Rufus Pollock
Cultivating Clarity in Complexity
Our world stands at a civilisational threshold. The same intelligence that built systems of unprecedented reach now strains under their weight. Beneath the economic, ecological, and technological crises lies a quieter fracture — a crisis of sense: how we perceive, value, and make meaning together.
My work traces this line between inner and outer transformation. From open knowledge infrastructures to cultural and spiritual renewal, I explore how shifts in consciousness, culture and systems can radically realign our civilization.
This site itself is both portal and garden — a place to share ideas, experiments, and reflections on how we might move toward a wiser world. Some pages are germs of ideas, others are fully-fledged projects.
Wisdom in the service of transformation
At heart, I am a sensemaker and pragmatic utopian — making sense of the world and committed to practical action in service of a radically wiser world.
These two streams inter-are: making sense informs action and practical implementation gives meaning to sensemaking. Inquiry and reflection come first. And I want them to inform – and be woven with – engagement with the world – and engagement with a context of action at the roots, action for paradigmatic change. It will be no surprise that I have been deeply inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh and the vision of Engaged Buddhism.
Areas of Work
My work spans several fields from research and policy-making to digital infrastructure and social innovation. Despite this diversity there is a common thread: a commitment to a rigorous understanding of how the world works at a fundamental level and translating that understanding into pragmatic, systemic action.
1. Tools & Infrastructure for Sensemaking
Creating the systems and technologies that support collective understanding, from data platforms to digital gardens. This work builds the foundations for wiser coordination, transparent flows of knowledge, and participatory sensemaking in the information age.
Examples: https://ckan.net/
2. Paradigmatic Change & a Second Renaissance
Exploring how worldviews evolve and how societies can consciously transition toward wiser, more compassionate ways of being. This includes inquiry into cultural evolution, inner development, systems change, and the conditions for a second renaissance grounded in wisdom.
3. Information Policy & Knowledge Societies
Designing the principles, institutions, and policies for information commons and open knowledge societies. This builds on decades of work in open knowledge, data governance, and digital public goods.
4. Systemic Design & Social Innovation
Prototyping the architectures, organisational, institutional, and economic, that embody new paradigms in practice. This involves creating and supporting real-world experiments in regenerative living, governance, and collaboration.
Examples: https://lifeitself.org/hubs, https://openrevolution.net/
Featured Projects
Life Itself
A network of hubs, research, and residencies dedicated to inner-led systems change.
Second Renaissance
A cultural initiative and publication series exploring a new civilisational paradigm.
🌍 https://secondrenaissance.net
Digital Garden
An open workspace of notes and essays tracing ongoing inquiries across sensemaking, culture, and design.
FlowerShow / Open Infrastructure
Markdown-based publishing tools continuing the lineage of open knowledge and digital commons.
About
Rufus Pollock is a researcher, writer, and builder exploring the meeting point of culture, consciousness, and systems change. Formerly the Founder of the Open Knowledge Foundation and an Open Data pioneer, his current work with Life Itself and the Second Renaissance focuses on inner-led social change to renew our civilisation’s foundations.
He studied mathematics then economics at the University of Cambridge, obtaining a PhD and then a research fellowership. Following that Rufus founded an international NGO and advised governments and international organisations on information policy and digital infrastructure. His present focus is cultivating wisdom practices and frameworks for systemic renewal.
More information on the about page.
Contact
For collaboration, speaking, or correspondence: hello [at] rufuspollock [dot] com (or see the contact page).
Or explore my Digital Garden to find out more on my lines of thought, research and projects.