LAURA BENNS

As Director, Programs at SecondMuse, Laura oversees programs in the Asia Pacific region focused on strengthening circular and regenerative economic systems. This has included program activities across Indonesia, India, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, working with incubators and accelerators, entrepreneurs and innovators, investors, NGOs, and government leaders from across the region to develop and scale impactful solutions for plastic waste management practices to combat plastic pollution. Laura also leads financial innovation projects for the region, designing new financial mechanisms to increase access to appropriately sized capital for businesses with the ability to positively impact climate change.

Laura's background in human-centered design and experience working in complex systems drive her to create positive change through collaboration. Prior to SecondMuse, Laura worked with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors across Asia and East Africa, leading design projects for organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Red Cross, Oxfam, and Singapore Family Justice Courts.

Using human-centered design methods and tools to tackle complex challenges, Laura has particular strengths in designing systems change, ethnographic research and strategy development. She has worked across multiple sectors, including nutrition, maternal and child health, sexual health, disaster risk reduction and justice, among others.