In the midst of discussions about sustainability, responsibility and the future of organisations, a group of postgraduate students gathered for something a little unexpected: a table full of LEGO bricks. Led by Monika Sońta, PhD, Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method Facilitator, the workshop invited them to explore the ESG landscape not through traditional lectures or reports, but through their hands – building, imagining and connecting.
It was a perfect reflection of the 4innopipe2 spirit: discovering how creativity can illuminate complex futures by supporting innovation and academic entrepreneurship.
Where towers meet ideas
The workshop opened with a playful challenge – build the tallest possible tower and place a figure on top.
Very quickly, the room filled with laughter, experiments, collapsing structures, and triumphant final builds. Yet beneath the fun, deeper lessons emerged: that reaching upward requires balance, that ambition must be supported by a stable base, and that resilience is often engineered through trial, error and iteration.
It was the first hint that ESG challenges, much like towers, are built layer by layer.
Stories behind the bricks
With hands now warmed up, participants moved on to sharing the real ESG issues they encounter in their organisations. Each story was different, yet common threads appeared – pressures to adapt, the need for transparency, and a growing recognition that sustainability isn’t a side project but a strategic necessity.
This collective storytelling opened a shared space of empathy and curiosity, where the boundaries between disciplines softened and new perspectives emerged.
Mapping the SDGs – one brick at a time
The final challenge brought everything together: using all the bricks to build models representing best practices for implementing the SDGs.
Each creation – colourful, symbolic and deeply personal – was then placed directly on the SDG it represented. Soon, the table transformed into a living landscape of sustainability: ecosystems of ideas, connected through the hands that shaped them.
This embodied way of thinking aligned seamlessly with concepts introduced during the workshop:
Lagom (just enough), Optimum, RUPT, anti‑fragility and systems thinking.
Together, they encouraged participants to view sustainability not as a checklist, but as a dynamic, interdependent system.
A vision for “Positive Impact Startups”
The workshop closed with a collaborative reflection on how to enhance the Positive Impact Startups Report.
The group imagined a future where the report becomes:
- more interactive, accessible and visually engaging,
- supported by clear criteria, thematic categories and transparent assessment,
- strengthened by a promotional platform that showcases solutions to the world,
- backed by financial / organizational support mechanisms, legal protection for new startups and a dedicated R&D space, and amplified through a strong, consistent promotional campaign.
It was a moment where ideas flowed as easily as bricks clicked together – another reminder that creativity doesn’t just make learning more engaging; it makes futures more possible.
