Impact or Nothing
Mike Radke founded ION studios with one purpose, to ensure that the people across the globe who are working tirelessly to make the lives of people everywhere better were well supported. For the better part of the last two decades he has travelled the world, studying, meeting, and working with some of the world's leading change- makers. In 2015, he founded ION studios to bring those lessons to as many leaders and organizations as possible. We exist today to ensure that the work of social change is just a bit easier, more sophisticated and well-resourced. And each day we measure success by one metric: did we make a positive impact on the world?
Our Process
Our approach is deeply rooted in the humanity of change. We help teams connect and understand themselves, the people they work to help, and the societal systems that define their context. We bring emerging ideas from the world’s greatest innovators to help you deliver impact that is lasting.
Listen & Learn
We do not have all of the answers and so we start by listening to those who know the most about the people who are in need, the work to be done, and the change to be made: You. The people you work with. The people you serve.
Connect With Humanity
At the end of the day we care about people, and we find our humanity in the greater humanity of others. We see that change is all about connections between and among people. Our work is to connect you with the people you serve, connect your work with the work of others, and ensure that these connections help make the world a better place for all of humanity.
DEsign With Integrity
For us, "design" is a process of being methodical and intentional. Whatever project we're working on we build a set of models, ground them in quantitative and empathetic research, and create solutions that fundamentally shift problems. We pull heavily from the worlds of design thinking, systems theory, psychology, but we explore disciplines across the board in pursuit of solutions that have never been imagined.
Our Methods
We have studied the ivory tower masters of systems theory adding to that knowledge through contact with the masters of social change; but we've also spent over a decade practicing systems change. We use this combination of theory and practice to help ignite movements, convene coalitions, and form strategic partnerships.
Systems Theory
The introduction of design-thinking into the social sector has driven stunning innovation in how we attack challenges around the world. We bring our unique spin on this methodology focusing on the human in human centered design, and ensuring that the most innovative and impactful solutions make it past the whiteboards and into the world.
Human-Centered Design
Our practice emerged from the time our founder spent with an research appointment at UC Berkeley, and so evidence is part of our DNA. We design impact strategies, programs, and services with built-in measurement and assessment protocols. We believe the value of this is not just to demonstrate efficacy, but in fact to learn and iterate so that our clients can reach new levels of impact today, and tomorrow.
Evidence-Based Impact
Our Collaborators
Instead of carrying a large staff (and passing that cost on to our clients), we strategically partner and hire on a project-by-project basis. Below are a few of our regular collaborators.
