Innovation that actually moves the for-purpose sector forward.
We help Australian not-for-profits, social enterprises and mission-led organisations turn innovation and AI ambition into a working practice — not another report on the shelf.
— PRACTICAL · SCALABLE · PURPOSE-DRIVEN
Trusted by leaders across the for-purpose sector.
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Grid Series
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![WomenCAN Australia logo – Shackleton Labs client]()
WomenCAN Australia
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![Leprosy Mission Australia logo – Shackleton Labs client]()
Leprosy Mission Australia
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![Uncommon Collective logo – Shackleton Labs client]()
Uncommon Collective
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Australian Communities Foundation
THE SHACKLETON DIFFERENCEWe don't advise from the sidelines. We build alongside you — practical, evidence-based, and right-sized for the for-purpose sector.
Four ways we work with you
Engage one service or bundle them. Every engagement is shaped to your stage, capacity and ambition — never a templated playbook.
01 / Embedded Leadership
Fractional Chief Innovation Officer
Senior innovation leadership embedded in your executive team — without the full-time cost. We hold the strategy, run the operating cadence, and build internal capability so you don't depend on us forever.
Best for: mid-sized NFPs and social enterprises Format: 1–5 days/month, ongoing
02 / Org-wide Capability
Innovation Culture & Capability Track
A structured 12-week-plus program that turns innovation from a buzzword into a practiced habit — across leaders, teams and the systems that actually decide what gets built.
Best for: orgs ready to embed innovation org-wide Format: 12+ weeks, mixed cadence
03 / Skills Activation
Innovation Masterclasses
High-energy 90-minute to full-day workshops on the practical craft — idea generation, testing, business model design, AI for the for-purpose sector. Skills your team uses on Monday morning.
Best for: teams, leadership groups, board offsites Format: 90 min – full day
04 / 1:1 & Team Coaching
Innovation Coaching
Sharp, structured coaching for CEOs, executives and innovation leads. Bring a real challenge to each session — leave with a clearer path, sharper thinking, and momentum to act.
Best for: CEOs, execs, innovation leads
Format: 4 / 8 / 12-session packages
I started Shackleton Labs to provide for purpose leadership teams with fractional, direct and affordable executive level innovation support, capability building and coaching.
Before this, I was an senior executive leader in the for purpose sector for over a decade. Amongst other things, I built and ran a 162-year-old global NFP’s first-ever innovation lab; founded a B Corp social impact consultancy (Purposeful); created and sold one of Australia’s top business podcasts (Humans of Purpose); and served as a senior advisor in the Victorian Government.
Innovation in the for-purpose sector doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a strategic, intentional approach that touches culture, capability and mindset — and someone in the room who’s done it before.
—MEET THE FOUNDERHi, I’m Mike Davis.
Why Shackleton Labs
There are plenty of innovation consultants. Few have built and run a leading innovation function inside a national for-purpose organisation. That's the difference.
A decade-plus inside Australian not for profits and social enterprises. We know the funding cycles, the board dynamics, and the constraints — because we've worked inside them.
01 Sector-native expertise
No 60-page strategy docs that never ship. We work alongside your team — designing, testing, running — until the practice is in your hands, not ours.
02 Design and implementation
Fractional, flexible, sector-priced. Senior innovation leadership at a fraction of a full-time exec — engagements designed to fit a real for purpose budget.
03 Fractional and accessible
We use tools and frameworks that are proven, taught and adopted globally — adapted carefully for the for-purpose context. No buzzword soup.
04 Action-oriented strategy
Our success is leaving the room at the right time — it's your team running innovation confidently long after we leave. Every engagement transfers sustainable skills.