Programme leadership, storytelling and growth for changemakers
A portfolio of nature-based renewal
Hello…
I’m Sam Williams and this is Reflexive Ecology
Working at the intersections of ecological recovery and social innovation, I’m a programme manager, consultant and impact-growth specialist supporting regenerative change.
Portfolio
Supporting purposeful changemakers
A selection of current and recent work rooted in practical action within natural systems, these are clients and projects nurturing meaningful systems transformation, resilience and healing.
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Celebrating stories of meaningful exploration, Wildside Journeys is a global community of storytellers aiming to shift dominant narratives in adventure travel and outdoor lifestyles. Hosting creatives from around the world, this is where people, landscapes and the more-than-human meet.
As co-founder and associated editor, I contribute articles and photo essays mostly exploring human relationships with the wilderness, as well as musings on what I call "emergent adventure": the space where experiential movement meets nature connection in a living world.
www.wildsidejourneys.com
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Many of us yearn to re-entangle ourselves with the more-than-human world, to re-align our bodies to the rhythms of nature, and to rekindle what it means to be “home”. The Land-Based Living Collective is a response to this call, and is a growing movement nurturing low-impact land-based lifestyles.
Building beautiful straw bale, timber and earthen buildings, I supported the organisation with management consultancy, programme development and coaching. I was also lucky enough to roll up my sleeves and help with construction projects in Devon, Cornwall and the Cotswolds.
www.landbasedliving.com
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The world over, local communities work tirelessly to protect and restore the places they love from the impacts of the climate and nature crises. The Conservation Collective is a global network of local foundations funding these effective grass-roots initiatives.
Providing programme management for a large-scale biodiversity mapping and ecosystem restoration project, I coordinated partners in the UK and Spain, including experts in ecology and nature finance, community groups, private sector sponsors and the University of Seville.
www.conservation-collective.org
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My dad and I found an old horse box in a field, and set about rebuilding it as a mobile sauna. Doing things the old fashioned way, we sourced local materials, milling and processing Dartmoor timber before combining with a top-of-the-range Scandinavian woodburner.
Sharing the sauna, together with a farm-made shower and plunge pool, for weddings, parties and retreats, this has become a small local business encouraging healthy, nature-connected lifestyles, embodied connection and social get-togethers in beautiful places.
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Beginning as pandemic-era walks on Dartmoor, Mindfully Wild is a small collaboration that aims to share the therapeutic benefits of being in nature. Coming together for reflection, connection and peace, we support relaxed and unpretentious experiences in the wild.
Non-profit and no logo, we run two immersions each year. We do this to receive and share the incomparable gifts of sleeping under the stars, bathing in the rivers, and reconnecting with the ecology of which we’re part. Each experience has proven uniquely beautiful.
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A CIC at the intersection of art, academia and activism, Radical Ecology explores imaginative transformations in response to our planetary crises. Their purpose is to decolonise the environmental justice movement through research, events and campaigns.
I supported the team with growth and communications consultancy and project management. As well as building their fundraising pipeline, and writing bigs, I also helped embed the cultures and systems required for sustainable growth.
www.radicalecology.earth
About
Nature connection as participatory action
Working with purpose-driven organisations, partnerships and campaigns, I provide strategic leadership, programme management, consultancy, coaching and hands-on doing.
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A programme manager, producer and consultant working at the intersections of ecological renewal and social innovation and wellbeing, I am a collaborator in movements towards place-based systems change, environmental recovery, physical and mental health, and sustainable transformation.
With nearly two decades experience in health, education and technology, I have worked with universities, NGOs and businesses in the UK, Europe, Africa and the Americas, collaborating with brilliant, diverse people from Nobel-prize winners to indigenous communities.
Starting at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, I spent many years in research and development roles at the Institute of Development Studies, UCL’s Institute of Education and the London Business School, as well as charities including Rethink Mental Health.
After founding an award-winning adventure travel social enterprise which later evolved into Wildside Journeys, I held senior roles in health and fitness technology in the US (Managing Director of Corporate Health) and public health policy in the UK (Enterprise & Communications Director).
I have a BA in history and an MA in anthropology and politics (both Uni. of London), as well as training in social enterprise leadership (Uni. of Cambridge), systems theory (ETH Zurich), human-centred design (IDEA), nature-based leadership (Green Minds) and storytelling for change (Ariel).
In 2024, I received the Radical Seeds Fellowship awarded by Emergence Magazine (Kalliopeia Foundation), and in 2026 I studied Gandhian Ethics and Leadership with Vandana Shiva at Navdanya Earth University in India. I am currently based in Devon in the UK.
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Drawing on experience from a range of sectors - from education, health and technology to conservation, public policy and the experience economy - I employ highly adaptive programme management and relationship-based leadership in the following areas:
Products and services: I design, deliver, support and enable collaborative efforts towards impactful outcomes within a focused, risk-managed strategic framework. While contextual, values-based and empathetic, I offer operational leadership that provides meaningful and sustainable results.
Communications: Whether local or global, I work collaboratively to provide human-centred strategic communications, storytelling and digital transformation, as well as proposition design and the production of brands, campaigns, events, and other facilitated, curated and guided experiences.
Growth: Drawing from international experience of B2C, B2B and B2G fundraising, sales and partnerships, I offer sustainable growth services including commercial, philanthropic and enterprise sales strategies, pipeline development, network and CRM management, bid writing, and more.
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“A champion of clear outcomes and continuous learning, Sam’s technical programme management skills are matched by his high emotional intelligence, diplomacy and care. With a rare combination of strategic insight and entrepreneurial doing, Sam is a valuable asset for any conservation organisation.” Jade Brudenell, Executive Director, Conservation Collective
“It was a genuine pleasure to work with Sam. He’s one of the most grounded and relationally skilled people I know, and these qualities made collaboration feel easy and deeply human. His presence consistency brought clarity, calm and connection, while his lived embodied understanding of regenerative culture brought valuable depth and insight.” James Bullen, CEO, Land-Based Living Collective
“A champion of developing strong self-awareness through connection, meaningful engagement and purposeful storytelling, Sam’s leadership approach reflect the values he articulates: a values-driven beyond profit leader. His passion brings collaborations together, and he is an impressive social entrepreneur and program manager.” Maria Ranallo, Associate Editor, Wildside Journeys
“Sam is a charismatic leader who earned the trust and admiration of his teams. Many colleagues would highlight how inspiring and supportive his leaderships was. He is a master communicator - whether rallying a team internally or representing the company with partners and clients externally, he brought clarity, confidence and maturity to every conversation.” Kalen Pino, CCO, Virtuagym
