Daphne Fecheyr-Lippens

Humans are one of 30-50 million species currently living on our planet. We are very young. We don't always have the best answers. We can learn from nature (yes, humans are part of that).

Biomimicry is a design approach to find innovative solutions based on nature's genius shapes, processes, and ecosystems to solve human challenges. 

Sharing biomimicry's story

Blogging on Medium
"What Nature can Teach us About Agility" - Sharing ideas about how nature can support agile organizational development.  "How Nature Says It" - Insights on how to improve communication & collaboration

“The power of innovators is to imagine, so let’s use nature-inspired biomimicry thinking as our guide to create a future we are proud of.” - Part of my keynote at the Global Innovation Forum.

Introducing biomimicry to, and working with, the design team at Balance, Inc. Experiences shared at TEDxCLE "From spider webs to elevators: leveraging biomimicry" together with Rene Polin. 

Bootcamp sessions for Nexxworks, who help companies regain the fluidity and radical innovation they lost as they grew.
Part of my session "How companies introduce biomimicry for organizational culture transformations"
Dutch article "Companies who don't adapt will become fossils, just like nature"

Closing keynote at BAQMAR "Biomimicry: Learning from nature for constructive innovation"

Scientific publications

Fecheyr-Lippens, Bhiwapurkar “Applying biomimicry to design building envelopes that lower energy consumption in hot-humid climate” Architectural Science Review (2017): 1-11

Fecheyr-Lippens, Nallapaneni, Shawkey “Exploring the Use of Unprocessed Waste Chicken Eggshells for UV-Protective Applications” Sustainability, 9, 232 (2017)

Igic, Fecheyr-Lippens, Xiao, Chan, Hanley, Brennan, Grim, Waterhouse, Hauber, and Shawkey. “A nanostructural basis for gloss of avian eggshells” Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 12.102 (2015)

Fecheyr-Lippens, Igic, D’Alba, Hanley, Verdes, Holford, … & Shawkey  “The cuticle modulates ultraviolet reflectance of avian eggshells” Biology Open bio-012211 (2015)

Kennedy*, Fecheyr-Lippens*, Hsiung, Niewiarowski, and Kolodziej. “Biomimicry: A Path to Sustainable Innovation” Design Issues 31.3 (2015)

Patent
Hedgehog-inspired impact protection technology PCT/US2016/052760

A purpose is what makes you want to wake up and allows you to fall asleep satisfied. For me, purpose is found in supporting the well-being of people and places.

Social entrepreneurship
Co-founder of Jaswig - Turning a personal need into a commercial product: designing and selling standing desks to make children and adults healthier and more productive at work and at home. 
Patent: Ratchet-based height adjustable system USPTO 14/734,818

Co-founder of Hedgemon - R&D of innovative impact absorption material inspired by hedgehogs
Patent: Impact protection and shock absorbing device PCT/US2016/052760

Community engagement
Co-host of CreativeMornings Ghent: We are building bridges between friends and strangers, makers and artists, entrepreneurs and intellectuals, locals and expats.

Inspiring books on Biomimicry, self-development, new management and economics that shape me. 

Biomimicry Belgium & Biomimicry Oregon - local chapters of a global community of Biomimicry supporters. 

Organized Biomimicry Oregon: PDX Node Meetups.

Generation-T - a sustainability network that connects change makers, strengthens their projects, and challenges companies on their sustainability policies. 

Thousand Network/Sandbox - a global community of exceptional, passionate pioneers who inspire and empower each other to create a better world.

Visuals support words. 
Words support a story.
Stories support change.
Change supports humanity.

Photography

See some of my photographs here.

Blogging

Although most of my writing is still kept for my own eyes, I'm learning how to start sharing bits and pieces. You can read some on my Medium page. 

Sharing inspirational stories about social changemakers, blogged at CONTRIBUTE Stories. Posting thought-provoking questions on Instagram Contribute_inspiration.