Ken Wake
I help people see the deeper logic of systems—so they can build things that work in the real world.
Author of Thinking Design (forthcoming)
What I Do
I make sense of complex systems.
I design for real-world conditions.
I translate ideas into strategy.
Building scalable, human-centered systems in healthcare
At Wider Circle and Ask Claire, I design and scale community-based models that improve outcomes for underserved populations. My work blends operational design, behavioral insight, and systems thinking to make care more accessible, equitable, and effective.
Founding and advising mission-driven companies
I’ve founded and led companies across HealthTech, AgeTech, and design consulting—including Saeidan (acquired by Wider Circle). Today I mentor founders through Techstars and advise organizations working at the edge of healthcare, technology, and meaning.
Researching how systems shape behavior—and how to design better ones
As an Adjunct Professor and Research Associate at Georgetown, I study sociotechnical systems, semiotics, and the logic of real-world design. My book, Thinking Design (forthcoming), challenges conventional design thinking and offers a more rigorous, context-aware alternative.
Ideas
Explorations at the edge of design, systems, meaning, and real-world complexity.
Thinking Design
A forthcoming book about how meaning becomes system architecture and why most design frameworks fail to account for real-world complexity.
Tour de Ken
A multi-year experiment in capability, identity, and embodied systems design—training for the 2,700-mile Tour Divide before turning fifty.
Writing
Selected essays, lectures, and publications on design, complexity, and how systems shape lived experience.