About The Rethink Lab
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Rethink because the goal is to invite you to reflect on your current thinking—the assumptions and beliefs on which you operate—and make room for a new perspective that may serve you better.
Lab because there is no one best way to apply the insights of Complexity. Each situation is different, each context unique. Instead of a set of best practices, you will gain foundational knowledge and wisdom that will help you improve your organisation’s impact and outcomes.
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First, it’s a brain-twister*
On a more serious note, in Ancient wisdom, the dog symbolises not only guidance but also alertness, readiness and compassion—essential traits for navigating a complex world.
The Black (brown or blond) Dog complements another symbol of Complexity: The Black Swan.
Taleb’s Black Swan is helpful as it reminds us that unexpected events may have significant consequences. However, it may also suggest that Complexity is mainly about anticipating uncertainty. But Complexity is much more.
Rather than focusing on factors beyond our control, Complexity Thinking invites us to reflect on how our actions shape the world around us. Tapping into this collective superpower is the key to building a sustainable future.
*What a happy coincidence that Lab is short for laboratory but also Labrador ;).
About Ammy Vogtlander
During my master’s in Theoretical Physics, I became interested in how our mental models shape our view of the world—and the opportunities we see to change it.
With 25 years in corporate strategy and senior management at multinationals and consulting firms in Europe, the US and the Middle East, I have seen firsthand how today’s economic and financial models shape business decisions and investments. At RELX, where I led strategy for one of its largest groups, I began exploring a shift in perspective: from optimising for the world as it is to understanding how economies evolve, so we co-create its future.
Next to my work as independent advisor, I lecture on Complexity & New Economic Thinking, Transition Theory and Sustainable Development at several universities and am affiliated with Utrecht University’s Centre for Complex Systems Studies.
I live in Hilversum, near the woods, with my partner Bas and two labradors who, though technically guests, behave like permanent residents.
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My interest in Complexity began over 30 years ago. As a visiting researcher at Delft University of Technology, I studied how networks learn and why some solve problems better than others. Those insights shaped my understanding of how organisations, markets, and economies develop and evolve.
After two decades in corporate strategy and management, I returned to Complexity Science with a practical question: how can it help leaders make better decisions? This became the focus of The Rethink Lab.
The Rethink Lab framework is the result of several years of research. I attended countless academic lectures and conferences and worked with leading scientists to synthesise a wide range of insights into a practical framework for sustainable finance and business. I also completed two certified master’s programmes:
Behavioural Macro and Complexity Economics at the Tinbergen Institute (Erasmus University Rotterdam & University of Amsterdam).
Complexity, Artificial and Human Intelligence at the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI), operated by faculty from MIT and Harvard.
The Rethink Lab Partners
Depending on the context, I partner with exceptional thinkers in the Netherlands and Switzerland—each bringing a distinct perspective and expertise:
For over 40 years, Marilou has worked to put finance in service of society. She recognised early in her career that reallocating capital has limited impact unless we also rethink the economic beliefs and models that guide those decisions. This led her to work on a new sustainable investing proposition at Triodos Bank. The small number of impact investment funds she helped pioneer became the foundation for Triodos Investment Management, an impact asset management company whose management board she served on until 2020. Marilou has also been instrumental in building the global impact investing movement and shaping its purpose, helping to establish initiatives such as the GIIN.
Today, she continues to share her experience and expertise through advisory work and board positions, helping investors rethink how they invest.
Patrick is the founder of Resilion, a risk intelligence firm that translates complexity science into practical tools for boards and senior leaders to identify systemic risk and strengthen portfolio resilience. He combines deep expertise in financial regulation with a strong understanding of how company decision-making structures and incentives shape outcomes.
Patrick has 20+ years of advisory experience at PwC and KPMG in Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, where he worked with banks, asset managers, pension funds and insurance companies on risk, regulation, governance and sustainability. He holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen and is a Swiss Certified Public Accountant.
Femke is a highly experienced facilitator and strategic adviser in sustainability and impact. Known for her perceptive and energetic style and outside-the-box thinking, she creates space for leadership teams to challenge assumptions, explore new perspectives, and translate them into concrete strategies and meaningful action.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in strategy and executive leadership, including at RELX, Spring Associates and Holtara (APEX group). Today, Femke supports and advises C-level teams and serves on several boards. She holds an MSc in Industrial Design from Delft University of Technology.