Gretchen Gscheidle

Background

About Gretchen Gscheidle

It’s fitting that my surname translates directly to “clever”—a core part of who I am. Cleverness, for me, is synonymous with whole-brain thinking—navigating both sides of the brain to find solutions that are innovative yet practical. This synergy between creativity and structure is at the heart of how I do things, and always has been. This clever anagram hints at where I’m going now in my career: A RESPONSIBILITY = NEAR POSSIBILITY. I believe responsibility is where possibility begins. My practice is rooted in designing for human needs while recognizing that we depend on a healthy ecology to thrive. This was a throughline during my 27 years at Herman Miller, where I spent 9 years in research, design, and development leadership, contributing $800 million in annual revenue and thought leadership to a brand known for its environmental stewardship. As founder D.J. DePree said decades before my arrival,"Good design isn’t just good business, it’s a moral obligation!" I take this to heart. For me, good design is a moral act—a responsibility to create solutions that foster well-being, ecological mindfulness, and positively engage all the senses. These values dovetail with Bruce Mau's Massive Change Design Principles, MC24®, which articulate how we can think expansively and design with purpose and impact. Bruce’s principles resonated with me when I first devoured his book, MC24, leading me to Massive Change Network, LLC, where I applied them daily. By incorporating these principles, I aim to inspire action, collaboration, and bold thinking. I’ve been privileged to work with exceptional mentors and lead teams plus mentor others in ways that unlock their potential. My leadership is deeply influenced by a servant-leader mindset, guiding others to take responsibility for their actions while fostering collaboration and creative thinking. This philosophy shapes my approach in higher education, where I’ve taught, facilitated, and supported purpose-driven, experience-based learning across two continents. Further, the Golden Rule—treat others as you wish to be treated—has shaped my leadership and mentorship approach. It’s no coincidence that “clever” is embedded in my name, just as responsibility is the key to unlocking possibility. Let's design where these principles might take us!