Our Team combines interdisciplinary expertise with
enthusiasm for impact on the ground.
zora - the transformation lab was founded by Heinrich Zozmann and Raphael Karutz. Together, we share many years of professional and voluntary engagement for sustainable development.
Since 2019, we collaborate in zora to develop, apply and disseminate transformative knowledge.
We have close collaborations with a network of people working in diverse contexts. Their expertise enriches our work.
Founder
Short CV
Raphael Karutz studied Renewable Energies Engineering and Sustainable Development in Stuttgart, Leipzig and Graz. Druing his studies, he was engaged in various education projects on climate and environemntal protection and renewable energies, e.g. in summer academy courses and various school project weeks.
Since 2016, he has worked at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in the Departments Urban and Environmental Sociology and Environmental Politics.
In recent years, his scientific work has taken him to India, Tanzania, Jordan and Spain, where, in addition to technical issues, he has been intensively engaged in the possibilities of knowledge transfer and stakeholder participation.
His current focus is on the dynamics of urbanization in the Global South, especially resource use and resilience of informal settlements. With the aim of creating a city worth living, he also researches the potential and implementation opportunities of green infrastructure.
Founder
Short CV
Heinrich Zozmann studied Economics, Business Education and Sustainable Development at the Universities of Leipzig and Utrecht. He then completed his doctorate in Economics with a dissertation on heterogeneous water services and their implications for sustainable access to water.
After various professional positions in academia and the private sector, he has been working at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in the Department of Economics since 2015. Heinrich is particularly interested in the intersection between human behavior and sustainable development. Following this interest, he has contributed to various research fields, such as the study of water scarcity, green infrastructure in urban areas, and pandemic management and preparedness.
As a trained facilitator, he is enthusiastic about participation and capacity-building projects, as well as hands-on field research using approaches that combine qualitative and quantitative elements.
We have long-standing collaborations with a network of people working in diverse professional contexts.
The zora associates boost our range and impact in projects that profit from their expertise.
Researcher
Short CV
Yuanzao Zhu studied Environmental Science at Fudan University and Environmental Economics at AgroParisTech. She was engaged in a variety of environment-related research projects from laboratory experiments to economic analysis and financing mechanism during her studies.
She has worked at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in the Department of Economics since 2018.
Her research interests include ecological and environmental economics, sustainable development and quantitative analysis. She currently focuses on demand estimations as well as demand-side resource management strategies, and has gained recently a lot of experience in socio-economic survey design and conduction.
She is always interested in exploring new research fields as well as innovative solutions that bring together human and nature.
Designer
Short CV
Tiago Volpato holds a Bachelor's degree in Product Design from Universidade Federal do Paraná (Brazil) and a Master in Integrated Design (Hochschule Anhalt - Germany), and since 2018 works a freelancer based in Berlin.
He is interested in design, particularly in projects with a purpose. After having experiences in different areas of design, such as furniture, retail, graphic, and digital, he now sees design as a constant process of basically understanding and communicating something.
More on his work can be found here.
Business Mediator
Short CV
The productivity of companies depends on various factors. Personal conflicts within teams or dissatisfied employees prevent efficient and productive work. Reasons for this can be found in a lack of recognition and appreciation of the employees. High fluctuation, absenteeism and consequently high costs are inevitable.
During his economic studies at the universities of Leipzig and Marburg and his subsequent work experience, Gabriel Pasquet decided to assist companies facing these challenges. As a business mediator, he is active in managing conflict situations in companies by "helping people help themselves" through a structured process. He uses mediative elements to support and advise start-up companies dealing with a founding crisis that are caused by not clearly defined wishes and goals of the founders.
More info on his mediation work can be found here.
