About Us
About Us
At NextWAVE Innovation, we help leaders and organizations navigate complexity with clarity. Our work is rooted in systems-aware research, strategic planning, and systemic innovation—creating strategies and interventions that move with complexity, not against it
Who We Are
Karyn Zuidinga
Founded by Karyn Zuidinga, NextWAVE began as a UX research and design consultancy and has evolved into a practice focused on systems innovation and systemic design. Today, we partner with organizations facing complex, high-stakes challenges to uncover insights, align stakeholders, and co-create strategies that last.
Karyn is a seasoned practitioner in research, innovation, and strategy. With decades of experience in human-centered design and organizational transformation, she brings both clarity and collaboration to leaders navigating complexity. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI).
NextWAVE is also home to The Ecosystem Project, a joint venture with Rob Brodnick’s Sierra Learning Solutions. What began as a book has grown into a dynamic consulting practice—helping leaders illuminate and transform the ecosystems they are part of.
Who We Work With
We collaborate with leaders and teams tackling complex, high-stakes challenges, such as:
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Large-scale institutional shifts and transformations
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Complex stakeholder networks that need alignment
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Innovation, strategy, and social change initiatives
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Organizations seeking to better leverage their environment and landscape
Our approach has been applied across diverse human ecosystems—from an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Lower Hudson Valley, to a regional human talent network in Southeastern Minnesota, to complex organizations working on human resources, brand strategy, and innovation.
Our Story
NextWAVE began as a UX research and design consultancy. Over time, it evolved into something broader: a practice focused on systems innovation and systemic design. Today, NextWAVE helps leaders, teams, and organizations move forward with clarity in the face of complexity.
Our Mission
We exist to help organizations and institutions understand, map, and transform their ecosystems. Change is most effective when it aligns with a system’s natural dynamics—leveraging relationships, networks, and strategic interventions to create sustainable impact.
Our Approach
Complex challenges don’t yield to linear plans or one-size-fits-all solutions. They require clarity, perspective, and strategies designed to move with complexity.
At NextWAVE, our approach integrates:
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Research and Illumination — uncovering insights, mapping ecosystems, and surfacing hidden dynamics.
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Systems-Aware Strategy — framing challenges in their broader context and identifying leverage points for change.
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Transformation and Design — co-creating strategies and interventions that shift systems toward healthier, more fit-to-purpose futures.
This method—refined through years of practice and captured in The Ecosystem Project—helps leaders see their systems clearly and act with confidence.