Samantha Cooper

Samantha Cooper works in Strategic Direction for social impact. After 20-years at BP as a global oil trader and executive she took a sharp change in direction to use her corporate experiences to help a range of organisations from social start-ups to large corporations grappling with issues such as diversity and authentic purpose. She is passionate about systemic change and collaboration to build the capacity needed to create a sustainable and kinder world.

Samantha is working with Impact Hub Islington on strategy and partnerships, co-chairs the Development Board of The Young Women’s Trust and is an associate at Koreo, a consultancy mobilising talent for social change. She is on the newly formed Sustainability Committee at Great Dixter Charitable Trust, helping the organisation improve its impact on the environment and also to see where it can potentially highlight issues, nudge its audience and work alongside other organisations to try and improve the gardening industry’s environmental impact. She also volunteers for the Alpine Garden Society.

Samantha has an M.Chem from Oxford University, is learning systematic thinking from Indy Johar at Dark Matters Laboratory and informally studies Tibetan Buddhism through the works of Pema Chodron and the Kagyu lineage. She is a very keen bread maker and is also learning the highs and lows of growing your own fruit and vegetables.

Work w/ CUSP

Samantha has run events at Impact Hub Islington, including a panel discussion with Prof Tim Jackson ‘Work isn’t working—co-creating a radical vision for the future of Good Work‘. Her work with us is rooted in our social enterprise theme. She has hosted two practitioner workshops with us for the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences 2017 and 2018.