Jon Wasserman – Principal Director

Catalyst | Facilitator | Leader

I bring thoughtful curiosity,
serious play, and conscientious accountability to my work and my relationships. 

I’ve collaborated with Fortune 1000 companies, startups, foundations, community based organizations, global NGOs,
and government agencies. 

WHAT I DO

I lead collaborative partnerships of experts focused on social and nature-driven objectives. My work takes many shapes and it spans many industries, cultural landscapes, and coded languages. 

I resist the pull to commit to one ideological space, because the more diversity of context I experience the more I see opportunities to cross-pollinate existing wisdom, valuable ideas, and successful principles from underutilized places.  

There are an abundance of niche experts. But the world’s challenges are complex and interrelated. I help the experts collaborate with communities outside of their domain.

WHAT I ACTUALLY DO

I co-design the transformation of the current-state experiences (product, service, culture, process, etc.)
into something fresh, effective,
and durable. 

“Co-design” signals that the authentic voice of my partners and impacted communities have agency in the creation of strategies, recommendations, and produced things. 

“Transformation” can feel vague, but reflects the fact that change is not simple, quick, or binary. Launching a new product has both technical and adaptive challenges. Resources need to be reallocated, but mindsets may also need to shift. 

Tactically, transforming the current-state experience may look like design research, shaping a strategic plan, concept or product development, derisking or remediating existing initiatives, creating an improved employee experience, or a variety of other crucial initiatives that an organization may not have existing capacity to manage. 

I support my partners by appraising their current challenges, recommending paths to success, fostering alignment among the people invested in their goals, and leading the practical teamwork that needs to be done. 

MECHANISM NICE

I created Mechanism Nice as an instrument of intentional design that’s flexible enough to reposition itself for a diversity of collaborators and contexts. 

We’re operating at a time when many individuals’ expertise are disconnected from their social and environmental purpose.
Mechanism Nice brings opportunity, ability, and impact together. 

The name was borne out of the intersection of Systems Thinking,
Social Impact, and Cultural Context.