Thought Leadership.

I speak, write, and advise on how we redesign organisations and systems, with strategy grounded in humanity.

My thought leadership spans keynote speaking, research, media, and design education, with strategy grounded in humanity.

Writing & Media

  • The Shift (Newsletter) — Strategic tools and reflections for leading through change with care

  • Podcast Guest — Orchestrate for Impact, Impact Boom, and more

  • Published Contributor - Essays, frameworks, and interviews on design, and service transformation for various client engagements.

  • Featured Themes — Care as infrastructure · Ethical innovation · Belonging in service systems · Redesigning leadership

Conferences & Panels

  • Keynote Speaker — UX Australia

  • Panelist & Moderator — Topics on systems leadership, AI and care, co-design with lived experience

  • Known for blending system insight, lived experience, and strategy with warmth, depth, and clarity

Academic & Research Affiliations

  • Lecturer & Industry Advisor, Master of Design Futures & Tech Innovation, RMIT

  • Advisory and Research Contributor, Centre for Systems Innovation, Griffith University and Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne

  • Juror & Ambassador, Australian Good Design Awards

Selected media

Lena Belin On Improving Spaces & Enhancing Lives With Interdisciplinary Design & Research

Impact Boom invited me to talk about Interdisciplinary Design and Research for Social Change. Listen here!

How does it move you? Thoughts for a different kind of professionalism.

We live in emotional times and yet, it's not often that we hear personal stories as fuel for change in our professional lives. Why is that? I have a few ideas here, and would love to hear your thoughts! Read here!

Designing enlightenment — what 10 days of silence can teach you about design

Can you imagine not speaking for ten days? Living in complete silence, without technology, reading, writing or even looking at another person? Meditating for ten hours a day, while sitting cross-legged on the floor? What may sound like hell or heaven to you was my reality for 10 days as I attended a silent meditation retreat late last year.
Personal learnings aside, the experience was intriguing from an experience design perspective. As a design anthropologist and service designer, I couldn’t help but notice a few patterns. Read here!