About

My name is Martina Zapf and I am the founder of Collaboration (r)evolution.

I have spent over eleven years working on conflicts in far-away places such as Afghanistan, different parts of Africa, and the Middle East. Although I have a strong innate need for peace and harmony in my life, I somehow sought out the other extreme, trying to make a difference.

I have come to realize two things:

First, peace and harmony in our lives are not only about the big societal and geopolitical conflicts. It starts with the way we relate to ourselves and to others. It starts with how we work together. And that is a challenge we all face. Every day. Everywhere.

And, second, creating impact - in any field, but particularly when it comes to the big challenges of our time - requires effective collaboration. It requires transforming hierarchies, where a small elite is seen as knowing the answers, into co-creative teams and organizations, where everyone's unique contribution is valued and harnessed. Recognizing that leadership is exercised everywhere and is at its best when it is collaborative.

Practicing collaborative leadership has been a journey for me - and still is. One of the first times I supervised someone, years ago, I was accused of micro-management - and rightfully so. Over time I have worked a lot on myself - on my mindset, my drivers, and my inner blocks to collaborative leadership. An introvert by nature, I have also learned not to try to be someone I am not (i.e. an extrovert), but to identify and deepen into my unique strengths.

I have also developed skills, such as facilitation, designing processes that bring people into collaboration, having difficult conversations, etc. I have been fortunate to have a lot of opportunities to hone my ability to catalyze collaboration in teams, networks, and partnerships over the years.

I have worked in international peacebuilding and development for over eleven years. I lived and worked in conflict affected countries for three of those years. Since then I have been based in Geneva, Switzerland, and have continued to regularly travel to contexts affected by fragility, conflict, and violence around the world.

I grew from a junior professional into a senior manager in this industry and have learned a lot along the way. I have had the opportunity to build and manage teams, to build networks of experts working towards common goals, and to develop effective partnerships with other organizations and clients.

Having initially studied political science and international peace & security, a few years into my career, I realized I was missing a piece to understand what truly drives people. This is why I later also studied applied psychology.