From awareness to conscious action
About SARSEN™
Why we exist
There is no doubt that we live in times of profound change and disruption. It has become obvious how we as humans, our systems and institutions are currently not able to cope with the global challenges that we face.
If we want to create positive systemic change we need to fundamentally shift the way we are operating –from the inside out – on an individual level and as a collective.
SARSEN™ was founded on the core belief that the combination of wisdom, integration and action will enable us to address the enormous problems and opportunities that lie ahead for humanity.
SARSEN™ Core Operating Team
Committed to building together differently
SARSEN™ was initiated in 2018 by Simon Hampel as a not for profit organization and is growing rapidly, organized as a synarchy with a circular rather than a hierarchical structure.
Ankur Kamalia
Partner responsible for Operations, Finance and Investment
Seasoned investing and operating history across the financial services and the technology in organisations such as Ory, DB1 Ventures, UBS and Polygon. Passionate towards investing in and building businesses that operate on purpose, the people they serve and benefiting the world and helping further human potential.
Barry Llewellyn
Media Director responsible for Light© Media Strategy, Operations and Partnerships
Barry has spent 35 years at the forefront of TV and video technology and advertising practices. He worked at ITV, Channel4 and MTV Europe (Viacom) where he led the launch of VH1 in the UK. He founded Capital Media Group which he funded on NASDAQ and subsequently co-founded Newsplayer, one of the early pioneers of online video, which he took public through an IPO on AIM. For Newsplayer, he raised a combination of debt and equity in excess of $75m to for various cross-Atlantic M&A transactions, in particular a £22m stake in SIS, a leading UK outside broadcast provider. Barry has spent the last few years in senior positions at large corporations in positions such as Director of Mobile Advertising and Media for EE, the UK’s largest Mobile Network Operator and head of Microsoft’s international video business for all markets (outside the USA).
Colm Roche
Creative Director responsible for Light© Brand Strategy
With his agency, Imagist, Colm works with organisations like Nike, Clinique and Unilever. He digs deep to discover the simplest truths behind a brand, and finds ways to express them in a way that fundamentally resonates with the brand’s audience. In 2014, he set up a podcast platform called Radio Wolfgang, creating multi-award-winning content with notable individuals and brands such as Greenpeace, Selfridges, Soho House. In 2019, he cocreated the worldwide bestselling book “The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and The Horse” with Charlie Mackesy.
Daniel Kern
Lead on Light© Connect
Co-founder of Beacon Collective, Former Director of 3Q Digital and Account Exec at Leo Burnett Group
Diane Richards
Administration
Diane specialises in everything ops and admin. Having over 40 years experience she brings to Sarsen skills she has learnt working in many different countries and sectors. She has just moved to the countryside and is loving building on her connection with nature.
Simon Hampel
Founding Partner and CEO
Simon spent between 1993-2001 as a serial entrepreneur, building companies in Europe, the US and Canada in the fields of financial services, leisure, consultancy and technology. In 2002 he lost everything. He joined an expedition to the Amazon and spent the next four years living with local communities there, across the Himalayas, through Mongolia, and down Ethiopia’s Blue Nile. In 2006, he became the CEO of Right to Sight, an International NGO tackling needless blindness, and worked on developing sustainable eye care projects across Africa and India. Most recently, he was Managing Partner of Leaders’ Quest. In 2010, he found himself in a Zen monastery in Tamil Nadu where he had a series of powerful awakening experiences which have carved his path ever since. These experiences gave him the insight that this growth and personal transformation is open to all.
Steffen Stäuber
Creative Director for Sarsen™ Brand Strategy
Creative Director, strategist, consultant with expertise in communication, design, branding and technology stemming from years at positions ranging from Creative Director at BBDO and Head of Innovation at SinnerSchrader to Founder and CEO of Create Meaning, an independent consulting studio where his focus is to empower leaders to make a meaningful impact in the world.
Shelly Nel
Film-maker
Shelly is a self-shooting Director who has honed an understanding of what a short film can achieve in an environment of visual excess. Informed through working in diverse fields, from commercials to documentary, broadcast to online series, for creatives and corporates, she believes that intuition and a flexible approach are essential to achieving a unique and authentic film.
Her ability to gain the trust of contributors allows unique insights into their thinking and projects. She believes that the documentation of beauty in the visual detail elevates a story above the ordinary and what unfolds naturally is often more potent than a scripted outcome.
In a world driven by moving images and self promotion she strives to create films which are honest, emotive, empowering and memorable.
Her ability to gain the trust of contributors allows unique insights into their thinking and projects. She believes that the documentation of beauty in the visual detail elevates a story above the ordinary and what unfolds naturally is often more potent than a scripted outcome.
In a world driven by moving images and self promotion she strives to create films which are honest, emotive, empowering and memorable.
Gavin Hughes
Partner responsible for Brand Integrity, Council & Community Engagement and Governance
Performance-oriented business executive focusing on impact enterprises and charitable endeavours post successful exit from private family company.
India Wardrop
Partner responsible for Strategy and Business Development
Seasoned entrepreneur, business accelerator, venture investor and social entrepreneurship advocate with a proven commercial track record over 30+ years and active involvement in social entrepreneurship since 1984. She sees possibility beyond the boundaries of what most people see. With a natural expertise in expansion through conscious growth strategies and partnership her passion is a function of her joy in harnessing the power of purpose, creativity and leadership to achieve greater outcomes.
Jess Edwards
Light© Experience Lead
Jess is a freelance director and screenwriter, represented by international creative agency Curtis Brown, with a portfolio career spanning facilitation, live illustration, and experience design. Her work as a director and writer principally explores the Queer and female experiences, and she uses therapeutic consciousness techniques to help artists explore autobiography, trauma, and personal experience. Her work as a theatre maker has appeared in London's West End, the Edinburgh Festival, and the cabaret theatres of Berlin. She is currently developing a new musical with a major West End theatre and creating her first original screenplay for television.
As a facilitator, she specialises in design thinking and has worked with clients all over the world, from the NHS to Unilever, from Lloyds Bank to the Environment Agency. She helps large groups of people solve complex problems, and encourages participants to hold reflective space for bold thinking.
Jess believes we all deserve a good story. Her work is about helping people to discover their authentic story, and tell it - better.
As a facilitator, she specialises in design thinking and has worked with clients all over the world, from the NHS to Unilever, from Lloyds Bank to the Environment Agency. She helps large groups of people solve complex problems, and encourages participants to hold reflective space for bold thinking.
Jess believes we all deserve a good story. Her work is about helping people to discover their authentic story, and tell it - better.
Shilpa Jain
Operations Lead
Shilpa started her career as an HR professional and then engaged in extensive pro bono work with the Isha Foundation, handling varied responsibilities and gaining deep expertise into various aspects of fundraising, nurturing relationships and organizing events, ranging from exclusive to mega.
With a comeback into the corporate space as Head-Partnerships at EdelGive, she grew into a purpose-led leader with integrity and sharp focus on tangible business results. This followed with a stint at Mumbai Angels Network, which spanned business development and client engagement with both investors and entrepreneurs in the early stage investment space. She also led the mandate to facilitate fundraise for global startups from Indian Investors.
Shilpa is a MCom from University of Mumbai with a Diploma in Personnel Management; and is an avid painter, yoga enthusiast a trained classical dancer.
With a comeback into the corporate space as Head-Partnerships at EdelGive, she grew into a purpose-led leader with integrity and sharp focus on tangible business results. This followed with a stint at Mumbai Angels Network, which spanned business development and client engagement with both investors and entrepreneurs in the early stage investment space. She also led the mandate to facilitate fundraise for global startups from Indian Investors.
Shilpa is a MCom from University of Mumbai with a Diploma in Personnel Management; and is an avid painter, yoga enthusiast a trained classical dancer.
Katherine Maree Pace
CPO Responsible for Light© Product and Technology
Katherine is an International award-winning product designer with success in raising venture capital, securing corporate partnerships and leading design and engineering teams to co-create the unseen, unheard or unimagined. Having lived and worked across Scandinavia, the USA and Asia Pacific for 15+ years, Katherine’s expertise spans a significant number of subject areas from game design to hardware integrations, social networks, pricing models, brand development, project management and more. Katherine thrives on leading teams to draw on diverse and complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems and is constantly re-inspired by models of biomimicry. She lives by the motto; Look up, look-out or look-in. When not at work, you’ll find Katherine dancing salsa, meditating or enjoying moments of ‘hygge’ with friends and family.
Nicole D’Lima
Business Operations
Nicole is a process driven professional with a demonstrated track record of connecting a diversity of people, while supporting the execution of the key corporate objectives. Proficient at managing strategic accounts, building solid long-term relationships, effective customer life cycle management, she is a quick learner who adapts to varying situations and excels in taking initiative in challenging situations. Her experience has been with The Walt Disney Company and EdelGive Foundation in the areas of corporate communications, partnerships management and brand management.
Olly Rzysko
Marketing Lead
Marketing LeadOlly RzyskoExperienced marketing director in high growth
retail and tech brands such as Cool Planet, AVA, Mahabis and Primark. Focused on marketing.
retail and tech brands such as Cool Planet, AVA, Mahabis and Primark. Focused on marketing.
William Erskine
Business Development Lead
William has over 15 years’ experience across legal, sport/entertainment and fintech industries, with a deep expertise in building strategic partnerships, commercialising products and bringing bold concepts to fruition. From inhouse counsel to commercial director at leading sports and entertainment agencies, William has excelled in growing broad networks in order to commercialise sport assets, working alongside brands such as Diageo, M&S and Adidas, and in partnership with major rightsholders such as PGA, NRL and V8 Supercars. More recently, William has worked in the start-up and SME fintech space as business development director, driving growth through strategically bringing on new partners and defining partner and client processes. The pursuit of wellness and incorporation of mindfulness practices has always been a pivotal part of William’s journey, and now through his work with SARSEN he is motivated to bring about greater accessibility to these resilient and calm building tools.
SARSEN™ Council
Guided by wisdom and connection
The Council acts as a non fiduciary body and is responsible for holding the essence and the energetic integrity of SARSEN™ and all our initiatives.
Abby Barton
Ankur Kamalia
Clover Hogan
Colm Roche
Gavin Hughes
India Wardrop
Jamie Arbib
Jason Holt
Jeronimo Calderon
Kathryn Hodnett
Mac Macartney
Mara Gleason
Richie Bostock
Robert Lloyd Evans
Sam Kankanamge
Scilla Elworthy
Simon Hampel
Steffen Stäuber
Stuart Pickles
Sue Cheshire
SARSEN™ Practitioners
SARSEN™ Delivery Team
SARSEN™ is proud to work with an outstanding team of diverse practitioners and facilitators who expertly deliver our work.
Abby Barton
Abby is a transformational coach, leadership consultant and experienced group facilitator. She is passionate about raising individual and collective consciousness in humanity, and specifically within leaders, in order to bring about a more equitable, sustainable and compassionate world. She believes this change is an inside out process of self-awareness, healing and unlocking of natural potential, creativity and wisdom. She brings together her strategic and leadership experience from 15 years in multinational corporates with her strong feminine EQ and intuition to accompany leaders during times of difficulty, questioning, transition, transformation, and breakthrough. Through deeper connection to their truest self and highest potential her hope is to increase their capacity and desire to lead others through the change the world so greatly needs. Her work draws upon years of study and personal work in vertical leadership development, child/adult development, neuroscience, spirituality, psychology, energy, somatics and trauma healing.
Ben Reid
Strategic Advisor
22+ years experience in product, technology and commercialisation – has worked in depth with over 100+ companies spanning ASX100 through to technology startups and scaleups. Ben specialises in media platforms, health-tech, mobile and pursues a broad set of interests including blockchain, design systems and positive psychology / flow. Ben is a proud dad of 3 kids and passionate about the role of entrepreneurship to create global impact and enterprises for good.
Barry Llewellyn
Media Director responsible for Light© Media Strategy, Operations and Partnerships
Barry has spent 35 years at the forefront of TV and video technology and advertising practices. He worked at ITV, Channel4 and MTV Europe (Viacom) where he led the launch of VH1 in the UK. He founded Capital Media Group which he funded on NASDAQ and subsequently co-founded Newsplayer, one of the early pioneers of online video, which he took public through an IPO on AIM. For Newsplayer, he raised a combination of debt and equity in excess of $75m to for various cross-Atlantic M&A transactions, in particular a £22m stake in SIS, a leading UK outside broadcast provider. Barry has spent the last few years in senior positions at large corporations in positions such as Director of Mobile Advertising and Media for EE, the UK’s largest Mobile Network Operator and head of Microsoft’s international video business for all markets (outside the USA).
Hamish Mackay-Lewis
Hamish is a leadership and life coach, facilitator and meditation teacher. He has varied international experience working with people from all walks of life in business, the armed forces and not-for-profits. His passion is to work with groups and individuals to create space for reflection, renewal and reconnection with the wisdom of nature. He strongly believes that personal and spiritual development and reconnection to nature are prerequisites for societal and environmental regeneration.
Kathryn Hodnett
Combining over 30 years commercial and people experience across the private, public and third sector industries Kathryn is recognized as a highly respected executive coach, development practitioner and talented board level facilitator. She listens deeply to understand the ‘real issues’ at play and forms trusted and sustained relationships with those she works with. Applied wisdom, insight and intuitive sense enable Kathryn to tackle tough issues underpinned with integrity, compassion and sensitivity. Personal growth and authentic leadership are at the heart of all Kathryn’s interventions which attracted her to the SARSEN community and its energy and vision to create positive systemic change for our planet and humanity. She is a Guardian of the SARSEN Council that meets bi monthly.
Wiebke Nedel
Wiebke is an adventurer, born in Germany and at home in South Africa. She has bridges the worlds between Wall Street corporate leadership landscapes and sitting on earthen floors with village elders in the most remote mountain landscapes of Nepal or the vast plains of Maasai Mara in Kenya - tapping into what connects us all.She facilitates. Thinking, Learning, Experiences, Introspection, Reflection, all with the aim to be the best we can be – individually and as organisations -, to see who and what we are capable of being at this time.Work and my own life passion of mountaineering has taking me all over the world. In the last 30 years I have facilitated learning journeys in India, China, USA, Canada, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, UAE, Brazil, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands & the UK.
Ilana Wetzler
Ilana is a transformational life coach and facilitator, guiding people to the deepest part of who they are to fully express the life that is within them. She has led numerous global initiatives in purpose-driven entrepreneurship and social change and facilitated over 300 programs in transformational leadership and inner work. After a decade of following her heart’s work around the world, her physical body collapsed inviting her on a much deeper journey inwards. Since then she has become a guide for leaders, pioneers and those will the courage to explore the depths of who they are – creating spaces for them to return to their true nature, listen to their soul and cultivate the capacities to lead profound transformation.
Stuart Pickles
Stuart is an ex-CFO (Unilever, Kraft, Fosters) who was converted by the experience of transformational coaching and became a leadership coach 10 years ago. His focus is on nurturing wise and compassionate leadership to accelerate the change needed in the world to address the environmental crisis and social injustice. Stuart’s belief is that leadership and indeed human thinking and consciousness need to make a significant shift in order to achieve this ambition, which is why he is passionate about the Sarsen / Light project and why he invests his time and energy in helping it succeed. Stuart brings a unique combination of 25 years of blue chip strategic and commercial experience, together with grounded, mindful insight and ability to help people access and realise their greatest talents, and to fulfil their greatest potential …for themselves, and for the benefit of humanity and our beautiful ecosystem.
Lydia Campbell
Lydia is a changemaker, businesswoman, integral facilitator, coach, mentor, trainer, healer, mother, homebirther, doula, tea and croissant lover. Since 2008, she has been midwifing leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers through their personal and professional development and have worked with over 10,000 people across Africa, India and Europe, in large multi-national companies, small community groups and intimate online settings.
Seema Sodha
Seema is a Change Agent, Life Liberator + Confidence Crusader for the modern business woman who is trying to dig her way out from under dream-crushing thought patterns and habits. She rolls with straight talk and big heart to help you gain clarity, go after what you want and live your life to its fullest potential.
