Josef George Kembel

Josef George Kembel is an educator, entrepreneur and advisor whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, leadership, and systems change.

As the founding director of Stanford’s Design School (the d.school), Josef helped launch a global movement in design that has influenced education, business, and social innovation worldwide. Earlier in his career, his entrepreneurial work contributed to the foundations of today’s mobile app and app ecosystems.

Josef’s global perspective was shaped by a six-month voyage to 30 countries, where he co-founded and co-led a ship-based social impact accelerator. Bringing together entrepreneurs, mentors, leaders, and students, the program explored how innovation can drive meaningful change across cultures and contexts.

Today, Josef works with leaders and organizations around the world on aligning vision, values, and action. His focus is on building “living learning systems”, adaptive structures that enable individuals and organizations to learn continuously, innovate responsibly, and grow in ways that serve both people and planet. He has developed modular learning approaches that empower people to design self-guided projects, using their own lives and communities as laboratories for growth and impact.

With a deep connection to the oceans and a commitment to collective flourishing, Josef brings a unique blend of practical innovation experience and inner consciousness work to the fields of philanthropy, leadership, and social change. His work centers on creating environments and practices that help people move more fluidly, act with clarity, and unlock value that goes beyond financial returns.