Louise Vang Jensen on Anthropology in Business with Matt Artz

In this episode of the Anthropology in Business podcast, Louise Vang Jensen speaks with Matt Artz about her career as a business anthropologist. Louise discusses the evolution of applying anthropology in business within a Copenhagen context. She also shares her journey from studying anthropology to joining Is It a Bird and becoming the Co-CEO. She also discusses how the practice has matured over the years and emphasizes the importance of shifting from a focus on methodology to a mindset. 

About Louise Vang Jensen

Louise Vang Jensen is a partner and co-CEO at Is It a Bird, a Copenhagen-based strategic innovation agency. With a background in anthropology and over a decade of consulting experience, she focuses on integrating anthropologically informed, human-centered approaches into business. Throughout her career, Louise has led projects and facilitated teams to build innovation capacity and enact organizational change. Her competencies extend to ethnographic research, co-creation, analysis, and project management. She has collaborated with a diverse range of organizations, including commercial companies like NIKE and public sector organizations such as the Municipality of Copenhagen.

Key Takeaways

• Shifting from a focus on methodology to a mindset of curiosity and reflection is crucial in applying anthropology in business.
• Combining anthropology and design thinking offers strategic potential by integrating slow, reflective approaches with fast, experimental ones.
• Embracing friction and uncomfortable truths can lead to valuable insights and transformation in client interactions.

Chapters

• 00:01:28 - Louise discovers anthropology
• 00:03:08 - The focus of anthropology education in Copenhagen was not on business
• 00:05:07 - Louise reached out to agencies to apply anthropology in business
• 00:06:22 - Louise joined Is It a Bird after selling a project
• 00:10:11 - The name "Is It a Bird" is a reference to Superman
• 00:11:00 - The philosophy of Is It a Bird is to start with questions and curiosity
• 00:15:00 - Shifted focus from methodology to mindset and value of anthropology.
• 00:19:00 - Transitioned from data collector to trusted advisor.
• 00:21:00 - Anthropology is now recognized and acknowledged in business contexts.
• 00:24:23 - The combination of anthropology and design in strategy
• 00:25:44 - The potential of anthropology in strategy and problem-solving
• 00:27:13 - The importance of curiosity and looking around in strategy
• 00:28:20 - Exploring the role of anthropology as a trusted advisor
• 00:30:29 - Staying in the trouble and embracing friction
• 00:32:00 - Encouragement for those starting their own practice
• 00:32:53 - The value of holding on to uncomfortable truths

Recommended Links

• Louise Vang Jensen on LinkedIn
• Is It a Bird