Hey, I amAgnes Günther
Strategist, Designer, Researcher
I believe that businesses should have a positive impact on society and make the world a better place. It’s not enough to have a carbon-neutral footprint. More so, I believe that having a positive impact on society improves economic performance in the long term.
Driven by this belief, I left my research position at a top US business school to start my own business: Netsocietal®.
What started as a theory turned into a company mission: The mission to help businesses create a net-positive, measurable, and noticeable impact on society – as I call it: be netsocietal.
I am a founder, partner, consultant.
Most of all: I am curious. I am not afraid to challenge what’s taken for granted. I dare to reinvent myself and take risks to create what really matters: a net-positive impact.
The principles behind Netsocietal®
- Solutions should be market-creating. Policies and regulations cannot be the only instruments for businesses to do good.
- We need to apply system thinking and see the big picture to make it work. Thinking in silos won’t bring us much further.
- Great ambitions require a vision that is ethical and sustainable in the long term. We dare to try to realize it.
- While visionary, everything we do is science-based, backed up with data and facts. We know the odds.
Recent Projects
At Netsocietal, I lead interdisciplinary projects that blend strategy, data, and impact. Our work spans philanthropy, science funding, health, sustainability, and the built environment—always with the goal of helping clients understand and elevate their societal impact, and make it strategically relevant. Below are some examples.
Impact reporting: state-of-the-art and trends
Client: Novo Nordisk FoundationNetsocietal, 2024
Identifying the largest funders of skin care research
Client: LEO FoundationNetsocietal, 2024
Enabeling or hindering the green transition: Understanding the interplay between regulations in construction
Client: Bygherreforening
Netsocietal, 2024
Positioning among stakeholders: how to be most influencial and impactful
Client: CONCITONetsocietal, 2024
How initiatives in the public housing sector affect mental and physical health
Client: Landsbyggefonden
Netsocietal, 2024
Life in city centers: screening tool
Client: Realdania By og BygNetsocietal, 2024
How to make impact: value chains and theory of change
Client: BørneBasket Fonden
Netsocietal, 2024
Effective science funding: Evaluating research grants and grant-giving activities
Client: Cancer FondenNetsocietal, 2024
How to boost the market of reused materials in construction
Client: GI, Realdania, DI ByggeriNetsocietal, 2024
More about Netsocietal®
Other Projects
Before founding Netsocietal, I worked on strategy and design projects, helping organizations think through practical questions: What is our goal? Who are we serving? How do we position ourselves in the market? What do we offer, and why does it matter? These projects covered business strategy, product design, service development, and technology application—laying the groundwork for the approach I bring to Netsocietal today.
Business Method toolkit
Client: MediaLabAmsterdam/Digital Society SchoolAgnes Günther, 2015
Track-and-trace system
For KLM Airfrance CARGO
Brand design and positioning
Client in the Fashion industry
Concrete CanvasFurniture
Meds, Ireland
Agnes Günther
Jewelry
Bluedot Award 2016Desgin: Agnes Günther
Annual reports and stakeholder communication
Client: ACE Venture LAB
Agnes Günther
Prior to starting Netsocietal
My Research
My research examines value creation and appropriation by different economic actors and how organizations turn human capital into competitive advantage. I explore how firms navigate the complexities of talent retention, integration, and reconfiguration—particularly in high-stakes situations like acquisitions and new ventures—and uncover the key mechanisms that drive economic value.
My work has been recognized with top awards in corporate strategy, including a Best Dissertation nomination by the Academy of Management, a Strategy Research Foundation Dissertation Scholarship, and multiple Best Paper Awards.
