About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

The Upstream Collaborative, was an active learning network of practitioners from 20 pioneering local authorities and their partners brought together by Nesta in partnership with Collaborate from 2019-2020.

These local government innovators were selected because they are all experimenting with different ways to address the complex challenges their communities face. By moving attention and resources upstream of service delivery, they are exploring how they can help create the conditions that enable citizens to thrive. To do this they are adopting new ways of working – new operating models – that acknowledge the complexity and interconnectedness of social issues and the people and organisations that aim to tackle them.

Team

Carrie Deacon

Carrie Deacon

Carrie Deacon

Director of Government and Community Innovation

Carrie was Director of Government and Community Innovation at Nesta, leading our work on social action and people-powered public services.

View profile
Codrina Cretu

Codrina Cretu

Codrina Cretu

Mission Manager, sustainable future mission

Codrina is mission manager for the sustainable future mission.

View profile
Jenni Lloyd

Jenni Lloyd

Jenni Lloyd

Programme Manager, Innovation Programmes

Jenni was a Senior Programme Manager, responsible for the development, management and delivery of government innovation programmes.

View profile
Tom Symons

Tom Symons

Tom Symons

Deputy Director, fairer start mission

Tom is the deputy mission director for the fairer start mission at Nesta.

View profile
Katherine Zscharnagk

Katherine Zscharnagk

Katherine Zscharnagk

Programme Coordinator, A Fairer Start mission

Kat was the Programme Coordinator for the new A Fairer Start mission launched in February 2021.

View profile
Marc Newall

Marc Newall

Marc Newall

Senior Policy Advisor

Marc was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Government Innovation Research, Analysis and Policy team.

View profile
Jonathan Bone

Jonathan Bone

Jonathan Bone

Mission Manager, healthy life mission

Jonathan works within Nesta Cymru (Wales), focusing on working across public, private and non-profit sectors to deliver innovative solutions that tackle obesity and loneliness in Wales.

View profile
Alice Casey

Alice Casey

Alice Casey

Head of New Operating Models

Alice led on a portfolio of work looking at how technology is transforming communities and civic life.

View profile