Who we are

Our Team

ISD is a Swiss NGO registered in Basel as an operationally active, charitable foundation. Our activities are governed by a board of directors that is highly experienced in developing and managing solutions to complex challenges with social, political, economic, and environmental dimensions. In addition, ISD is able to draw upon a collective pool of expertise that is global in scope, including long-term partners that commit to a set of shared values. For each project, ISD collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of regional and international experts that is tailored to the specific challenges and community needs.

Board Members

Eugenie Molyneux

Chair of the Board

Prof. Dr. Lindsay Blair Howe

Member of the Board

Karin Howell

Member of the Board

Joanna Mansfield

Member of the Board

Operational Team

Ben Mansfield

Foundation CEO

Ernesto Vilchis

Head of Strategy

Dr. Hannes Zander

Head of Research & Project Manager

Advisors

Dr. Nyasa Steger

NGO law & human rights expert (Switzerland & USA)

Eloise Rousseau

urban planning, stakeholder management & governance (South Africa & UK)

Faldi Samaai

infrastructure engineer, impact-led business, project management (South Africa)

Ian Mills

international development & impact led business (South Africa)

Kelvin Campbell

urban designer, author, impact-led business (South Africa & UK)

Khalied Jacobs

urban designer, architect, participation design, researcher (South Africa)

Loghedi Luhangala

stakeholder engagement, economic empowerment, environmental conservation (Kenya)

Patrick Elmer

development economics, founding board member of ISD (Switzerland)

Thireshen Govender

architect, urban designer, economic development researcher (South Africa)

Our Partners

Project Research Partners

African Center for Cities
Cape Town, South Africa

Carrot City, University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

ETH Zurich, Department of Architecture
Zurich, Switzerland

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, Italy

International Landscape Collaborative
Santiago, Chile

Massive Small
Cape Town, South Africa; London, UK

SUSFIN, University of Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland

United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Nairobi, Kenya

United Nations, Global Compact Cities Programme
Melbourne, Australia

University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa

University of Liechtenstein
Vaduz, Liechtenstein

University of Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya

University of Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland

Western Cape Economic Development Partnership
Cape Town, South Africa

ZHAW School of Management and Law
Winterthur, Switzerland

Implementation Partners

BASE Bahay Foundation / BASE Innovation Center
bamboo sustainable building technology
Manila, Philippines

Carter Gregson Gray
architecture
London, UK

Development Workshop
Windhoek, Namibia; Rapperswil, Switzerland

incon.ai
augmented reality construction technology
Zurich, Switzerland

Isidima Design and Development
engineering, water and sanitation planning
Cape Town, South Africa

Jakupa
architecture and urban design
Cape Town, South Africa

Max Fordham
engineering and environmental design
London, UK

Nadesons Consulting Services
renewable energy consultancy
Cape Town, South Africa

OKRA
landscape architecture
Utrecht, The Netherlands

One to One Agency of Engagement
urban design and participation planning
Johannesburg, South Africa

Urban Dynamics
urban planning
Windhoek, Namibia

Urban Works
architecture and urban design
Johannesburg, South Africa

Project Funding Partners

Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
The Hague, The Netherlands

Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP)
Western Cape Government, Cape Town, South Africa

KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau
Frankfurt, Germany

Partner Re
Zurich, Switzerland

Swiss Re
Cape Town, South Africa

Unlock'd
Cape Town, South Africa

Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Cape Town, South Africa

Western Cape Education Department
Cape Town, South Africa