Dr Julia Baum is an AWEI Expert Associate whose work sits at the intersection of nature, policy, futures thinking and strategic communication. Her career brings together perspectives on living systems, leadership and long-term social and ecological change.
As an independent consultant through Conservationpreneur.com, she focuses on strategy, foresight-oriented communication and partnership positioning, with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and coherence. Her background spans geoecology, stakeholder engagement and transdisciplinary collaboration across Africa and Europe.
Julia holds a PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town. She previously served as Programmes Manager and Partnerships Advisor at AWEI (2021-2023).
Julia was AWEI Programmes Manager & Partnerships Advisor (2021-2023). In 2026, Julia’s collaboration with AWEI centres on questions around conservation entrepreneurship and landscape-level opportunity mapping, particularly how markets and governance shape place-based opportunities.
Selected recent publications
Data sovereignty for security in mineral economies: Indigenous data governance offers a pathway to accountable, peaceful, and sustainable mineral development across Africa. Africa Tomorrow, Institute for Security Studies, 26 November 2025
Ecologies of wealth in the Congo Basin: Indigenous value systems reveal how prosperity and resilience are rooted in Africa’s ecological and cultural foundations. Africa Tomorrow, Institute for Security Studies, 18 November 2025
Can Africa own its data future? Weak data systems constrain decision-making, leaving development policies shaped by partial pictures and external estimates. Africa Tomorrow, Institute for Security Studies, 30 September 2025
FORESTS OF THE SEA: Rewilding beneath the Surface. Rewilding Southern Africa Magazine, Vol 3 Issue 2, September 2025