Building a Vibrant Innovation Ecosystem in Conservation: A Journey from 2018 to 2024 at WWF

In today’s rapidly changing world, aligning innovation with organizational strategy is essential for creating lasting value. For any organization maintaining a competitive edge hinges on strategic innovation. This involves examining and evolving systems beyond products and processes to drive holistic impact.

Innovative approaches have become more critical in an era marked by increasingly complex conservation challenges. Six years ago, I joined WWF to help launch an Innovation Program and Hub, extending an initiative that had been gaining momentum in Australia. From its inception in 2018 to 2024, WWF-Kenya’s innovation program has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. It laid the groundwork for a dynamic conservation ecosystem that not only benefits Kenya but also extends its impact across East Africa and the entire continent, a testament to our collective achievements.

This article captures the essence of my WWF innovation? journey, detailing the critical successes, groundbreaking projects, and strategic partnerships that have defined our work over the past six years. Through these initiatives, the program has substantially contributed to WWF’s strategic goals while forging a sustainable future for both people and nature.

The Innovation Strategy: A Human-Centered Approach

When we launched, we made a conscious decision to avoid setting up a physical hub. Instead, we opted for a decentralized model, collaborating with key entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) across Nairobi and other regions of Kenya. These partnerships include notable names like iHub, METTA Nairobi, SoteHub, E4Impact, C4DLab, and the Amani Institute, among others.

Central to our innovation program was a commitment to human-centered design. This approach placed people at the core of our conservation efforts, ensuring that the solutions we developed were not only effective but also embraced by the communities they were meant to serve. By employing lean innovation cycles—rapidly moving from ideation to prototyping and testing—we quickly developed and refined solutions tailored to address the most pressing conservation challenges.

Our strategy was built upon WWF-Kenya's "innovation ecosystem approach," which functioned at three interconnected levels:

The Soil: This foundational level focused on building internal innovation capacity within WWF and fostering partnerships with social entrepreneurs. By creating the right conditions, we enabled innovation to thrive. We invested in training, resources, and networks that supported our staff and partners, setting the stage for groundbreaking conservation initiatives.

The Shrubs: Here is where the innovation process unfolded. Targeting key challenges, we ran rapid innovation processes to generate diverse ideas and develop quick prototypes. Successful prototypes were then field-tested to evaluate their real-world effectiveness. This stage emphasized continuous learning and adaptation, allowing us to refine solutions before scaling them up, ensuring a process of continuous improvement.

The Canopy: At this level, successful pilots were scaled through strategic partnerships, replication, and engagement with WWF's broader platforms. This ensured that innovations with the highest potential for impact could be expanded and applied across different contexts, maximizing their benefits.

This ecosystem approach was firmly anchored in WWF-Kenya's six strategic goals. Each project was designed to align with the organization's broader mission of securing wildlife, habitats, and livelihoods, reducing environmental footprints, influencing policy, and enhancing operational efficiency. By integrating innovation into these strategic goals, we created a holistic and impactful approach to conservation, driving both ecological and socio-economic outcomes.

Key Projects and Achievements

1. Panda Labs Incubation Hub

The Panda Labs Incubation Hub became a cornerstone of our innovation efforts, serving as a platform for nurturing and scaling high-impact conservation initiatives. Among the projects incubated was Ukwenza VR, which transformed from a mere concept into a fully-fledged company. It now uses virtual reality to raise awareness about conservation and works with over 30 schools in Kenya.?

Another success story is Lentera ?a farming technology company offering farmers a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that integrates climate-smart inputs with precision agriculture techniques. Tiriki Bamboo, a community-based organization in western Kenya that evolved into Earthlung Reforestation—a project focused on reforestation using bamboo to restore degraded lands while providing sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Through the Panda Labs platform, we achieved several notable milestones. One such initiative was The Greenhouse Sessions, a series of gatherings that brought together various stakeholders to co-create solutions to pressing environmental challenges. Since 2018, we identified and supported several innovators, providing grants to experiment with ideas for solving practical conservation challenges. For instance, Lentera Africa, Nakuru Farmers Call Centre, and OrganoCredit developed mobile apps and bulk SMS messaging tools to empower small-scale Kenyan farmers to adopt sustainable production systems.

Additionally, innovative concepts like Wildlife Credits and Biodiversity Credits are still being developed. These products introduce a new way to value wildlife through a community-driven conservation performance payment model. The aim is to diversify wildlife-based income sources, cushioning communities against losses such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The success of these initiatives has gained attention and support from various WWF offices and networks, drawing in non-traditional partners like private-sector institutions, including ABSA Bank, to engage in conservation work actively.

As of now, innovation is embedded in WWF-Kenya's 2020-2030 Strategic Plan and Conservation Action Plans and integrated into critical projects such as the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD), Coastal Kenya Landscape Program, SOKNOT, and Kenya Rift Lakes.?

We emphasized follow-up and evaluation of conservation outcomes post-experimentation to ensure these innovations have a lasting impact. However, continued support from donors and senior management is essential to expand and sustain this type of work. The driving force behind this progress remains the dedicated core innovation program team.

2. Wildlife Credits/Conservation Performance Payment

The Wildlife Credits project was a pioneering initiative designed to incentivize community engagement in wildlife conservation. This approach aligned community interests with wildlife protection by linking financial rewards directly to conservation outcomes. It created a sustainable model where local communities were motivated to participate in and support conservation efforts actively. This alignment of financial incentives with conservation goals promoted long-term coexistence and ensured that wildlife protection became an integral part of community development and economic stability.

3. GreenHouse Sessions (GHS)

The GreenHouse Sessions emerged as a transformative platform for fostering collaboration among business leaders, innovators, and conservation experts. Held monthly, these online gatherings served as a dynamic space for exploring how emerging technologies and innovative strategies could be applied to environmental protection. Far beyond mere meetups, the GreenHouse Sessions acted as catalysts for change. They inspired participants to envision and implement forward-thinking solutions, driving a new narrative for conservation and encouraging actionable strategies for a more sustainable future.

Anchoring Innovation in Strategic Goals

Our innovation program was not an isolated effort; it was deeply integrated into WWF’s strategic framework, contributing significantly to key result areas (KRAs):

1.Community and Wildlife Coexistence Enabled

Through initiatives such as Wildlife Credits, we aligned conservation goals with community needs, fostering a harmonious relationship between people and wildlife. This project incentivized communities to engage actively in conservation efforts, ensuring long-term sustainability and improved livelihoods.

2. Wildlife Areas and Habitat Strengthened

Projects like Wildlife Credit, Tiriki Bamboo played a crucial role in strengthening wildlife habitats. By focusing on reforestation using bamboo, we restored degraded lands and created economic opportunities for local communities, enhancing ecological and socio-economic resilience.

3. Community Benefits from Natural Resource Management

Our partnership with county governments led to the developing of digital innovations such as the Nakuru Farmers Call Centre. This initiative empowered local communities to manage sustainable consumption and production practices, benefiting people and the environment through improved resource management.

4. Environmental Considerations Prioritized in Decision-Making

The GreenHouse Sessions were instrumental in influencing decision-making processes around sustainability for all participants. By bringing environmental considerations to the forefront, these sessions helped integrate sustainability into broader strategic decisions, shaping a more environmentally conscious approach to conservation.

5. Nature-Based Sustainable Impact Solutions

Ventures incubated through Panda Labs, such as Ukwenza VR and Lentera Africa, demonstrated the potential of nature-based solutions to drive sustainable development. These projects showcased how innovative approaches can be harnessed to achieve impactful conservation outcomes.

6. Strengthened Strategic Partnerships

The Innovation Festival and other collaborative efforts were pivotal in solidifying partnerships essential for scaling successful conservation initiatives. These events fostered collaboration among diverse stakeholders, amplifying the impact of our conservation efforts.

7. Research and Development

During this period, I engaged in several research and testing initiatives. Collaborating with Cambridge University MBA students and WWF conservation teams, we explored how to transform and value community conservation efforts through a scalable and replicable model. This "inclusive conservation" approach aimed to empower communities directly, enhancing accountability and transparency.

The Wildlife Credits project exemplified this new model, where communities and conservancies were rewarded based on conservation results. To measure and monitor progress, we established key performance indicators (KPIs) specific to each context, co-developed with communities. These indicators, which included wildlife sightings and social well-being metrics, were tracked using innovative technologies such as satellites, camera traps, and digital monitoring tools.

I was also engaged as part of the four-year Triple Benefit Project - Land to Sea (TBP-L2S), supported by WWF-Kenya and Danida Funding from Denmark, in which we partnered with Pangea Accelerator and conducted an extensive market study in the Southern Swamp of the Lamu Seascape and Mida Creek in Watamu.? The primary goal was to explore the intricate web of stakeholders involved in implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS), with a particular emphasis on mangrove protection, conservation, and restoration. The study aimed to uncover the benefits and potential revenue streams linked to mangrove conservation and restoration while formulating strategies to fully realize these initiatives. Furthermore, the report identifies promising funding opportunities that can expedite the progress of these initiatives, advancing the cause of Nature-based Solutions and conservation in the Coastal Kenya Landscape.

Transition to Regional Level and Exit

After dedicating over five years to WWF-Kenya, I transitioned to a role at WWF International as the Africa Regional Innovation Enabler. In this capacity, I focused on fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem across 17 African countries, aiming to integrate cutting-edge tools and methodologies into WWF's regional conservation strategies.

A key highlight of my tenure was organizing the WWF Innovation Festival, an annual three-day event that brought together over 750 participants. This dynamic platform facilitated learning, shared success stories, and explored the latest trends in innovation. The festival demonstrated the critical role of collective knowledge in driving impactful conservation outcomes.

Additionally, I led capacity-building initiatives, particularly in training on generative AI for conservation. I collaborated with A-teams across Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa, and the DRC to enhance their strategic approaches, execution, and evaluation processes. I also facilitated Innovation Learning Journeys and Design Thinking workshops tailored to the African context, nurturing a culture of innovation within WWF's regional offices.

Another focus was integrating innovation into ongoing processes. I worked to streamline innovative practices within existing strategy cycles and landscape plans, ensuring alignment with WWF's broader goals. By sourcing and documenting innovation case studies from across the region, I highlighted successful conservation solutions that could be scaled and replicated.

Thought Leadership in Innovation

Throughout my journey, I have emphasized the role of innovation in addressing conservation challenges, creating green jobs, and improving livelihoods. My thought leadership in applying a human-centered design approach has been pivotal in ensuring that our solutions are not only effective but also embraced by the communities they impact. This approach fosters lasting change by aligning conservation efforts with the needs and values of local populations.

As the boundaries between non-profit and for-profit sectors blur, innovation becomes essential for conservation organizations like WWF to continue protecting our planet while generating economic and social benefits. By repositioning, pivoting, and reorganizing, we can transform conservation challenges into opportunities, ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Looking forward, the role of innovation in non-profits, especially in conservation and climate change, is immense. Nature Based solutions, New Innovative Models for Climate Financing, Regenerative agriculture and venture building offer strategic avenues for driving sustainable development. For instance, the Wild Impact Studio's venture program that we had envisioned exemplifies this approach by supporting smallholders in adopting regenerative farming practices, thereby enhancing agricultural resilience and sustainability.

I have now embarked on My MBA journey at the African Leadership University (ALU) School of Business further reinforces my belief in conservation's potential. Africa is globally recognized for its rich biodiversity and iconic landscapes. Managed well, these resources can spur economic growth and improve livelihoods. By unlocking the potential of Africa's wildlife economy and promoting regenerative agriculture, we can tackle environmental degradation and create job opportunities for the continent's youthful population. Bankable nature-based solutions and venture building will be crucial in advancing our conservation goals and building a resilient impact ecosystem.

My journey as an innovator and ecosystem builder, particularly through non-profit initiatives like the innovation program at WWF, has showcased how transformative innovation can drive strategic and impactful outcomes. The lessons learned and successes achieved will guide future efforts, establishing a model for other non-profits and conservation organizations to follow.