Cristina Chaminade holds a Bachelor in Economics with a major in Development economics and a PhD in Economics, specialised in Economics of Innovation. She is an unorthodox economist working in the interplay between sustainability, innovation, and wildlife conservation, particularly in the Global South. She has more than thirty years of experience in research, capacity building, and consulting for international organisations in innovative solutions for sustainable development and regional transformations worldwide. As a researcher, her focus in on innovative solutions for sustainability transformations. Her leading questions are what might enable the direction and geographical scale of the transformation and how can transformations be accelerated. The latter is paramount if considering the urgency of the challenges our planet is facing today. She works regularly as an international expert for international organisations such as the European Commission, UNCTAD, OECD, and UN-ECLAC. She has extensively published in international journals, refereed books and handbooks in the fields of innovation, international business, development studies, and sustainability.