Faculty

Profile

Raz is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Design and Management at the School of Design Strategies, where he is exploring sustainable business models and design solutions for the climate crisis. He is currently working on a book focusing on redefining sustainability in business in the era of climate crisis.

Raz teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in innovation, leadership, sustainable systems, business models, and strategic design. He is involved in research projects focusing on developing sustainable business models, climate action, and sustainability-as-unusual tools and frameworks for business (Sandbox Zero), and led a collaboration between Parsons students and refugees in Berlin, working together on entrepreneurial initiatives to address refugee needs in cities and refugee camps. Between 2015 and 2018 Raz served as the Co-Director of the graduate program in Strategic Design and Management

Raz is the co-founder of two green startups (Hemper Jeans and Eco-Libris) and has been writing regularly on issues related to sustainable business, climate change and strategic design. He holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Communication and Economics from the Hebrew University.

Recent Publications

Book (forthcoming in 2021): Godelnik, R. "Rethinking Corporate Sustainability in the Era of Climate Crisis - A Strategic Design Approach". Palgrave Macmillan.

Book chapter: Raz Godelnik and Jen van der Meer, “Sustainable Business Models in an Entrepreneurial Environment” in Sustainable Business Models: Innovation, Implementation and Success, ed. Annabeth Aagaard (Plagrave MacMillan, 2019), 239–76.

Papers: 
Godelnik, R. (2020, May/Aug.). The sharing economy dilemma: the response of incumbent firms to the rise of the sharing economy. International Journal of Innovation - IJI, São Paulo, 8(2), 176-203. https://doi.org/10.5585/iji.v8i2.17391.

Articles:
A New President is Not Enough to Fight the Climate Crisis. We Need a New Theory of Change, Medium, November 2020

Are Corporations Fighting Climate Change the Wrong Way?, Medium, September 2020

It's Decision Time: Reimagine or Kill the Circular Economy, Medium, August 2020

5 Corporations say they support a green recovery. Their PAC donations tell a different story, Heated, June 2020

Can Companies Move Beyond "Sustainability-as-Usual" in their Response to the Protests?, The Startup, June 2020

Could Reducing Air Travel Be a Prompt To Fight Climate Change?, Age of Awareness, May 2020

Corona Redesign - A Pre-Manifesto, Medium, April 2020 (co-written with Prfo. Peter Stephan)

Connecting the Dots: 12 Perspectives On Coronavirus Lessons For Climate Change, Blog Zero, March 2020 (co-written with 11 collaborators)

Offsetting The Coronavirus And Other Lessons For The Climate Crisis, Medium, February 2020

Long-term matters: Financial sector employees can help win the climate change fight, IPE, December 2019 (co-written with Dr. Raj Thamotheram)

To Fly Or Not To Fly: That Is The (Wrong?) Question, Medium, October 2019

Can Cities Be Greta, The Nature of Cities, October 2019 (co-written with Dr. Peleg Kremer)

Design For The Climate Crisis At The Age Of Greta, Prototypr, August 2019

Performances and Appearances

Latest media appearances/interviews:

Interviewed for Bloomberg's story on Amazon's climate pledges ("Amazon Nixed 'Green' Shipping Proposal To Avoid Alienating Shoppers"), March 2020.

Interviewed for the podcast “The Deep Dive” ("Climate Crisis and Brand Story"), February 2020. 

Interviewed for the podcast "Nordic Foodtech" ("Designing For The Climate Crisis"), February 2020.

Research Interests

sustainability in business, climate change, business models, strategic design, circular economy, sharing economy, platform coops, refugee crisis.