Jan Jakub (Kuba) Wygnanski is a sociologist by training. He started his public activity as a Solidarity activist in Poland. Kuba started several NGOs including KLON/JAWOR Association and Forum of Nongovernmental Initiatives (FIP) which plays a key role as representative of the Polish Third Sector. He was the initiator and coordinator of a multi-year systemic project of the Polish Model of Social Economy. Currently, Kuba is the President of the Unit for Social Innovation and Research SHIPYARD.

Kuba shares the work of the Shipyard Foundation in Poland, an organisation that works on  multiple levels from working with civic organisations on the ground to supporting incubators to shifting systems in public participation. He talks about the social innovations happening in Poland currently, in response to the recent crisis in Ukraine.