We design ✦ and steward emerging・fields.
Ninth House is a field-building studio working across science, technology, nature and human flourishing.
We help funders, investors, corporate and research leaders identify opportunities, decide where to focus and establish the partnerships, programmes and infrastructure needed to move forward.
We see the bigger picture, understand the detail and bring together what’s needed to turn ambitious ideas into lasting value.
Our Work
Understand the field
Map the research, key players, funding and emerging activity. Assess gaps, risks and opportunities to identify where capital and strategic support can make the greatest difference.
Field assessments · Opportunity mapping · Strategic recommendations
Establish shared direction
Bring relevant people together around purpose, principles and priorities. Develop an agenda that enables collaboration while making differences explicit.
Convening and facilitation · Shared agendas · Theory of change · Strategic roadmap
Build the foundations
Design and establish the structures, capabilities and tools needed to carry the work forward. Prepare the people who will take responsibility for its next phase.
Governance · Partnerships · Knowledge systems · Team formation · Onboarding and handover
Our approach combines proven methods in strategic design, systems thinking, research and participatory practice with practical experience building programmes, partnerships and institutions across disciplines and borders.
We cultivate relationships across philanthropy, investment, research and industry, connecting emerging opportunities with the expertise, resources and partnerships needed to realise their potential.
Our approach
Kate Armstrong leads each engagement, bringing together specialist expertise around a clear scope, timeline and set of outcomes. We connect research, strategy and implementation to reduce uncertainty, inform decisions and equip teams to move forward.
We work discreetly, respecting confidential research, unpublished findings and sensitive institutional dynamics. We take a long-term view of value, considering who benefits, whose knowledge informs decisions and how initiatives contribute to the health of people, communities and the living world.
Discuss an engagement
Tell us about an idea you're developing, an opportunity you're exploring or an initiative you're looking to advance. What's already in motion, and what decisions or milestones lie ahead?