About CAISCEN
CAISCEN — the Co-operative AI and Shared Circular Economy Network — is a forum for people exploring what becomes possible when co-operative ownership, artificial intelligence, and regenerative economics are taken seriously together.
The network, in brief
CAISCEN began as an ongoing conversation between practitioners who kept meeting the same question in different guises — who should own the tools shaping modern life, and how should the value they generate be shared? The three domains cohered around that question.
The network is stewarded rather than owned. Founding participants take responsibility for tone, tempo, and the character of the space — with the intention that governance itself becomes participatory as the community forms.
We are early. Public convenings are forming, the members' library is opening, and living-lab pilots are on the near horizon. What exists now is a foundation — enough to work from, not enough to hide behind.
MEMBERS
Calvin Niles is a coach, consultant, and author known as The Mindful Storyteller, supporting leaders and organisations to transform through mindfulness and storytelling. He is the author of Mindful Storytelling and the spiritual fiction novel The Sun Rises in Eastmoor. Alongside his writing and podcasting, Calvin serves as a people and organisation transformation leader with Siemens Digital Industries. He is also building CAISCEN, bringing together passionate people at the intersection of cooperative enterprise, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. A Fellow of the RSA, Calvin connects with global networks of changemakers to help shape a brighter future.
Indrani Gajjarapu is a founder of PSIFI, a civic tech platform. A double MPA student of LSE and Columbia University. Senior Developer at 4Matrix with expertise in building SaaS for the UK education sector. Since 2016, she has helped develop award-nominated EdTech products, driven by her passion for creating tools that enhance learning environments. A climate science advocate and circular economy enthusiast, Indrani is a practitioner who combines technical innovation with public policy a commitment to sustainable business models.
Lucy Kimbell is a design researcher and educator whose work sits at the intersection of systems change, democratic innovation, and organisational design. A Professor of Contemporary Design Practices at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, she leads pioneering initiatives that use design to shape fairer, more sustainable futures, including the EU Marie Curie Doctoral Network Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design (2024–28). Her research has informed UK Cabinet Office policy through the Public Design Evidence Review and has advanced global discourse on design for sustainability, governance, and futures thinking. Lucy continues to explore how creative practice and systems thinking can equip societies to navigate uncertainty and reimagine prosperity beyond growth.
Dr. Edward Wertz is a computer scientist, philosopher, and systems thinker exploring how technology can serve human and planetary evolution. As a Staff Engineer at Swirlds Labs, he helps build the distributed ledger technology and dApp ecosystem behind Hedera Hashgraph, advancing transparent, decentralised systems for a more cooperative digital economy. With a PhD in Computer Science from Texas Tech University, his research in logical reasoning systems and symbolic AI informs his belief that true intelligence arises from the harmony of logic and intuition. Through his initiative ClearMaps, Edward applies these insights to support transpersonal leadership, conscious community building, and new economic models rooted in interdependence.
06 — Principles of practice
Discernment over noise. The patience to listen before responding, and to act from understanding rather than reaction.
Working without pretending to have all the answers. A willingness to be changed by what we encounter together.
Paying attention to emergence, need, timing, and relationship — the qualities that allow real work to take root.
Founding participants are shaping the first cohort. Applications are open.