About GIIL — Story and Mission
The Global Innovation for Impact Lab (GIIL), launched in 2017 at Stanford PACS, is an evolution of several decades of international research on social innovation and societal development. GIIL develops insights that help organizations make better strategic and operational decisions about innovation, scaling, and system change. GIIL works in partnership with foundations, governments, multilateral agencies, and organizations in the social and private sectors. Our research enables decision-makers to grow their ambitions and capabilities for addressing social problems and transforming social systems effectively. GIIL aligns rigor, realism, and usefulness, and leverages insights from existing knowledge across disciplines, as well as novel insights from engaging deeply with organizations and social problems in the field. GIIL also contributes to the scholarly knowledge base on effective organizations and educates the next generation of committed leaders.
Founders
Christian Seelos and Johanna Mair founded GIIL to bridge the gap between rigorous academic research and the practical needs of organizations working to create positive social change.
Together, they bring decades of experience studying social innovation, organizational effectiveness, and scaling strategies across the globe.
Rethinking Innovation and Scale at Stanford PACS
Our Approach
Empirical Research
We analyze the causal structure of important phenomena through evidence-based research, utilizing longitudinal case studies. GIIL provides insights that stand up to both theoretical and practical assessment.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Our research draws on management and organization science, sociology, development, and political theory, bringing together diverse perspectives to address complex social challenges.
Real-World Application
We work directly with practitioners and organizations to translate academic findings into actionable frameworks, tools, and strategies that drive meaningful outcomes on the ground.