Creating Better, Youth Centred Co-Design

Roya Azadi is an awarded strategic design and innovation leader working across civic innovation and the future of public systems. Across her work with YLab, Paper Giant, World Vision, and multiple state governments, Roya has designed large-scale programs, strategies, and civic infrastructures that centre lived experience and equity.

 Alongside her practice work, Roya is an emerging public thinker on AI and social impact, exploring how new technologies can strengthen equity, expand civic voice, and build better feedback loops between institutions and the people they serve. She is a regular juror in design and social impact for design communities such as the Good Design Awards and speaker and writer.

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I did a double degree in law/arts at the University of Melbourne. During that time I got a one year research role at the United Nations which took me to NYC and Geneva, and my time away gaining lots of exposure to all kinds of people working on all kinds of things helped me realise that there were more ways to be involved in justice than becoming a lawyer. After I graduated I fell into a job in advertising in London which was my introduction to the world of business as well as the business of ideas. A couple of years there naturally led me down the path of innovation and from there it was a short leap into the world of strategic design and futures practice. This led me to World Vision where I was supporting new revenue stream innovation, and then on to leadership in award-winning impact consultancies Paper Giant and YLab.

What drives you to do the work that you do?

I truly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats and that if we can raise the standards of experience for those with the least equity in society, we all stand to benefit. 

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career? 

I would tell myself that careers aren’t linear — they are shaped by curiosity, values, and the people you choose to learn from. Every seemingly unrelated role (you should see how much I had to leave out!) will teach you something essential, so follow the work that feels alive rather than the work that looks predictable on paper. I’d also remind myself that confidence grows through practice, not permission, and that you don’t need to wait to be an “expert” before contributing to complex problems. 

What does social sector leadership look like to you?

To me, social sector leadership is the ability to hold a long-term view of public value while staying deeply connected to the lived realities of the people we serve. It’s not about heroic individual leaders, but about building the conditions for communities — especially young people and those traditionally excluded — to meaningfully shape decisions, policies, and systems. Good leadership shows up with humility, learns in public, and focuses on strengthening the structures around us so equity is built into how programs, institutions and collaborations actually function. 

What are you currently watching / reading / listening to?

I am currently reading Transcendant Kingdom by Ghanaian American author Yaa Gyasi - a gorgeous reminder that fiction is an incredible way to gain empathy with a story not your own.