We are thrilled to welcome Jacob Rask to the BLOXHUB team for Urban Partnerships (UP). As Program Manager, Jacob will spearhead the development, planning, and execution of national and international workshops in close collaboration with member organizations and other program teams at BLOXHUB.
Jacob comes from a position as a lecturer in economics at Roskilde University and brings a wealth of experience in sustainability transitions, having dedicated his professional career to this field. His expertise spans ecological economics, co-housing, and cooperative entrepreneurship. Notably, he co-founded Copenhagen Doughnut, a network committed to reshaping city priorities.
With a knack for simplifying complex challenges, Jacob excels in designing and guiding diverse groups through participatory and discussion-orientated processes, leading to practical solutions and consensus-building. We look forward to him leveraging these skills in our upcoming UP workshops.
We sat down with Jacob to ask about his background and main tasks as program manager.
Q: Tell us about your background and expertise.
A: With over a decade of experience at the intersection of ecology, environmental science, and economics, I’ve served as a researcher, author, consultant, and lecturer across academia, civil society, and the public sector. My focus has centered on developing community-level economic policies and provisioning models that align with people’s needs for housing, energy, and food while respecting planetary boundaries and ensuring climate stability. Now, as the Program Manager for Urban Partnerships, I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience and network to assist our members and drive the transformation of urban spaces.
Q: What will be your main tasks as Program Manager for Urban Partnerships?
A: My primary responsibilities involve designing collaborative workshops and engaging our members, network, and public and private partners to find solutions and identify business models for urban challenges. I will assist in setting up the team, tailoring the workshop process, and recognizing solutions and business models. I look forward to facilitating the discussion-oriented processes to guide participants toward practical solutions and consensus-building, ultimately aimed at finding the solutions we need to drive urban transformation and make things happen on a bigger scale.
Q: How do you envision contributing to transformative change through collaborative projects?
I’m excited about assembling diverse groups of passionate individuals – entrepreneurs, architects, citizens, planners, engineers, developers, ecologists, builders, mayors, and civil servants – to work together on building thriving, regenerative, inclusive, and resilient cities capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century.
My initial task involved co-designing and delivering a three-part workshop on the new climate plan with the City of Copenhagen. Serving my home city, where I was born and my children will grow up, was a privilege. I’m excited to continue and strengthen this and many other collaborations, hoping to contribute to transforming the degenerative and divisive economies we’ve inherited.
We are happy to have Jacob on board and confident that his experience, extensive network, and talent for facilitating change will enhance our efforts and infuse our work with a fresh perspective and boundless energy.
A warm welcome to Jacob!
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Jacob Rask is the author of two books: “Kooperativ Håndbog – Iværksætteri i fællesskab” (Nemo 2021) and “Bo.Fælles.Skab – håndbog for for kollektiver, bygge- og bofællesskaber” (Forlaget Hovedland 2023). He currently serves on the board of representatives of REALDANIA, elected by the members in 2022.
