About this Substack
Policy Fix is a space for thinking about how to make social change happen. My hope is that it leaves you with a sense that whatever constraints and obstacles stand in the way, progress is possible. I’ll focus on big policy questions, but also methods and tools for driving innovation that I hope you can apply in your daily work.
I'm keen to start discussions that build on what may sometimes be half-baked or even laughable ideas and would love this to be a space for comments, reactions, disagreements - all very welcome. You can get in touch here on Substack, over on Bluesky, or with me directly at ravi.gurumurthy@nesta.org.uk
About Ravi
Ravi Gurumurthy is the CEO of Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team.
Nesta is an innovation foundation that runs experiments, builds ventures, runs challenge prizes and shapes policy. Nesta has three missions: to make every home net zero, halve obesity, and eradicate the achievement gap between children on free school meals and the average child by the age of 5. The Behavioural Insights Team began life as the ‘nudge unit’ in No10 Downing Street. It is now a global research and innovation consultancy that has delivered more than 1,700 projects in over 100 countries.
Prior to joining Nesta in 2019, Ravi was the Chief Innovation Officer at the International Rescue Committee and co-founder of the Airbel Impact Lab. At the IRC, he was responsible for designing, testing and scaling products and services for people affected by crisis in over 40 countries - from reducing acute malnutrition and intimate partner violence, to expanding employment for Syrian refugees. Through the Macarthur Foundation’s 100&Change prize, and in partnership with Sesame Workshop, this work included running the world’s largest early childhood development intervention in a humanitarian setting to date.
Ravi has held roles in the UK Government, including Director of Strategy at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and strategic advisor to the Foreign Secretary. Ravi led a number of major social and environmental reforms including the development of the world’s first legally-binding carbon emissions targets and the integration of children’s services. Ravi has also worked as a researcher at the think-tank Demos and in local government in London, and served on a number of non-profit boards.
Outside of work he is kept busy with two small children, and watching every Liverpool match possible.
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