1. HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN & INNOVATION
From early childhood, I had a deep passion for making art using a wide range of creative mediums. At 17, I was determined to embark on a path as a fine artist specializing in landscape painting. However, life took me on a different journey, leading me to pursue a degree in product design at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. During this period, I honed essential design skills, including visualization, prototyping, and translating user needs into solutions.
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As my career path broadened, I ventured into development research, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Public and Development Management. In this broader field, my design skills translated well into my role as a multidisciplinary research facilitator with proficiency in envisioning abstract concepts, conducting comprehensive ecosystem mapping, and facilitating co-design sessions to catalyze creative thinking among teams.
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See examples below of how I successfully used human-centred design approaches and innovation tools to facilitate multidisciplinary research and co-creation:
1.1 Co-DESIGNING ENERGY COMMUNITIES (CoDEC) Project (2017-2019)
Photo: Energy stories workshop in Mathare, Nairobi - 2018
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In my role as the principal investigator for the 'Co-Designing Energy Communities (CoDEC) project,' which was funded by LIRA 2030 from 2017 to 2019, I successfully led a multidisciplinary research team from three Universities, namely Nairobi, Makerere, and Stellenbosch. Together, we engaged with multiple stakeholders, including low-income communities residing in informal urban settlements across Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa.
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An example of our creative collaborations with stakeholders was in the Mathare settlement in Nairobi, where we co-created the 'Mathare Energy Stories.' This initiative was aimed at fostering dialogue and driving the development of inclusive policies and socio-technical innovations that would uplift the livelihoods of the settlement's residents. For more details, please refer to the Mathare Energy Stories booklet.
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1.2 ENGAGING URBAN ACTORS IN EAST AFRICA — DESIGN THINKING WORKSHOP (August 2017)
Photo: Design thinking workshop, Kampala, Uganda - 2017
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Serving as the project lead for the 'Engaging Urban Actors in East Africa — Design Thinking Workshop,' which was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung in August 2017, I was tasked with convening a team that would facilitate a co-visioning engagement for urban actors from across East Africa.
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The engagement was a three-day design thinking workshop in Kampala, Uganda, where participants co-generated innovative ideas to address common urban challenges in the sub-region. See the abridged report of the workshop's outcomes for further insights on effectively using design thinking methods to facilitate co-visioning with diverse participants.
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1.3 INNOVATION LEARNING JOURNEYS TO THE SILICON SAVANNAH (2018 - 2020)
Photo: Learning journey participants visit Nailab, Nairobi, Kenya - 2018
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I joined hands with Maryanne, Karin, and Hans to co-create the 'Innovation Learning Journeys to the Silicon Savannah.' With our combined knowledge and networks from Austria and Kenya, we carried out three inspiring learning journeys in Nairobi to connect European business professionals with opportunities and talent in Kenya.
Subsequently, we co-founded 'NextAfrica' as a dedicated platform for our ongoing collaborations. Hans and Karin went on to grow the brand by leading learning journeys in Kigali, Rwanda, and Dakar, Senegal. In early 2024, I will reconnect with my NextAfrica crew to rebrand the learning journeys into 'Learning Exchanges' to foster deeper co-innovation and partnerships between European and African entrepreneurs.
Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming Learning Exchange.
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2. DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
I didn't have a privileged upbringing in Kenya, but my family provided the essentials for me to develop my human and social capital. These early childhood experiences have driven my desire to see every child and young person in Africa, at a minimum, have their basic needs met so that they, too, can make meaningful contributions to their communities. This passion led me into the field of development research, where I have successfully secured grants to spearhead livelihood-oriented projects aimed at enhancing sanitation and increasing access to energy in African cities. I have also written on other livelihood topics, such as the challenges of street vending in Nairobi, and supervised students’ projects in healthcare access for low-income communities.
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Some notable publications from my livelihoods research are:
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Mediating Household Energy Transitions through Co-Design in Urban Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa By Ambole, Musango, Buyana et al. 2019, published in Energy Research and Social Science, Vol. 55, 2019, Pp 208-217.
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Design Facilitation for Informal Contexts: A Case Study of Enkanini Sanitation Intervention, By Ambole, Swilling & M’Rithaa, 2016, published in International Journal of Design, Vol 10, No 3, 2016, Pp 75-84.
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Nairobi’s Illegal City-Makers By Ambole, 2018, published in The Urban Planet: Knowledge Towards Sustainable Cities, 428-9.
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‘Bottom up’ approach: A community-based intervention in fighting non-communicable diseases in urban informal settlements Kenya: By Mwiti, Ambole, Osanjo, 2018, published in the East African Medical Journal 95 (11), 2123-2131.
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Visit my google scholar page to access all my publications or inbox me for a copy of any of my writings.
3. URBAN LEADERSHIP
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The AMALI story
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In January 2021, I was contracted by Big Win Philanthropy to initiate a new mayoral leadership support program that would cultivate a network of African mayoral changemakers, as the seven-page concept note read. Armed with this concept note, I was super excited to start with a landscaping study that mapped the existing ecosystem of city support work in Africa and identified a niche for a new leadership program within that ecosystem.
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Soon after commencing the study, I reached out to thought leaders in the city support space, including Prof. Edgar Pieterse of the African Centre for Cities in Cape Town. Edgar and I immediately established a rapport as we explored insightful ideas on the potential value of this initiative for advancing transformative urban leadership in Africa. We also explored ways to integrate the initiative into the ongoing work of the Centre.
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Our months of conversations with Edgar paid off with a formal partnership between the African Centre for Cities and Big Win Philanthropy in December 2021 to co-implement the initiative. All through 2022, we continued to work together to stand up a dedicated team, brand the initiative as ‘AMALI,’ and successfully host the inaugural AMALI Forum from the 23rd to 26th of January 2023 at the University of Cape Town.
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The Forum launch was particularly emotional for me, as it marked the culmination of two years of diligently working to bring AMALI to life. I nearly shed tears of joy as we welcomed the first cohort of 15 mayors from eight African countries to participate in the Forum. This was followed by eight months of online engagements to facilitate peer learning and mentorship for the cohort. In May 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies joined our collaboration to support an AMALI data program, further enhancing the initiative's reach and impact.
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We wound up our year with the 2023 cohort with an in-person reunion in two AMALI cities: Addis Ababa and Adama in Ethiopia. To our delightful surprise, the opening ceremony of the reunion was graced by Ethiopia's Minister of Urbanization and Infrastructure, who officially announced the inception of 'EMALI' – the Ethiopian Mayoral Leadership Initiative, as an offshoot of AMALI. What better way to wrap up the 2023 AMALI city leadership program!
See the AMALI website and a promo video from the launch.