About The Rethink Lab

  • Rethink because the goal is to invite you to reflect on your current thinking—the assumptions and beliefs on which you operate—and make room for a new perspective that may serve you better.

    Lab because there is no one best way to apply the insights of Complexity. Each situation is different, each context unique. Instead of a set of best practices, you will gain foundational knowledge and wisdom that will help you improve your organisation’s impact and outcomes.

  • First, it’s a brain-twister*

    On a more serious note, in Ancient wisdom, the dog symbolises not only guidance but also alertness, readiness and compassion—essential traits for navigating a complex world.

    The Black (brown or blond) Dog complements another symbol of Complexity: The Black Swan.

    Taleb’s Black Swan is helpful as it reminds us that unexpected events may have significant consequences. However, it may also suggest that Complexity is mainly about anticipating uncertainty. But Complexity is much more.

    Rather than focusing on factors beyond our control, Complexity Thinking invites us to reflect on how our actions shape the world around us. Tapping into this collective superpower is the key to building a sustainable future.

    *What a happy coincidence that Lab is short for laboratory but also Labrador ;).

Ammy Vogtlander next to a window

About Ammy Vogtlander

During my master's in Theoretical Physics, I developed a deep curiosity about how our thinking shapes how we view the world, including the opportunities we see to change it.

Over the last 25 years, I have held various strategic and management positions at multinational corporations and consulting firms in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. While serving as the head of Strategy and Data Analytics for one of the largest groups at RELX, an FTSE 100 company, I became fascinated by the relationship between economic theory and long-term value creation. During this time, I noticed that although conventional economic theories can help us improve current market conditions, they are inadequate when transitioning towards a radically new, more sustainable future.

Today, I work as an independent advisor focused on Complexity and New Economic Thinking, affiliated with the Centre of Complex System Studies at the University of Utrecht.

I live in Amsterdam with my partner Bas. Besides enjoying human culture and creativity—reading fiction and non-fiction, trying out cooking recipes or listening to jazz—I love spending time in nature, walking, camping, rowing or skiing.

  • I was introduced to Complexity over 30 years ago and was immediately hooked. As a visiting researcher at the Delft University of Technology, I spent a year studying the learning behaviour of networks, figuring out why some excelled at problem-solving whilst others struggled. The invaluable insights I acquired during this time served me throughout my professional career.

    After spending two decades in the corporate world, I reconnected with academia. Developing The Rethink Lab framework took many years. I attended countless academic lectures and conferences, collaborated with leading thinkers and scientists across the globe, and thoroughly reviewed the literature, all with the same focus: to uncover insights relevant to sustainable businesses, synthesizing them into easy-to-understand concepts and examples.

    To deepen my understanding of Complexity as it relates to Economics and AI, I also completed two certified programs:

    • Behavioural Macro and Complexity Economics at the Tinbergen Institute, run by the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Amsterdam,

    • Complexity, Artificial and Human Intelligence at New England Complex Science Institute (NESCI) operated by MIT and Harvard University faculty.

    Next to my work with companies, I am a guest lecturer at several universities, teaching both introductory Complexity & New Economic Thinking courses and advanced classes on Complexity and sustainability.