Karin Müller: We Can Only Change the System if We Can Imagine a Different One

Nov 26

Written By sara .

In a moment when we are facing complex challenges—from climate change to social inequality—Karin Müller, co-director of Ashoka Netherlands and co-founder of Bioregional Weaving Labs Collective, embodies the spirit of social entrepreneurship. Her journey, deeply anchored in a commitment to systems thinking, art, and collaboration, showcases how innovation and imagination can foster meaningful change.

Müller’s path began with her passion for the arts. She and her business partner used their art gallery in Rotterdam as a tool for community cohesion in a socially challenged neighbourhood. Different communities came together through exhibitions in public spaces featuring works from artists of various backgrounds. After this experience, she led an organisation with partners in Africa, where she supported cultural entrepreneurship for youth in emerging cities, witnessing firsthand how social innovation can transform lives.

“I believe in the power of the arts,” Müller asserts, explaining how creative expression provokes conversations and forges connections among diverse communities. “Without having an image of how it can be better, you get stuck in the current system.”

Müller’s call for reimagination resonates powerfully today as societal discontent with the status quo grows. “Many people just don't know how to get out of the current system,” she states. To contribute to painting a different picture of the future, Müller supports Ashoka’s mission - Everyone a changemaker- by merging strategic and visionary insights with a hands-on mentality to help social entrepreneurs transform their innovative ideas into impactful projects. The organisation offers various support mechanisms, from financial stipends to learning journeys and community engagement, empowering these Changemakers to scale their impact.

Among the most significant initiatives she helped to set up is the Bioregional Weaving Labs Collective, a growing assembly of over 25 international system-changing organisations. They collaborate to ensure that high-level climate and biodiversity plans become more actionable. Through this initiative, they aim to connect diverse stakeholders—farmers, policymakers, and businesses—to dismantle silos and create a collaborative framework for environmental restoration.

In her opinion, breaking silos is essential to innovate and turn ideas into tangible outcomes. To break these silos in large organisations, she recommends “identifying and engaging the change leaders in your ecosystem.” She notes that “there’s a person in every company that stays late to work on something innovative. As soon as you connect them, relief follows.”

In order to help organisations transition from individual to collective agendas, enabling transformative change, she recommends employing the Theory U model (Otto Scharmer), an awareness-based approach to changing systems that integrates systems thinking, innovation, and leadership.

The “U” shape represents a process of moving through a series of stages: from sensing and observing the current reality (the bottom of the U), to reflecting and letting go of old patterns (the vertical line), and finally, to prototyping and implementing innovative solutions (the emerging top of the U).

Thanks to structured methodologies and frameworks that build trust and value relationships, she observes, “people really co-create solutions together.” Following this process can unify stakeholders around a shared vision and mission for the future. “It suddenly becomes much easier to go from ego to eco, leaving personal agendas behind in favour of a common agenda,” she explains, urging the need to think outside the box and devise new solutions collaboratively.

From a financial perspective, Müller believes social entrepreneurs and organisations can achieve financial success while maintaining mission integrity through a steward ownership model, which prioritises long-term purpose over short-term gains. An example of a company adopting this model is Patagonia. In her view, the economic system must transition from an extractive model to a regenerative one that enhances natural resources, social well-being, and economic prosperity. “We should mimic nature,” she suggests, “because nature knows how to organise itself best and will survive with or without humans in some shape or form.” She argues that our economic and financial systems must align with the principles of living systems to thrive.

To advance towards a regenerative economy, Müller finds the Commonland “4 Returns framework” particularly useful. This framework encourages investors to seek not only financial returns but also natural, social, and inspirational benefits—restoring biodiversity, creating jobs, and instilling hope within communities.

A noteworthy example of economically viable social entrepreneurship is the Sea Ranger Service project, a model that combines the empowerment of unemployed young people and the reintegration of navy veterans to provide a concrete solution to severe global human capacity shortages in the monitoring of Marine Protected Areas.

Müller believes that the first step in redefining our reality is changing mindsets by engaging decision-makers. If they recognise the potential of this economic model, they may envision new, effective approaches. “We should approach change from a systemic view because everything is interconnected,” she stresses. “We need to stop looking at symptoms only and focus on root causes.”

At Ashoka, they leverage the 5 R framework to help social entrepreneurs explore systemic change, which involves shifts in the underlying paradigms, rules, roles, relationships, and resources that govern a system. Any change in these elements ideally leads to a transformation in the results produced by that system.

Müller emphasises that there are numerous tools available for mapping systems, and new methodologies continually emerge, making it crucial to stay updated with developments in the field.

“Once you see the system, then you can act on it and decide where to intervene,” Müller explains. “You can hardly act on all of them at the same time.” To determine where to intervene within a system, she refers to Donella Meadows’ work on leverage points—specific areas within complex systems where a slight adjustment can create significant changes.

During our conversation, she highlights the long-term aspect of social entrepreneurship and the challenges that come with it. After decades of relying on donations, grants, and subsidies without guaranteed salaries, she notes a positive transition where funders and investors are beginning to prioritise the long-term financial support of social entrepreneurs, allowing them to plan for the future with more security. In this sense, she acknowledges that the inherent insecurity of this path is not for everyone. “This is not a nine to five job,” she insists. When there is an innovative idea that requires systemic change, social entrepreneurs need to ask themselves, “Do I want to make this commitment?” because social innovation requires a long-term vision and commitment, she affirms.

Despite these challenges, she affirms that uncertainty becomes easier to navigate when you are part of a community of like-minded individuals. “Once you have the right team, you can fly,” she affirms.

Looking to the future, Müller envisions thriving bioregions that prioritise local sustainability and ecological balance. “I would love to see a tapestry of bioregions that are very diverse, that have their own identity and culture,” she adds.

Karin Müller’s journey exemplifies the transformative potential of social entrepreneurship, rooted in creativity, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to a better future. Through her work, she not only inspires others to envision a more sustainable world but also equips them with the necessary tools to turn that vision into a reality.

Karin recommends:

Book: 'Sapiens' by Yuval Noah Harari

How can companies be part of the solution?

Challenge your mindset: Reflect on your beliefs and assumptions. What barriers can you dismantle to cultivate a more innovative perspective?
Map your system: Understanding complex systems and identifying leverage points can illuminate effective interventions for achieving systemic change.
Measure your impact: Analyse where you are making an impact—positive, negative, or neutral.
Use collaborative frameworks: Explore methodologies like Theory U and the Commonland 4 Returns framework to guide your approach to social change.
Collaborate with other teams and stakeholders: Join forces to develop more impactful solutions.
Identify and connect change leaders: Recognise and engage with change leaders in your network. Collaborate to drive innovation and create meaningful solutions.