Who is Valerie

Valerie is a sustainability practitioner working at the intersection of inner transformation and systemic change. With experience across universities, environmental organisations, and the German Environment Agency (UBA), her work has consistently focused on advancing just and sustainable transitions.

Now based at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS), Valerie’s research and facilitation work centres on building meaningful connections in the field of socio-ecological transformation. She views today’s polycrisis as a deeper crisis of relationship, a growing disconnection from self, others, and the natural world.

Valerie is passionate about creating spaces that invite reflection, foster dialogue, and empower individuals and groups to locate themselves within complex systems. Her approach integrates inner development with collaborative action, supporting processes where personal and collective transformation go hand in hand.

For her, ICH is an embodiment of the values she lives by, a practice of trust-based, joyful, and globally rooted collaboration for a more humane and sustainable world.

Area of Expertise:

Community of Practice, Transdisciplinary Research, Facilitation, Reflexive Practices