Rowan has built on the seminal work that the Institute has done with the European Commission and with the Scottish Government to extend this work into a range of government departments such as the New Zealand Department for Climate Change, supranational organisations such as UNESCAP and public institutions such as the BBC.
She is co-author of the recent report ‘Creating and measuring dynamic public value at the BBC’.
Prior to joining UCL, Rowan was Director of Innovation at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) where she set up the RSA Lab, an experimental space that uses design methods to explore, prototype and test research insights and policy ideas with government agencies, NGOs, academic partners, NHS Trusts, businesses and social enterprises. She designed and led a range of action research programmes on the future of work, deliberative democracy, tech and society, circular economy and systems innovation. Prior to that she has 15 years’ experience leading a wide range of design and engagement processes, notably the community participation in the design process for London 2012 Olympic Park. She holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice from the University of Bath and is a PhD Candidate at IIPP.