Your NameRuth J. Kiplagat
Email Addresshellojepchumba@gmail.com
Cohort AssignmentEurope, Africa, and the Middle East with Online Intensive, Winter-Spring 2024
1. What do you see as your primary work at this stage of your life?

My primary work is in agri-technology and food systems. I am working on a digital trade and education platform that supports the building of a resilient network of local food systems who are sustained by their local economy and adopt regenerative and circular food practices.

2. What role do you see as yours to play?

I see myself play the role of designer who observes, listens, asks and co-creates pathways for communities to reach their full potential.

3. What goals or aims do you have in regard to the above?

My goal is to see food communities thrive with their gifts and assets, to foster long-term relationships among local actors, and to see beauty emerge in their food-related activity and among the individuals who will collaborate. This beauty, to me, is in the ability to improve our quality of life; in the quality of food produced and eventually consumed; and in better livelihoods, working conditions, and the environment.

4. Where do you feel your next arenas for personal growth are?

My next steps in personal development include building a connected mentality and broadening my consciousness so that I may be aware of the world's intricacies and respond with clarity and confidence.

5. And for professional growth?

My next areas of professional development include broadening my design work to be more systemic and regenerative, as well as creating holistic, living projects that benefit the community while evolving and adding value.

6. What have you invested in to get you where you are?

I have invested in consciousness and personal awareness, which has helped me understand what I intrinsically value, my creativity by experimenting on several projects with varying degrees of success, continuous learning through creative projects, collaborative work, and 7 years of entrepreneurship running a creative agency.

7. What fields of learning and which thinkers have been important in your life?

Wangari Maathai the renowned Kenyan environmentalist, activist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, had a philosophy deeply rooted in environmental conservation, social justice, and empowerment.
Steve Jobs and his approach to innovation, emphasizing not only technical excellence but also creativity and humanistic values
IDEO's human centered design thinking approach to designing a better world
Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who pioneered the permaculture concept that teaches us how to live on the planet without destroying it
Agroecology as an important field of learning that improves agricultural practices for the benefit of local ecology while retaining traditional wisdom, culture, and food sovereignty.

8. Can you frame your philosophy or cosmology of life? What role(s) do humans play in it?

My philosophy is informed by my faith, which highlights the necessity of soul regeneration, as well as the African notion of Utu, which emphasizes humanity's interconnectedness and the value of compassion, empathy, and collective responsibility.

I think that individual consciousness, collective action, and collaboration may all lead toward beneficial change in society and the environment. By being attentive to the needs of others and the environment, servant leaders may co-create a world where life and nature coexist and individuals contribute compassion, truth, and beauty to their areas of influence.

Date CreatedFebruary 19, 2024