Company Info for edu.mx | IcebreakerMembers
As a strategist, advisor, and educator who straddles the business and design worlds, I serve as a thought and operating partner to leaders navigating ambiguous futures. A builder and systems thinker at heart, I’m particularly drawn to opportunities to create new models that blur the line between values-driven and for-profit organizations and have worked with global enterprise executives, non-profit leaders, and hundreds of inspiring entrepreneurs.
Currently, Founding Partner of da/rk with Richard Kelly. We’re on a mission to humanize our economic models for shared value because we believe the increasing uncertainty and complexity of our world demands (and deserves!) fundamentally new and adaptive ways forward.
Previously, as both an intrapreneur and entrepreneur, I’ve led the design and development of five purposeful organizations including WeWork’s global 'cultureOS’ business, which drove revenue growth by helping C-Suite executives think and act differently about culture and the role it plays in their businesses, and the Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator, which focused on sustainable and ethical businesses.
I love sharing the stories of impact of the communities of which I am a part and am regularly invited to do so globally. I have taught human-centered design and research at SVA, IIT Institute of Design, CEDIM in México, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where I was the Inaugural Chair for the BFA in Visual Communication. 
Courtney leads Strategic Insights and Foresight at lululemon, overseeing enterprise-wise understanding of human behaviour and culture to uncover unmet needs and opportunities for future growth. Formally trained as a cultural anthropologist, she has over 10 years experience in applied anthropology, customer research and innovation strategy. She combines ethnographic practice with foresight and cultural scanning to identify medium- and long-term implications for the business, including product, brand and retail strategies. She has a wealth of knowledge in the field of health and wellness both professionally and personally.
Courtney also provides training and workshops to entrepreneurs and leaders on design-thinking, qualitative research methodologies, and customer-centric design. Currently, she teaches in a Masters of Business Innovation course at CEDIM, Mexico. She is a recognized speaker and published writer.
Prior to joining lululemon, Courtney was Senior Resident Anthropologist at Idea Couture, a Global Strategic Innovation and Experience Design firm. Notable past clients include P&G, Whirlpool Corporation, Ford Motors, Reckitt Benckiser, UCB pharmaceuticals, Telus Communications, Novartis, The Hospital for SickKids and the Canadian Scholarship Trust.
Courtney holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Visual Anthropology from the University of Oxford, and is a certified yoga teacher.
KEY SKILLS:
- ethnographic and qualitative research
- human-centered design training
- ideation facilitation
- keynote speaking and writing 
For more than two decades I’ve worked closely with organizations to identify new opportunities for growth and turn customer insights into new products, services, and businesses. Like the diverse teams I lead, my hybrid background spans traditional boundaries and includes applied anthropology, design planning, organizational psychology, and growth strategy. I excel at crafting engagements and leading teams to not only deliver growth, but also create cultures of innovation in the process, enabling them to achieve repeatable and sustainable success.
My work has been profiled in the New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, AdAge, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. I am a frequent speaker and have taught and guest lectured in several Masters of business and design programs in the US and Mexico. 
