HELSINKI GROUP

Founded in 2010, Helsinki Group is named after the Helsinki Accords — a historical moment that echoed throughout the end of the Cold War. The Helsinki Accords gave rise to a global conversation about human rights, an impetus for people to organize across borders and opened up new roles for public and private institutions in a globalized world. We take inspiration from seemingly isolated events like these that reverberate throughout large systems.

Richard Tyson, Principal

Richard is a leader in innovation strategy. Richard's practice has been focused on helping large, global enterprises around the world build their capacity for innovation. Before founding Helsinki Group, he was a strategy director at the leadership and innovation firm Stone Yamashita Partners, and before that, a thought leader and global account manager at Doblin, Inc. and Monitor Group. His work is built on the idea that organizational success in a complex, uncertain world is more closely tied to ideas of resilience than to ideas of singular breakthrough success. He believes success is best understood in terms of the political and institutional economies in which it is situated. Richard was educated at Harvard, Whitman College and The New School for Social Research.

Manuel Toscano, Principal

Before founding Helsinki Group in 2010, Manuel spent ten years helping clients bridge business and design by combining a deep expertise in developing and implementing communication strategies with an unmatched ability to craft compelling visual storytelling. In 1998 he joined Zago and helped shape the design consultancy into a world-class Corporate Identity, Social Brand strategy and Visual Communication practice. Zago's clients included Fortune 500 companies, international non-profits, start-ups and global brands. The studio received several prestigious awards and won international competitions, and its work has been accepted into the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Getty Museum. Manuel is a leader in design and social innovation and has spent the last year as a Rockefeller fellow investigating the future of social business models.

Nereo Zago

Creative Director

Nereo has conceived and executed identity strategies for some of the world’s largest companies. He boasts seventeen years of professional practice and six years of Swiss Design education from The Basel School of Design, Switzerland. He founded Walder + Zago Communications in Basel, Switzerland in 1989, developing exhibitions, educational videos, short films and corporate identity programs. In 1994, Nereo relocated to New York and founded Zago Design, Inc., a studio and consultancy. Over the years Nereo has had the pleasure to work with Ciba Geigy Pharmaceuticals, UBS United Bank of Switzerland, Panalpina, Mastercard and Pfizer. More recent clients include UPS, Citibank Private Banking, MTV2, Columbia University, Human Rights Watch and MusicNet, Inc., a start–up venture focusing on online content distribution.

Muriel Dégerine

Art Director

Muriel works as an art director and designer in the studio. Innovative conceptual thinking combined with an uncompromising visual sense guides her practice.

Ric Edinberg

Innovation Research Partner

Ric is a North American Managing Partner at In/Situm. Ric works with Helsinki Group to define and develop user- and innovation-focused design research in the US and emerging markets.

Siobhan Fagan

Research Consultant

Siobhan is a writer, researcher, and library scientist. Siobhan leads research and knowledge management at the studio, supporting all our work on design labs and design programs.

Brian Gladstein

Strategic Venture Marketing and Social Technology Partner

Brian is the principal at Explorics and an experienced start-up CEO working at the intersection of new venture marketing and social technology. Brian works with Helsinki Group on emerging technology, design labs for next generation enterprises, and venture-related sales and marketing strategy.

Rafael Alves Martins

Designer

Trained at Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial in Rio, Rafael is a designer in our Rio Studio. He brings a background in both visual and product design.

Ariel Muller

Senior Strategy
Consultant

A graduate of Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Ariel focuses on building client relationships around sustainability and organizational change and development.

Amanda Sawyer

Business Manager

Amanda is the business manager for Helsinki Group. She helps us keep everything in perspective.

Ross Von Burg

Clean Tech and Eco-Finance Partner

Ross is an investor and entrepreneur operating at the intersection of finance and clean technology. Ross works with Helsinki Group on emerging clean tech and eco-finance innovation research and program development.

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