— Bayo Akomolafe
"The times are urgent, so let us slow down."
Akoma is an invitation to recalibrate our patterns of being. We strive to integrate Life Principles into everything we do; starting with our own internal patterns and within the initiatives we champion.
Life Principles
Designing the way nature does.
Adapt to changing conditions
- Incorporate diversity
- Maintain integrity through self-renewal
- Embody resilience through variation, redundancy and decentralisation
Be locally attuned and responsive
- Leverage cyclic processes
- Use readily available materials and energy
- Use feedback loops
- Cultivate cooperative relationships
Integrate development with growth
- Self-organise
- Build from the bottom-up
- Combine modular and nested components
Evolve to survive
- Replicate strategies that work
- Integrate the unexpected
- Reshuffle information
Be resource efficient
- Use low-energy processes
- Use multi-functional design
- Recycle all materials
- Fit form to function
Use life-friendly chemistry
- Break down products into benign constituents
- Build selectively with a small subset
- Do chemistry in water
A new mode of ownership: steward-ownership.
As we think about the need for a more mutual and inclusive economy, the question of ownership inevitably comes up. The paradigm of shareholder primacy often results in short-term thinking, contributing to significant social and environmental challenges.
Steward-ownership offers a third path. A path that ensures profits serve the company's purpose, and that control cannot be bought or inherited — it remains with the stewards who are actively engaged and committed to its mission.
A different culture at work: teal management.
The managerial processes of most corporates are, under the hood, still based on the same assumption: that most workers are lazy and primarily motivated by money. We believe that if you treat people like mercenaries, they will likely become mercenaries. Treat them like trustworthy stars and they will likely become trustworthy stars.
Our people.
We believe in the power of thoughtful, smart and (com)passionate people who don't shy away from having skin in the game. A lean, values-driven team determined to show that better is possible.
Zubair Sader
Akoma's Zen
Born and raised in Joburg, intrigued by how people interact with space. A background in Architecture and an MBA from Wits, with over a decade in the built environment.
Oliver Keisner
Akoma's investigator
Grew up in London, studied social anthropology, briefly worked in finance before joining AsaDuru. Set up a scholarship supporting secondary education in western Uganda.
Pedro Montero Gosalbez
Architect & anthropologist
Born in Alicante; worked with Francis Kéré, studied with Tim Ingold, researched at Northumbria. Bridges family, business and academia.
Mohamed Bedri
Pathfinder
Born in Sudan, raised in Sweden. Founded AsaDuru to rethink our relationship to the built environment. Drives strategy and rammed earth projects. Former elite athlete and altMBA alumnus.