three men and two women smiling at camera Johanna Mair, second from left with members of the SSIR team earlier this year.

Since 2010, Professor Johanna Mair has served as SSIR’s academic editor, lending her expertise as one of the leading global scholars in the field of social innovation to our team. Johanna is transitioning to a new role as the director of the Florence School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, so we wanted to take a moment to mark the occasion and celebrate her 15 years at SSIR with you, our readers.

Johanna’s contributions to SSIR are many. She reviewed countless magazine contributions. The very first one she greenlighted was “Collective Impact,” which remains an essential text on cross-sector collaboration for leaders of social change. She has also co-authored several articles for SSIR, including “The Emerging Field of Political Innovation” and “Innovation Is Not the Holy Grail” (and we hope she’ll continue to author many more). She moderated lively discussions at our events, frequently asking tough questions and pushing conversations a step deeper, and she represented SSIR at international conferences with fellow scholars, practitioners, and many of you!

She brought an important global perspective to our team and has played a crucial role in developing partnerships with six local language editions of SSIR. Johanna’s articles for us offer a window into her academic research on how organizations experiment, innovate, and improve to address the world’s most serious challenges. She also personifies the collaborative nature of social innovation at its best in her work with other authors, with fellow researchers, and with the SSIR team.

three women seated at table speaking to audience Johanna Mair, left, speaking at a salon session at the Philanthropy Innovation Summit, organized by Stanford PACS.


We asked Johanna to reflect on her time at SSIR, the evolution of the field of social innovation, and what’s next.

SSIR: How has the field of social innovation changed since you started working at SSIR?

Johanna Mair: When I first joined SSIR, the field of social innovation was still in its infancy—fragmented and experimental, but full of promise. Over the past 15 years, it has grown into a mature, professional, and global field of practice. What has been especially exciting is to see how dynamic and alive the field remains: By its very nature, social innovation must constantly evolve to address urgent societal and environmental challenges. Today, the field is more willing to tackle the root causes and systemic nature of problems, not just their symptoms. It has also become much more inclusive, engaging a broad range of stakeholders—social innovators, entrepreneurs, funders, policy makers, and corporations—across an increasingly interconnected world.

SSIR: Where do you see the field headed?

JM: Despite the turbulence—and perhaps because of it—I believe that social innovation will continue to prosper. The track record, persistence, and tireless ambition of this community are sources of hope in challenging times. I see social innovation becoming even more of a beacon for addressing not only social and environmental challenges but also pressing political ones. While the coming years may be tougher for progressive initiatives, I remain optimistic: This field is uniquely positioned to offer resourceful, collaborative solutions for complex problems.

SSIR: What SSIR article do you think stands the test of time and remains especially relevant to you?

JM: What I’m most proud of at SSIR is that we've developed a diverse set of articles—from thought pieces to rigorous empirical work and forward-looking reflections. Most of these contributions have reshaped or reoriented conversations in the field, which is precisely their value. If I had to pick a favorite, “The Elusive Craft of Advocacy,” by Steven Teles and Mark Schmitt, stands out for me. It helped redefine social innovation to include its political dimensions and challenged the trend toward standardizing impact measurement—reminding us that nuance, context, and advocacy matter deeply.

SSIR: What research projects do you have planned?

JM: In my research going forward, I want to deepen our understanding of how innovation can truly drive change—moving beyond buzzwords to uncover the mastery behind genuine systems transformation. This involves exploring how transformative processes take shape and, importantly, how they put social systems on a new and better trajectory.

A guiding question our research team at the Global Innovation for Impact Lab asks is: How can societies thrive as “healthy contexts,” where social and economic problems are less likely to occur in the first place? Addressing this requires looking at economic, political, and social factors holistically—because only by understanding how they interact can we build resilient societies capable of facing future challenges.

Another aspect of my work involves examining the relationship between social innovation and democracy. I am especially interested in how innovative processes and organizational structures can strengthen democratic practices—by increasing participation, promoting deliberation, and supporting collective action.

SSIR: Tell us about your next role.

JM: I am excited to share that, as of December 1, I will join the Florence School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute as its new director. This new role is both an honor and a responsibility. It offers a unique opportunity to expand the practice of social innovation in Europe and globally, and to strengthen conversations about social innovation within policy and political spheres. I am looking forward to working with a vibrant community to further integrate innovative approaches into transnational governance and leadership.

Please join us in congratulating Johanna and thanking her for all of her contributions to SSIR!

A selection of Johanna’s SSIR articles through the years:

Read more stories by SSIR Editors.