About us
Knowledge and Innovation Society (abbreviation in Latvian - ZINIS) is a non-governmental organisation established in 2009 to strengthen a knowledge-based, collaborative and socially responsible society.
We design and facilitate practical learning experiences that help people, organisations and communities solve complex challenges through systems thinking, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and co-creation. Our work combines research-based methods with highly interactive formats, enabling participants not only to generate ideas, but also to turn them into meaningful action.
Over the past 16 years, we have delivered more than 2,000 workshops, hackathons, training programmes, innovation labs, mentoring sessions and public engagement events, working with public authorities, municipalities, universities, businesses, NGOs and local communities across Latvia and internationally.
Our expertise includes:
- Creativity and innovation methods
- Design Thinking and problem reframing
- Systems Thinking
- Social innovation and community development
- Entrepreneurship education
- Service and organisational innovation
- Climate resilience and sustainability
- Facilitation of co-creation processes
- Capacity building for public sector, NGOs and businesses
At ZINIS, we believe that sustainable change begins when people understand the real problem, think systemically and take shared responsibility for creating better solutions. Our mission is to build the knowledge, skills and partnerships needed to transform ideas into long-term social impact.
Communities and Civic Innovation
We help communities transform local challenges into shared opportunities through participatory innovation and co-creation. By combining systems thinking, design thinking and collaborative facilitation, we support residents, municipalities and local organisations in identifying real needs, generating practical solutions and strengthening social capital. Our community projects include hackathons, Future City Games, visioning workshops, participatory planning and capacity-building programmes that foster trust, civic engagement and long-term resilience. From neighbourhood initiatives to regional development processes, our goal is to empower communities to become active co-creators of their own future rather than passive recipients of change.
Let's turn complexity into opportunities!