Mission Statement
I believe our socioecological crisis stems from a deep disconnection – from ourselves, from each other and from nature. This is why I am committed to changing the cultural paradigms that shape our planetary futures.
Biography
Dr Laura Santamaria is a design researcher and cultural strategist working at the frontier of communication, public imagination and socioecological change. Her work focuses on how stories, symbols and shared meanings shape the choices societies make, and how shifting those narratives can unlock more just, regenerative futures. With over twenty years of experience across academia, civil society and industry, Laura helps organisations and communities translate complex environmental issues into messages that move people because they resonate deeply. As Research Lead at the Royal College of Art and founder of Sublime Magazine, she advances sustainability as a cultural transformation rooted in purpose, collective empowerment and agency. Her frameworks, including Con[text] and Design for Empowerment, strengthen cultural capacity, challenge outdated paradigms and expand what we believe is possible for humanity and the ecosystems we depend on. She believes that when our worldview changes, we begin to imagine entirely new possibilities for humanity and the planet.
Questionnaire
Where do you want to foster change and why?
I want to transform the narratives that guide how we live and imagine our shared future, because real change begins in the stories we tell about ourselves and our place on this planet.
What or who influenced you during your professional career?
I’ve been influenced by people who question assumptions, who refuse to accept the ‘impossible,’ who roll up their sleeves and, instead of asking for change, start it themselves.
We all have those significant moments or situations (success or failure); which one was yours, and what did you learn from it?
A defining moment came after burnout. The constant pull between head, hand and heart had created depletion and self-sabotage. When I allowed my research, intuition and lived experience to finally converge, something deep shifted. That integration gave me the courage to lead with authenticity and to give the world the best of me.