In the past 15+ years Courtney Savie Lawrence has lived, worked and traveled across more than 70 countries with a focus on sustainable development and systems transitions. Since 2018 she has worked with the United Nations at the intersection of innovation, tech and climate with UNDP and UNICEF's regional and global innovation, climate and digital teams. She often speaks and publishes on the topic of inclusive climate innovation and systems change and has been named by Climate Insider as '20 Women Leading Climate Tech and Innovation '.

While working among the UN System she has held many volunteer and cross sectoral roles across the ecosystem: coleading the Oxford Climate Tech Initiative, researching systems change and the future of just transitions around climate tech, cofounding the The Circular Design Lab based in Bangkok, Thailand, using systemic design as a process to table the first national clean air policy act to Parliament, and to her role as the chair to the Governance Committee for the School of International Futures Next Gen Foresight Practitioners Network.

In 2024 Courtney earned her MBA from Oxford University's Saïd Business School and graduated with academic distinction as a recipient of the Executive MBA Director's Award with exchanges to the Yale School of Management, FDC São Paulo Business School and HEC Paris Business School.

As an entreprenuer she has co-founded and led two companies (DSIL Global and Green Loop), has worked in and among large scale impact organizations like Ashoka in Washington D.C., as well as academic centers such as MIT's D-lab and Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.

Other scholarship and honors include selection as a Vital Voices Global Fellow, Cordes Opportunity Collaboration Fellow, The Coaching Fellowship for Women Leaders, Social Entrepreneur Fellow of the Amsterdam based THNK School of Creative Leadership, and Rotary Cultural Ambassadorial Scholar. Since 2016 she has also worked with the MIT International Development Design Summits, by co-leading in the Colombia, Thailand and Australia programs. For nearly a decade Courtney also taught human centered design for systems innovation at the university and executive education levels as faculty in Japan and Thailand. From 2006-2014 she served on the Executive Committee, the policy and governance oversight arm, to the of the Swiss-based INGO, World YMCA, as a global representative of the North America region.

She holds a Masters in Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development from the United Nations University for Peace, in Costa Rica, and a Bachelors in Political Science, International Relations from the College of Charleston; with one year spent in South Africa, at the University of Stellenbosch.

Courtney has also undergone a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Thailand, ran across the country of Costa Rica in a 27 hour relay race and spent a month in Wyoming with the National Outdoor Leadership School. 'Ubuntu' is a life guiding philosophy that connects her passion with her purpose. She is now based in Paris, France with her family and always exploring ways to integrate music, art and culture into every facet of life.

See vision and philosophy here