New Know How empowers people and organisations to create kinder, fairer policies and services. We build the skills you need to tackle complex issues and transform systems—together.

How we can help

We’re a small social business specialising in training people in co-design practices. We offer:

training courses open to the public
customised training / in-house professional development
individual mentoring and supervision
team coaching and project mentoring
capability assessments
learning partnerships
support for community of practice, learning or impact networks

We’re not a consulting or professional services agency with staff for hire. We won’t lead a design process or run a series of community engagement workshops for you. Instead, we love to partner with purpose-driven individuals and organisations to build the skills you need to co-create successful outcomes.

We’re proudly a heart-based business—our purpose is to build skills that the world needs.

Core team

A woman smiling in front of foliage, wearing a t-shirt with abstract patterns. This is Dr Emma Blomkamp, the founder of New Know How.

Dr Emma Blomkamp, Director & Learning Partner

Born and raised in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Emma has worked in the Pacific, Europe and Asia. From her home base in the hills of Wurundjeri Country (Melbourne, Australia), Emma focuses on supporting designers, researchers, public servants and other changemakers to co-create more compassionate and equitable policies, services and programs.

For more than a decade, Emma led award-winning strategic design and social innovation projects with public purpose organisations, following prior experience in language teaching, film production and cultural governance. An Honorary Fellow at The University of Melbourne, she has a PhD in community wellbeing and local government, and a co-edited book on the politics of cultural measurement.

In 2021, Emma launched her first and still flagship training program, Co-Design Bootcamp, now Co-Design Practitioners. The following year, she founded CoDesignCo, and convened this community of practice with over 100 active members for two years.

A lifelong learner with a strong commitment to creating and sharing knowledge, Emma continues to research, publish and present internationally on public innovation and systemic design. She is passionate about creating the conditions for people to participate in design and decision-making processes that affect our lives. She is an active member of Enspiral and her local township group, while continuing to convene New Know How’s alumni network.

Emma launched New Know How in 2025 to encompass all the work previously conducted under the banners of Emma Blomkamp and CoDesignCo, and to welcome other collaborators and specialists into the fold.

Cat Howell, Operations Partner

Cat Howell is an experienced operations leader and strategic partner, supporting New Know How to grow with clarity, care and intention. As Operations Partner, Cat works alongside Emma to strengthen the foundations of the organisation and support its evolution over time.

With more than 15 years’ experience across consultancies, creative studios and purpose-led organisations, Cat has spent much of her career supporting businesses through periods of growth and change. She has held senior operational and leadership roles, working closely with founders and leadership teams to scale organisations in ways that balance ambition with clarity, care and financial health. Her work reflects a deep understanding of how culture and operations are intrinsically linked, and how one shapes the other.

At New Know How, Cat brings this experience to support the organisation as it grows, helping things run smoothly while also planning for what’s ahead.

Cat lived and worked in London for much of her career before returning home to Australia, and now lives and works on Dja Dja Wurrung Country with her young family, a very naughty labrador and four chickens. Living off-grid and being closely connected to her community informs her focus on sustainability, long-term thinking and building organisations that are practical, resilient and deeply human.