Carra Santos
Innovation & Strategic Initiatives Advisor
Working with public health agencies, educational institutions, governments and enterprises across the UK and Europe, supporting projects that enable social and behavioural change.
Strengthening a project
By balancing creativity with thoughtful implementation, project leaders and teams can turn visionary insights into lasting, positive change.
I provide skills, resources and practical guidance to develop concepts carefully and effectively from the outset.
Who I work with
Public Health & Academic Research: Turning your research findings into practical projects with tangible outcomes.
Mission-Driven Enterprise & Investment: Ensuring an idea stands up, by underpinning it with real-world research and engagement.
Place-Based Innovation & Design: Mapping strategies to shape thriving places based on proven priorities for multi-stakeholder consensus.
What we'll do
We'll clarify your objectives, scope, and strategy.
We'll introduce appropriate research methods to spot opportunities and anticipate risks.
We'll see where your goals and your stakeholder needs differ and align, and address gaps.
We'll create clear roadmaps for research, engagement, testing and development.
Building on the consultation outcomes, I offer tailored support to progress your projects, including stakeholder engagement, research interpretation, workshop facilitation, and ongoing support.
Let’s start your project off on the right track.
Course-Correcting a project
The most successful project leaders are open to change, learning from setbacks to refine their approach and maximise their project's effectiveness.
I provide guidance, tools, and a supportive environment that pinpoints where a well-intentioned project has gone astray, and uncovers solid next steps.
Signs you need to course-correct
Your project got moving quickly, but it has now stalled.
You’re receiving conflicting advice and aren’t sure what to do next.
You’re encountering disinterest, resistance - or even hostility - from stakeholders.
You're using up time and resources, with little progress to show.
Your risks if you don't
Damaging credibility, trust, relationships and reputation.
Appearing reckless with funding and resources.
Unintentionally causing harm to others.
Reducing your chances of securing future funding and support.
What we'll do
We'll test and refine your concept to ensure clarity, practicality, and alignment with proven needs.
We'll analysis and do research to close knowledge gaps and pinpoint the challenges, barriers, and opportunities.
We'll uncover reasons for resistance and develop strategies for alignment.
We'll enhance your communication to increase engagement and achieve consensus.
We'll connect your idea to broader momentum through insights from academic research, international initiatives and grassroots approaches.
As a result, we'll have:
Understood and unblocked key barriers to progress
Mapped your strategy to move forward to the next milestone.
Equipped you for productive conversations with your stakeholders based on shared values and goals.
Built in guardrails for future decisions.
Strengthened your case for funding and future project opportunities.
Let’s get your project back on a strong track.
About me
With 15+ years of practical expertise in creative thinking, innovation and design; behavioural and cultural insights; cross-sector communication and stakeholder engagement, I thrive on turning challenges into creative opportunities.
Working with - and strengthening connections between - the public sector, private sector and civil society, I support the progress of pivotal projects and initiatives across the UK and Europe that create the conditions for social and behavioural change.
Highlights include:
Developing strategic recommendations for cross-sector collaboration and development of the WHO Tobacco Cessation Consortium.
Enabling greater engagement with food education through concept development, strategy, prototyping and roll-out of a product innovation, with clients ranging from councils and cookery schools to FMCG leaders and FTSE100s.
Silo-softening development of an interdepartmental council team, establishing common ground to share resources and collaborate effectively towards a shared mission of 'Climate-Positive Communities'.
Initiating a WHO internal research report and presentation highlighting untapped opportunities to equip countries and policy-makers to develop culture-specific communication on smoking cessation.
Coaching communities and councils to use design and systems thinking to solve local challenges arising from the wider effects of climate change as co-facilitator for Design Council's 'Design, differently' programme.
Creating and publishing a future-shaping series of CPD workshops for architects and urban designers, conveying needs and knowledge in a sustainable futures context on the themes of Circular Economy, Social Value, Inclusive Design and Reinstating Nature.
Creating a place-based evaluation tool to establish research priorities and consensus among urban development stakeholders at a neighbourhood level, within areas of extreme urban inequality and deprivation.
Informing more effective local government communication to young people (15-18) through visioning and futures thinking workshops designed to draw out their inspiration for shaping a climate-positive future.
Leading the concept generation, design and project management of a series of internationally acclaimed future concept installations inspiring the future of food, the future of construction, and the future of design, voted ‘most popular’ by 25,000 international industry professionals during London Design Week.
Harnessing localised creativity, skills and production alongside use of regenerative and upcycled materials through concept development, prototyping and, commercialisation of a design innovation, featured at London Design Week and in publications around the world.
“I would describe Carra as rigorously creative, in that she combines systems thinking and critical thinking with the spontaneity needed for new ideas. Not many people can do this. It's an impressive combination of skills for change-making."
- Strategic Designer & Agency Founder; Design Council Expert
Building on my early work in design, behaviour, and social impact, I have since contributed to strategic initiatives with organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Design Council, and various universities, local governments, and purpose-led enterprises.
Let’s see how my experience and expertise can enhance your project.
Fees
Consultancy Call/Document Review (with summary notes by email):
£125 per hour (UK clients)
€150 per hour (European clients)
Consultancy Packages:
Strategy & Discovery Workshop (2-3 days over 1 week) - £2,400 - £4,500 / €3,000 - €5,000
Innovation Planning (5 days over 2 weeks) - £5,000 - £7,500 / €6,000 - €8,500
Discover & Define Programme (over 3/6 months) - From £12,000 / €14,500
Retainer & Ongoing Support (for advisory and long-term engagements)
Monthly Retainer (e.g., 4-6 days per month) - From £4,000 / €5,000
This can include:
Training and capability-building for teams
Bespoke strategy, research and facilitation
Hands-on stakeholder engagement
Ongoing project coaching
Facilitation Day Rate:
Public Sector, Education, Non-Profit & Urban Design Initiatives:
£800 - £1,200 per day (UK clients)
€950 - €1,400 per day (European clients)
Enterprise & Private Sector Rates:
£1,200 - £1,800 per day (UK clients)
€1,400 - €2,100 per day (European clients)
All fees are exclusive of VAT, travel, and accommodation where applicable. Discounts are available for multi-session engagements, long-term projects, and non-profit collaborations.
Example Projects
Developing strategy and communication for cross-sector collaboration.
WHO Tobacco Cessation Consortium
Conducted an in-depth analysis of WHO Tobacco Cessation Consortium discourse to develop strategic recommendations for cross-sector collaboration and Consortium development.
Introducing participatory research methods gathering insights from civic society.
WHO Tobacco Cessation Support
Demonstrated design research methods to engage with smokers and inform the effective implementation of a digital cessation initiative, aligning their input with public health objectives.
Social psychology research on fast fashion and sustainable enterprise innovation.
'Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing and Textiles' (Routledge)
Lead author of Chapter 17: Crafting connections with clothing: values, influence and relationships. Book launch chapter presentation and facilitation of a roundtable discussion on a sustainable future for the fashion industry.
Curricuum research rethinking interior design education for the 21st century.
The Future of Interior Design
Research and recommendations report with stakeholder presentation on interior design education in the context of a regenerative, distributive and circular economy, for an award-winning private interior design school in London, UK.
Finding a starting point for calm discussion on a contentious topic known to instantly shut down conversations.
Communicating Degrowth
A Master’s dissertation identifying positive starting points for calm discussion, using a topic known for causing tension and hostility; in this case, between academic advocates and UK finance/technology business leaders.
Closing knowledge gaps for curriculum development in Further & Higher Education.
The Basics of Sustainable Futures'
Design and facilitation of a four-part CPD programme for design, business, finance and technology academics, to provide sustainable futures context beyond their subject specialisms, and help shape their content and curriculums.
Designing CPD workshops showcasing the role of creativity in shaping sustainable futures.
The Sustainability Spectrum
A CPD learning series for creative service professionals demonstrating the full scope of sustainable futures beyond 'green', and their unique potential to support an integrated approach to sustainable futures innovation.
Providing immersive education on the creative process for design, repair and local production.
Maker Carousel for 100% Design, London
An 81sqm makerspace concept and installation designed to reveal the process and practices of the future designer-maker - from paper prototyping, model-making and block-printing to 3D printing, smart tech and connectivity.
"[Carra] pushed participants to think deeper about the work they were aiming to deliver, and ultimately created a more meaningful process. This, in turn, led to longer-lasting outcomes. ”
- Senior Programme Manager, Design Council
People & Place
Strengthening insights into effective social and behavioural change, I research place-based innovation and communication that equips communities and enables social equity, cohesion and resilience.
I've found that place-based approach allows systemic thinking within the manageable parameters of a region, city, town or neighbourhood. These parameters provides a concise snapshot of all stakeholders, issues and opportunities from the ground up, enabling productive communication and collaboration on a practical scale.
f you’re curious about:
Cross-Sector Communication: We'll consider who and what's in play in a particular place - public, private, third sector, community, nature - identifying common needs and interests, connecting priorities, and developing communication methods that support consensus.
Social Practices & Meanings: We'll explore the values, meanings, motivations, and variations on what matters to people in different places, and interpret them into insights for context- and culture-specific communication.
Social Innovation & Economic Development: We'll uncover feasible ideas and interventions that meet social needs and improve individual and community wellbeing, while addressing barriers to adopting more sustainable ways of life and work.
Methods & Tools
Fundamentally, my methods support top-down-bottom-up engagement, where governance and communities work more closely together to co-create solutions, thus ensuring that they are relevant, appropriate, and more likely to be adopted.My toolkit for place-based innovation and communication includes social psychology, needs analysis, design research methods, values-based communication, and sustainable design for the built environment - along with my sketchbook, my camera, and my relentless curiosity.
Example Projects
Here are some examples of how I bring global change within local reach, turning theory into practice on a place-based scale.
Defining priorities and securing consensus between stakeholder groups in urban development.
'Bridge to Belonging'
A place-based evaluation tool to establish research priorities and consensus among urban development stakeholders at a neighbourhood level - in particular, within areas of extreme urban inequality and deprivation.
Engaging young people to inform more effective local government communication on climate action.
'The World We Will Create'
Visioning and futures thinking workshops and resources for young people (15-18) designed to elicit their personal inspiration for shaping a climate-positive future, to inform more effective local government communication.
Supporting global policymakers to develop place-based communication with behavioural insights and practical tools.
WHO: Culture-Specific Communication
A research article and internal presentation highlighting untapped opportunities to evaluate and develop country/culture-specific communication around smoking cessation, with a standardised, scaleable tool for policy-makers.
Equipping councils and communities with thinking tools for place-based collaboration.
Design Council: 'Design, differently'
Coach and co-facilitator for a Design Council programme inviting communities and councils to use design and systems thinking to solve local challenges arising from the wider effects of climate change.
Developing an inter-departmental council team around a shared goal.
Climate-Positive Communities
Silo-softening development of an interdepartmental council team, finding common ground to share resources and collaborate effectively towards a shared mission of community development.
CPD workshops introducing design for nature, health and community in cities.
'Design for Thriving Cities'
A future-shaping series of CPD workshops for architects and urban designers, conveying needs and knowledge in a sustainable futures context on the themes of Circular Economy, Social Value, Inclusive Design and Reinstating Nature.
Designing space for 'home-growing' food into furniture and interior design.
Farm Kitchen for 100% Design, London.
A 272sqm immersive design concept, installation and pop-up restaurant integrating micro-agriculture - the practice of growing food on a small scale using a variety of light sources, irrigation methods and growing mediums - into interior design.
Supporting city-dwellers and local developers to put nature back into cities.
Make Space for Soil
A communication campaign concept to educate/encourage two interrelated audiences - city-dwellers and local developers - to integrate space for soil into urban homes, with core messages adapted to each.
"A special talent for delivering solutions that satisfy the requirements from all stakeholder perspectives, are truly relevant and have undeniable integrity.”
- Director, 100% Design London