I combine technical know-how and human-centred design to make technology, organizations and systems better.

I’m Grace – a designer, engineer, social entrepreneur and strategist based in the UK. I have a background in engineering, with a Bsc in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and 2 years of experience as a destructive tester in the offshore sector, very precisely smashing up specialist equipment for multinationals.

In 2014 I co-founded Saathi Inc, a social enterprise based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat which makes eco-friendly, biodegradable sanitary napkins from banana farming agri-waste. In 2016 I graduated cum laude with an Msc in Integrated Product Design with a medical design focus at the Technical University of Delft. During my time there I worked on projects for Biomet, Doctors Without Borders and TNO. For my thesis, I worked with Philips Africa to create a low-bandwidth communication service for repair of essential medical equipment.

I am a 2016 fellow of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, an organization which promotes the transition to a circular economy.

I have also worked as a Creative Facilitator, facilitating session for the Edinburgh Science Festival and KLM, and have created curriculum materials for Practical Education Network, a Ghana-based social enterprise providing hands-on science education.

I write about design, technology and sustainability here.

To get in touch, follow me on twitter @graceykane or contact me at gracemcalpinekane@gmail.com.