Benjamin Kumpf
My name is Benjamin Kumpf. I’m from Germany and I strive to be a changemaker and a driver of meaningful innovation wherever I live and work. I currently serve as head of the OECD Innovation for Development Facility, where I work with a dedicated team to improve policies and ultimately lives and systems around the globe. I’m a longtime social activist and I’ve been working with international organizations like UNDP and German and British development cooperation; aiding agricultural and innovation research in India, Jordan, Nepal and Rwanda; supporting social justice movement groups in my local community—and making time for my hobbies, especially my most recent one: surfing.
“A big part of innovation is learning. If you don’t understand something, find a way to work it out using the resources you have around you.”
From the field to the classroom: innovation for positive social change
His commitment to others and to communities around the world makes Professor Benjamin Kumpf an innovator and a thinker from whom any student would be lucky to learn. “I see it as contributing to meaningful social change processes,” Benjamin says when asked about what drives him to work in this field.“I find it inspiring to be a small part in advancing meaningful social change throughout the world—including in my community back in Germany.”
The projects that Benjamin develops in his area give him the opportunity to ask critical questions about conventional wisdom and, in doing so, uncover how to advance work that is politically informed and systemic. Operating in an environment that uses emerging technologies and cutting-edge practices to improve development and social processes is a source of great inspiration and daily motivation for him.
Benjamin’s connections to the innovation community are vast. Over the years, he has leveraged his experience and passion for innovation management, organizational culture change and decision-making power to write and publish with organizations such as the UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, OECD, Devex, Thomson Reuters and, most recently, the Harvard Business Review.
A lifelong learner, Benjamin has always prioritized education and continuous learning, driven by the belief that innovation will always require new ideas and approaches—particularly from people who are directly affected by development challenges. Holding master’s degrees in political science and in psychology from Heidelberg University and a post-graduate certification from NYU, Benjamin currently serves as Head of Innovation for Development at the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate and works as an educator at Columbia University, in New York, and at IE University, in Madrid.
Benjamin is an educator who truly believes in the value and importance of what he teaches. As he works with inquisitive and creative students from around the world, he reminds them “to question authority and to question conventional wisdom, starting with your own.” It’s the best way to start finding new solutions for the problems we face in our businesses, our communities and our world.
“A big part of innovation is learning. If you don’t understand something, find a way to work it out using the resources you have around you.”