Dr. Claudia Nicolai is the co-director and academic director of the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam/Germany. Together with her team she designs the academic programs for participants, the design thinking-coaches programs, develops innovation projects with partner institutions (companies, non-profit-organizations and research institutions) and researches on business design, innovative workplaces, leadership and teamwork. Claudia is also responsible for cooperations with international academic institutions in Design Thinking and related fields. She has co-designed the d-school genovasi in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia and the HPI D-school at the University of Cape Town in South Africa as well as the international biothinking-program at the Charité. Currently she is involved in developing design thinking institutions in Middle and Latin America (Mexico and Chile). She has taught as a guest professor/assistant professor at the University of Witten/Herdecke, RWTH Aachen, University of Arts/Berlin, openlab/Stockholm, and Elisava School of Design/Barcelona. Besides teaching and learning she heads Design Thinking-research at the HPI D-School with 3 funded research projects in the fields of innovation networks, future of work and team leadership. She is also eager to enable to make an impact on future education, change-making and entrepreneurship by closely collaborating with primary education institutions as well as international leadership programs (e.g. Montessori School, Young Global Leadership Program of Melton Foundation). She serves as a mentor of the startupbootcamp, Impact Hub and several startups. Claudia studied Business Administration, Economics, and Social Science and received her Ph.D. in Strategic Innovation. She has gained experience as a founder of her own companies as well as working as a strategy consultant and business manager for fast-moving consumer goods. She loves to encourage participants and professionals to become innovators, entrepreneurs and change-makers.