People
Hi, I’m Eloise Smith-Foster, founder of Becoming Riverkin.
I help purpose-led organisations, communities and public bodies make more just and regenerative choices about how they work, govern and relate to place. Together, we ask whose interests shape decisions, whose knowledge carries authority, and how tensions between human priorities and more-than-human wellbeing can be navigated with honesty, care and rigour.
For over a decade, I’ve used service and strategic design, participatory research, systems thinking and foresight to help people shape the organisations, services and places affecting their lives. I have expertise in the commons: how we share, steward and govern land, resources and places together.
Through Falay Transition Design Collective, I helped deliver a leadership programme for the Government of Latvia, supporting senior civil servants to imagine Latvia in 2050 and lead complex transitions. I’ve collaborated on initiatives such as the River Dôn Project, and am currently studying with the School of Nature Law at Lawyers for Nature, deepening my understanding of how nature can be represented in governance and decision-making.
Becoming Riverkin grows from this work and explorations of how rivers and their ecosystems might gain voice in stewardship and governance. It extends questions of participation, power and responsibility beyond the human, asking how rivers, ecosystems and other living beings might become participants, collaborators and teachers in how we learn, organise and govern.
Identify and Accountability
As a white cis woman with British citizenship, I navigate the systemic complicities I'm part of, power and advantages I have access to, through continuous reflection and active accountability. Central to this practice is ongoing learning and active response-ability towards what is “mine to do” in different contexts - recognising that dynamics shift depending on position, context, identity and lineage. I hold a commitment to prioritising an anti-oppressive, trauma-sensitive and care-full orientation to all my relationships, whether with partners, funders, communities or participants.
Current and Past Partners
Alongside Becoming Riverkin, I’m a Design Coach with Hyper Island University, Design for Planet Expert with the Design Council, a board member of Sheffield Community Land Trust, a Service Design Award Jury Member with Creative Conscience, community member with New Ways and a Community Organiser with Cooperation Sheffield. Partners and collaborators include Food Democracy CIC, Futurice, Hellon, the NHS, B Lab, Arriva Rail and Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
My practice is especially informed by anti-oppressive practices, emergent strategy, transformative justice and a decolonial lens towards sustainability. I know good intentions are not enough, a commitment to repair and openness to challenge are central to how I work.
I work within an inspiring and values-aligned ecosystem of collaborators
My approach is shaped by mentors, collaborators and associates with diverse lived and learned expertise across racial and disability justice, ecology, conflict resolution, more-than-human engagement, design, strategy and organising. I bring in associates as and when needed depending on event and project needs.
"Eloise is an absolute delight to work with.
Her work is rooted in justice, equality, care and fairness. Her commitment to sustainability is genuine and deeply embedded in the way she thinks, researches and designs.
It is not simply something she talks about; it shapes her decisions, her methods and the care she brings to people, communities and the planet.
The quality of her project outputs and deliverables was exceptional. Her approach is modern, imaginative, inclusive and truly collaborative - something I have experienced only a handful of times throughout my career."
- Haleh Moravej, Founder, Food Democracy CIC
"Rather than accepting the status quo, she calmly, respectfully and constantly pushes toward more effective and ethical solutions.
She is a natural and highly experienced facilitator, holding space for contributions at all levels of seniority, ensuring everyone feels heard and included.
Her leadership and ability to navigate complex challenges with warmth, grace and intelligence set her apart.
Eloise has a unique way of guiding teams, fostering collaboration, and inspiring others to think deeply about the greater impact of their work, she really is a joy to work with."
- Suzanne Hogg, Service Design Director, Futurice
