thumbnail image

Chris Oestereich

Author, Publisher, Circular Economy Instigator

  • Intro
  • What I Do
  • Books
  • Why I Teach
  • Essays
  • WPCS Substack
  • Pandemic Capitalism
  • Can I Help?
  • Affiliations
  • Story-Based Systemic
  • Intro
  • What I Do
  • Books
  • Why I Teach
  • Essays
  • WPCS Substack
  • Pandemic Capitalism
  • Can I Help?
  • Affiliations
  • Story-Based Systemic
    • The Big Picture

      I help communities and organizations shift towards the circular economy via Linear to Circular, as well as community-oriented efforts with the Circular Design Lab. I’m also a writer and the publisher of the Wicked Problems Collaborative, and a lecturer at Thammasat University’s School of Global Studies in Bangkok, Thailand, where I teach active-learning courses on social innovation, social enterprise, and advocacy.

      Humanity has pushed itself into a corner. Now that we’re here, we have some tough choices to make and a whole lot of hard work to get ourselves on a better path. So be it. Let’s get to work.

    • What I do

      it's all connected

      Linear to Circular

      Helping People, Planet, & Business

      L2C helps firms analyze their waste streams, design programs tailored to create financial and environmental benefits, and implement related programs to move towards the circular economy. We're also working to develop a waste-to-value program that will create socially valuable products from materials sourced from informal waste collectors.

      Visit L2C

      Wicked Problems Collaborative

      Books are Good Food

      The WPC focuses on humanity’s biggest challenges. Our first book was an anthology on inequality “What Do We Do About Inequality?” My latest book, “Pandemic Capitalism,” looks at systemic challenges in the current context and advocates for systemic change. WPC Book #2: What do we do after the pandemic? will be released in 2021.

      Visit the WPC

      Circular Design Lab

      Systemic Design for the Masses

      The CDL teaches communities to work on major social and environmental challenges. We design and lead workshops using systemic design-an approach that marries design and systems thinking-to help community members address wicked problems where they are. We’re also creating a framework and toolkit for systemic design.

      Visit the CDL
    • WPC Books

      BOOKS are good food

    • Why I Teach

      Matters will not improve of their own accord

    • Writing Samples

      essays and whatnot

      The Week

      all you need to know about everything that matters

      • Boris Johnson has Britain barreling toward a disastrous no-deal Brexit
      • The U.K. has 2 very bad choices for the next prime minister
      • Boris is Unfit
      • Brexit is a huge mistake. It’s not too late to stop it

      The RSA

      21st century enlightenment

      Serving Others

      • What does it mean to be human-centered?

      Circular Design Lab

      • Fostering Communities for Bottom-Up Change
      • Planting a Seed of Community

      The Future of Work

      • Put Your Dreams Away for Now?

      Our Treatment of Refugees

      • The Humble Abode Games

      Supporting Social Innovations

      • Fostering a Social Innovation Community

      openDemocracy

      free thinking for the world

      Our Broken Economic System

      • Pandemic Capitalism

      Harvard Business Review

      ideas and advice for Leaders

      The Circular Economy is Good Business

      • Don’t let regulation turn your business into a Rube Goldberg machine 

      Sustainable Brands

      systems thinking in action

      Radical Intrapreneurship

      • Unleash the Radical Intrapreneurs!
      • Are You a Radical Intrapreneur?

      On the Role of Sustainability Leaders

      • Why It’s Time to Reframe the Role of Sustainability Leaders

      Advocacy, Purpose, and Engagement

      • How to Find Lasting Motivation and Engagement at Work
      • Can a Tuktuk Ride Change the World?

      Impact Assessment

      • How Do We Assess Impact (and Why Should We)?

      Inclusive Business

      • Is It About Cutting Out the Middleman?

      SALT Magazine

      compassionate business thinking

      Challenging Your Beliefs

      • How to Create a Healthier Planet: Be Willing to Be Wrong

      On Driverless Cars

      • Why every decision we now make will shape the future

      Avoiding Corporate Calcification

      • It’s time to reframe corporate sustainability
      • Disrupt the corporate immune system
      • Pump up the jazz…because orchestral business won’t survive

      THINK

      ideas and innovative solutions to today’s most pressing problems

      The Necessity of Circularity

      • The Circular Economy is Not Optional

      Social Space

      innovation + impact

      Questioning Tech

      • Is It Time To Curb The Tech Bandwagon?

      Re-envisioning Schools

      • Can we rethink education for an inclusive future?

       

      The Nation

      Thailand's Independent Newspaper

      The Sufficiency Economy

      • Let’s honor the late King by committing to the Sufficiency Economy

       

      SDG Helpdesk

      a one-stop online service providing access to SDG-related tools, knowledge, & more

      Green Growth

      • Edible Garden City (Singapore)
      • The Picha Project (Malaysia)
      • Zero Baht Shop (Thailand)
    • Wicked Problems and Circular Systems

      my substack

    • Pandemic Capitalism

      Not capitalism in the pandemic, but as one.

    • Can I help?

      If you need help cleaning up your operations, I’d love to look at opportunities to help you with that. But I can also help you re-orient your thinking, and your business strategy, towards a more sustainable path. As a business person with years of experience leading efforts around sustainability strategy, as well as operational work with organizations from SMEs to multinationals. I can help you get beyond esoteric discussions about the circular economy to begin delivering meaningful impact.

       

      Along with driving circular economy-related efforts, I'm available for keynotes, moderation, and panels, as well as workshop design and facilitation. And I'm always on the lookout for new waste sources for Linear to Circular's waste-to-value program.

      Schedule a Call
    • aFFILIATIONS

      partner organizations

      The RSA

      21st century enlightenment

      As a Global Ambassador of the RSA, I have hosted events like the Bangkok Talks series in collaboration with the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University. The RSA has also provided grant money to help support the Circular Design Lab.

      Thammasat University - School of Global Studies

      innovators for sustainable solutions to complex global issues

      I'm a former faculty member and current adjunct at Thammasat University’s School of Global Studies (SGS). I teach courses designed for active learning on social innovation, advocacy, and social enterprise in the ASEAN context.

      Circular Economy Club - Bangkok

      local action. global impact.

      As Thailand’s Organizer for the Circular Economy Club, I host events that bring together circular economy proponents for collaborative learning and to develop possibilities.

      The Pledge on Food Waste

      time to save food

      I’m a member of the Board of Advisors for The Pledge on Food Waste, where I’ve provided guidance for the certification program’s creation and ongoing evolution.

    • Story-Based Systemic Design

      sit with the problem

      Story-Based Systemic Design (SBSD) helps people design change with sustainability being central to the process.

      SBSD is a participant-driven framework for systemic design that integrates systems thinking and storytelling in seeking community-developed solutions to wicked problems.

       

      Learn more about SBSD over at the Linear to Circular site.

      Cookie Use
      We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
      Learn More