Grant Young

Director, Innovation Strategy

Grant is excited to be leading Zumio at a time when his personal passion — helping support people live more sustainably in day-to-day life — is aligned with the pressing need for businesses to work more sustainably.

Grant has a background that crosses strategic design, social network engagement and web application development, and as Zumio’s Director and Innovation Strategist he draws upon skills gained in each of these areas.

With a practical understanding of the shifting economic and cultural currents of the networked and socially-aware economy, Grant offers his clients a unique perspective on how their business or project can thrive within it. He lives and breathes social networks, and knows how to best engage them to create tangible business value.

Experience working for and within commercial, public and non-profit organisations has given him insight into the specific perspectives and challenges of each sector. He is skilled in building coalitions, gaining organisational support and achieving outcomes through engagement. An experienced facilitator, Grant has run workshops with stakeholders ranging from executives to frontline employees, and has delivered thought-provoking presentations at events such as Web Directions South and Enviro 2010.

Grant is undertaking a Masters in Sustainable Practice at RMIT, where he is currently exploring the intersection of social technologies with local food production systems.

Find Grant elsewhere online: Twitter, Linked in

Partners & associates

Depending on the nature of our clients’ specific needs, Zumio works collaboratively with the partners to deliver our services.  The following partners are those that we work with on a more regular basis.

Allison Heller, Urban and social planner, Urban Affect

Urban Affect is focused on influencing urban outcomes through leading edge research and advisory services in urban and social planning, social policy and social sustainability.

Urban Affect is focused on influencing urban outcomes through leading edge research and advisory services in urban and social planning, social policy and social sustainability.

Principal Allison Heller is a qualified urban planner (BTP (Hons), UNSW) and former associate director of social policy at Urbis, with more than 12 years experience in the field. Previously the London-based editor of the UK’s foremost B2B residential property magazine, Housebuilder (circulation 22,000), Allison has long pursued a social sustainability agenda in the property sector.

Allison believes that the future of our urban environments is dependent on creating places which adhere to a truly triple bottom line approach. Places that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. Distinctive places that respect the dynamic intersection of these qualities. Organisational change among placemakers is fundamental to this shift.

Urban Affect embeds social sustainability principles into development planning processes through social sustainability due diligence assessment; Social Impact Assessment (SIA); demographic analysis; stakeholder engagement, and qualitative research in areas such as sustainability policy/ regulatory frameworks, strategic land release mechanisms, and affordable housing provision.

Find Allison elsewhere online: Urban Affect website, Twitter

Penny Hagen, Design Strategist

Penny is a design strategist currently completing her PhD in participatory design methods for social technologies at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Penny has over 10 years experience in interactive technologies having designed or produced a range of online and interactive community projects in Australia and New Zealand.

She is an experienced practitioner of human-centred-design approaches. As a facilitator Penny leads project teams to a shared project vision, whilst providing creative and strategic insight. She combines hands-on design experience with a knowledge of design research methods to develop stakeholder engagement programs for social change projects.

Find Penny elsewhere online: Weblog, Twitter, Linked In

Natalie Rowland, Qualitative Specialist, Redrollers

Natalie is a qualitative researcher with a Bachelor of Commerce (UNSW) and a Masters in Social Inquiry (UTS), and principal of qualitative research agency Redrollers.

Natalie has over 12 years experience as a qualitative specialist working for social and market research agencies, as well as with design and advertising agencies, in Australia and the UK.

She is dedicated to finding creative ways to discover and share rich insights about the ever-changing landscape in which people, brands and society operate. Natalie has worked with a range of methodologies from video ethnography, mobile diaries and cultural probes, to more traditional modes such as focus groups, friendship triads and interviews. Natalie understands the importance of a human-centred approach to design. She plays an active role in the discovery phase: unpacking user needs, motivations and contextual insights to inform and inspire the design process.

Find Natalie elsewhere online: Redrollers, Twitter.