Dit event is in het Engels, dus de tekst hier ook — wel zo makkelijk. Because the shift is not about controlling the flock, but learning how to move with it. Can we cut the crap — and make innovation regenerative?
We celebrate innovation. We reward speed. We optimise efficiency. But the planet is exhausted, systems are cracking, and so called “solutions” keep multiplying. So perhaps the problem is not that we innovate too little, but that we innovate from the wrong premise. Inside a living system, nothing is isolated. You don’t command the flock into coherence — you move with it. What if stewardship is not the opposite of innovation, but its condition?
At this Meetup, we confront a radical shift: from human-centered doing to life-centered being. From designing for systems to designing within them. We’ll learn from the Shepherd and the Steward, from producing solutions to practicing stewardship.
Featuring
Chiara Treglia — The Regenerative Culture Steward
Working at the intersection of design, learning and organisational transformation to cultivate cultures rooted in responsibility and long-term thinking.
Walter Baets — The Wicked Problems Shepherd
Bridging complexity theory, quantum interpretations of innovation and lived experience as a shepherd, exploring how direction emerges within living systems.
Expect sharp dialogues, bold insights, honest reflections and an open, welcoming conversation.
Because at the EHV Innovation Café, the discussion is not the afterthought — it is the main act.
Whether you’re a founder, designer, technologist, policymaker, educator or curious do-er, this is your space to listen, learn and connect.
We are Inclusive by Default and Give to Grow.
Because the real shift is not controlling the flock, but learning how to move with it
Can we cut the crap — and make innovation an act of care?
Moderated by Charlotte Grün
@ Kazerne Downtown Eindhoven
Walk in 17:30, Start 18:00
English spoken, Free entrance, Open to All
Chiara Treglia operates at the intersection of regenerative design, learning and organizational transformation. Through her practice tini studio as ICF-accredited (ACC) coach, she supports organisations in cultivating cultures rooted in responsibility, shared meaning and long-term thinking.
Trained as a design engineer at TU Eindhoven, she later completed a Global Innovation Design MSc/MA at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. Her trajectory reflects a shift from designing products to designing conditions — from problem-solving to culture-shaping.
As Learning & Development expert at TU/e Innovation Space and Chair of Stichting SPEN (Sustainability Professionals Eindhoven Network), she works across ecosystems, connecting internationals and locals around social and environmental sustainability.
Chiara challenges the assumption that design is neutral. She argues that design is always political, always relational, and always shaping culture — whether intentionally or not.
“Design is not a tool to fix the world. It is a practice that shapes how we relate to the world and to each other over time.”
Walter Baets is Professor Emeritus at the University of Cape Town and currently Wicked Problems Officer at Eindhoven Engine. Internationally recognised for his work on complexity and the quantum interpretation of innovation and transformation, he has built an academic career across seven countries, bridging econometrics, strategy, leadership and systemic change.
Former Dean of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town and Allan Gray Chair in Values-Based Leadership, Walter has long explored how organisations learn and transform under conditions of uncertainty.
In parallel, he is a part-time shepherd. Participating in transhumance — walking 230 km with sheep across France — reshaped his understanding of innovation, belonging, and leadership. Living inside a moving ecosystem, he experienced what entanglement means in practice. Immersed in the here and now, he discovered the power of authenticity — and how creativity and innovation are born in the silence between thoughts.
His motto: Love your problem, not your solution.
“Innovation is not about imposing order. It is about sensing patterns in the living system you are already part of.”
Our events are open to all. Expect an evening with inspiring ideas, critical questions, and imaginative alternatives to the status quo. Mark the event in your calendar and secure your ticket here. Walk in is also possible but the seats for the debat are limited. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
17:30 Walk-in and networking, we’ll offer a free drink and a bite
18:00 Intro to the Special Guests followed by a moderated debate
19:00 Networking
19:30 Posibility to join the Meet-up dinner with the speakers