At Colectivo, we believe great design doesn’t just make experiences better, it makes systems visible. That’s why, through our Behavioural Design for a Sustainable Future student series, we’re proud to spotlight emerging voices who are using behavioural insight to reimagine the everyday.

This week’s feature comes from Valeria Pérez Martínez, a strategic designer currently completing a dual master’s in Customer Experience & Innovation and an International MBA at IE Business School. With a background in branding and experience design, Valeria brings a storytelling mindset to questions of sustainability and impact.

At Colectivo, we believe that designing for sustainability requires more than good intentions, it requires insight, structure, and above all, empathy. This belief is at the heart of our new series, Behavioural Design for a Sustainable Future, where we feature work from students in Laura McDermott’s IE University Master in Customer Experience and Innovation course. 

Valentina Martingell, our Design Analyst and Coordinator, represented Colectivo at South Summit Madrid 2025. A gathering of founders, investors, corporates, and creatives shaping the future of business and sustainability. As a consultancy rooted in regenerative thinking, we were particularly interested in how panels addressed the intersection of climate, innovation, and social equity.

From ambition to delivery, using microgoals, practical project pathways, and strategic reflection to create meaningful sustainability progress.

We Need Big Goals: But We Also Need a Way to Get There

In the world of sustainability, ambition isn’t the problem. We see it every day: organisations aiming for net-zero, circular operations, climate resilience, and more.

But when it comes to actual delivery, big goals alone aren’t enough.

How corporate teams can reduce overwhelm and accelerate progress, and how we’ve built our newest course using the same principles.

Strategy Pressure Is Real

At this time of year, corporate teams are being asked to do a lot, fast. Accelerate delivery. Fix what’s underperforming. Keep innovation pipelines moving. And prepare for mid-year reviews, all while managing stakeholder expectations and sustainability demands.

While innovation is important, it isn’t enough on its own. The hidden driver behind every sustainability effort is human thinking, and that is where the real challenges lie.

Our brain relies on heuristics, which are fast, automatic mental shortcuts to help us make the quickest decisions.

Last week, the Colectivo team had the pleasure of attending the PMI Ireland National Conference 2025 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. With this year’s theme, “Navigating the Next Wave,” the event brought together an impressive community of project professionals tackling the biggest shifts shaping our world: AI, sustainability, and the future of work.

As climate goals grow more urgent, employee engagement becomes harder to sustain, and urban life distances us further from the natural world, organisations are increasingly looking for solutions that do more than tick boxes, they want change that feels real.

Enter GrowAllot for Business, a hands-on, nature-first programme co-designed by Colectivo and Feebee Foran of Forager. This initiative invites organisations to reimagine underused outdoor spaces, rooftops, courtyards, even car parks, as thriving, edible, biodiverse allotments. It’s a chance to connect employee wellbeing with corporate sustainability in a way that’s grounded, visible, and deeply human.

🌱 The Missing Link in Sustainability? Human Behaviour

We recycle things. We carry paper bags. We turn the tap off. But deep down even we know that’s not enough and even then, we don’t always stick to those habits. Why is that?

It turns out that sustainable behaviour is not just about information. It’s about an emotion, a consistent habit, and an identity. People often experience what’s called cognitive dissonance; a state of mental discomfort that occurs when they value sustainability but choose convenience instead.

We’re excited to announce the pilot phase of GrowAllot for Business, a pioneering new programme co-created by Colectivo and Feebee Foran of the nature-led brand Forager. This innovative initiative is designed to help organisations integrate sustainability into their culture through hands-on, nature-based experiences that go far beyond the garden bed.

Set for a full-scale launch in 2026, GrowAllot for Business is now open for pilot access, a unique opportunity for forward-thinking teams to be early adopters of this transformative workplace movement.

We’re proud to officially announce a brand new partnership between Colectivo and Feebee Foran, founder of the nature-led brand @Forager, to co-create and launch a pioneering new programme: GrowAllot for Business.

This innovative initiative is designed to help organisations transform underused spaces, such as rooftops, car parks, and courtyards, into edible, biodiverse allotments. But GrowAllot is about more than growing food; it’s about cultivating a deeper culture of sustainability, wellbeing, and connection within the workplace.

Live Podcasts are a dynamic and interactive way to bring sustainability conversations to life during Green Week—wherever your team is based.

Colectivo experts Laura McDermott & Finn Van der Aar have developed Live Podcast sessions on topics like ocean preservation, impact innovation, and sustainable living—breaking down complex environmental issues into engaging, practical discussions.

In an increasingly fractured world, the challenges outlined in the Global Risks Report 2025 are not just abstract concerns, they are realities affecting businesses, societies, and individuals worldwide. Geopolitical tensions, environmental crises, societal fragmentation, and technological risks all demand urgent, thoughtful responses. Yet, as the report reveals, optimism about our collective ability to navigate these challenges is declining.

We are proud to announce that our founder and CEO, Laura McDermott, has been shortlisted for the prestigious ESG Champion Award at the IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2025. This recognition celebrates leaders who are driving meaningful change through Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives — a cause that sits at the heart of Colectivo's mission.

If you're planning your Green Week programme, here’s a creative and immersive idea designed to connect your team with nature, sustainability, and each other.

In the first part of our Green Week @ Work 2025 series, we shared five ideas to help kick-start your green initiatives. Building on the success of our 2024 Green Week activities, we’re continuing our tradition into 2025 with five more engaging ideas. From interactive challenges to collaborative projects, these activities will ensure your team remains excited, motivated, and committed to sustainability.