Joanne Jørgensen

Joanne Jørgensen is a seasoned sustainability leader and motivational speaker, known for her pioneering work in sustainable design and innovation. With over 25 years of experience in fashion and footwear, and a decade at the helm of Nike’s Materials Innovation Studio, Joanne brings a wealth of insight into transforming complex global systems with creativity and purpose. She is frequently hired as a speaker to inspire change across industries, offering strategic clarity on sustainable innovation and team leadership. Audiences turn to her for her ability to unite vision with action – showing how organisations can design for both impact and resilience.

Joanne’s career began in the knitwear scene of New York City in 2008, before returning to the UK to consult for a range of European brands. From leading design at Silverflint to shaping fashion at the Arcadia Group, her early experiences were marked by an agile, forward-thinking approach to materials and product creation. Her freelance work with high street names like M&S and G-Star sharpened her understanding of mass-market design and the sustainability challenges that come with scale. These foundations paved the way for her entry into Nike, where she would go on to leave a lasting legacy.

During her tenure at Nike from 2015 to 2024, Joanne led the global materials team in redefining sustainable innovation. She launched Nike’s first Footwear Materials Design Studio outside the company’s headquarters and later drove the strategic direction behind the Flyknit platform – a milestone in reducing waste through innovative design. Under her leadership, over ten sustainable footwear models were brought to market each season. Her team’s innovations achieved significant waste reduction in manufacturing, setting new benchmarks for both performance and environmental impact. In 2024, she founded TeamGlue, a consultancy dedicated to coaching leaders and shaping sustainability strategies in apparel and footwear.

Today, Joanne is hired not only for her expertise in sustainable design but for her rare ability to energise teams and leaders towards lasting cultural and operational change. Her talks blend design thinking, strategic foresight, and real-world experience, empowering audiences to move from ambition to action. Whether speaking to start-ups or global corporations, Joanne is sought after for her clear, compassionate guidance and her belief in design as a tool for transformation.