Caroline Obolensky is a social scientist, Lecturer and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of St. Gallen. She studied in St. Gallen, Lausanne, Stanford and Argentina, and earned her doctorate on steward-ownership and alternative governance models. Her SNSF-funded research examines how organizational structures and legal frameworks influence long-term corporate behaviour and the ability of firms to address grand challenges.

Before joining TIDIT as CEO, she co-founded several ventures in the fields of digital innovation, productivity, the arts and future skills. She has collaborated with universities, foundations and public institutions on systems change, Design Thinking, innovation processes and responsibility in connection with her research on desirable futures. She is also actively engaged in several nonprofit initiatives and volunteers with Purpose Schweiz, the System Change Foundation and Student Impact, where she serves on the advisory board.

At TIDIT, she leads the institute’s strategic development and focuses on assessing and strengthening regional capacities in AI and data literacy with particular attention to the needs of SMEs. She also co-leads research projects and collaborations with the I+D Campus Thurgau to advance applied research, cross-border cooperation and advanced digital skills in the region.