about
sophie
hej, I'm sophie
I use my gifts to support people, organisations & other organisms in moving towards their next right direction.
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I’m a human being, a dancer, an artist, a facilitator, a sister, a daughter, a learner, a poet, a philosopher, a forest creature,
a life-lover based in central Europe.
I’m a response to all of my experiences and relationships, leading me to places I never imagined myself to navigate. I care deeply for the state of our world, and decide every day to make my moves from a place of love.
Over the past 10 years, I have been practising helpful ways to hold and explore questions like ‘How we can prepare people and organisations for the complexity of our days? What does it take to respond to challenges like climate change, a pandemic or the many socio-cultural dichotomies in our society?’ - through participatory processes and a focus on how we relate to our Selves, our environments and each other. As living organisms, we have an inherent sense of direction which is ever-shaping & shifting, just as we move in the world. We can foster a closer connection to this ‘inner compass’ through the wisdom of the body, our relationship to nature, an infusion of play and creativity, and the heartfelt gathering between disciplines, generations, cultures, species. All of these aspects are woven into my work with people and organisations, expanding boundaries in a process of collective learning.
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making meaning, together.
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I graduated with a master's degree in sustainability, complexity and participatory leadership with a focus on organisational development and have been continuing my own learning journey ever since, for example as a practitioner of the Art of Hosting and participatory leadership, stewarding the Flowgame network and hosting Warm Data Labs, to mention some of the spaces I associate with.
Applying my embodied knowledge about a more systemic, life-centric understanding of leadership as a president of the sustainability youth network oikos International and board member to organisations like the GRLI or UN PRME showed me that we are capable of heartfelt collaboration, and that we can thrive in more trust-based, self-organising structures and governance that adapts to an ever-changing world.
At the moment, I am inviting people on learning journeys around embodied, participatory leadership and a new paradigm of organising. I do that by following my relationships. Most of my projects emerge in conversation or through links that are made by people and organisations I have been working with before.
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But wouldn’t it be flawed and boring to just read what I think about myself?
Here’s what my close colleagues & partners in crime have shared
Sophie has a unique talent and it’s one that will be much needed in the coming years. She has an intuitive understanding of the theory and practice of self-organisation and collaborative self-management. This is an ability that she embodied as President of oikos International whilst also opening the space for those around her to do the same. Sophie is a skilled facilitator and host with a warm and enabling manner. She exudes calm, poise and confidence, is incredibly creative, and is thoughtful and discerning, with a sharp intellect. She knows how systems work and has an uncanny ability to sense into what’s unseen, what’s emerging, and what’s needed.
Chris Taylor - Director at Oasis Foundation
learning spaces
​Here an incomplete list of the places where I learned, including some of the official qualifications that came with the learnings
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oikos International - a global student movement which I use to call my school of life. A playground for personal development, non-violent activism and youth empowerment, amongst all the learnings around stewarding an organization with a history, a remote team in times of crisis and a global network
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Warm Data & the International Bateson Insititute - a journey into complexity & living systems together with a global network of practitioners
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The Flow Game & Art of Hosting Community - Asking gentle, powerful questions and holding spaces with an artful, opening quality
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M.Sc in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) in Karlskrona - All about our planetary system & our role as human beings. From scientific foundations to how to work with people on complex problems.
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Teachings of Asia - 6 months of backpacking and many encounters that shaped my perspective on happiness & the meaning of life
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The Marketing department of Levi’s Germany - The art & craft of communication, and the beauty of philanthropy-driven business
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B.Sc in International Fashion Retail in Reutlingen - Developing an understanding for our global economy and the wickedness of the challenges we face on our way towards a more just & sustainable world (next to all about how our clothes are made & traded globally)
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A Hospital Kitchen - the intensity of care jobs, and tremendous respect for everyone stepping up to serve others
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My parents’ household - the power of unconditional support, and many other lessons
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The forest - a deep love and continuous learning relationship throughout my life
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My body, and dance in particular - a very intimate relationship, built on a lot of trust and attentive care
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My practices - from yoga to cooking, understanding life as practice has shaped me
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All relationships I have been weaving throughout my life
Check out my LinkedIn for a more formal perspective
