Dr Karla Zimpel-Leal
PhD, MSc, BBA, FHEA
Associate Professor Innovation & Enterprise Oxford Brookes Business School
Role
I lead Impact Challenge Week, a major experiential learning initiative that brings multidisciplinary student teams together with external organisations to address live strategic issues. I also contribute to executive education through the Help to Grow: Management programme, Scale Up Network and KTPs, supporting SME leaders to strengthen innovation capability, strategic thinking, and sustainable growth.
As PGRT for the Doctorate in Coaching and Mentoring, I lead the programme for doctoral researchers and supervisory teams throughout their research journey. My work in this area reflects a strong commitment to developing reflective practitioners and advancing coaching and mentoring as rigorous academic and professional fields.
My research focuses on healthy ageing and ageing-in-place, particularly the role of robotics, emerging technologies, and business model innovation in supporting longer, healthier, and more independent lives. My research also explores innovation in care, ageing societies, and age-friendly cities. I co-lead the Healthy Ageing & Care Research Network and participate in international research projects, collaborating with partners across academia, industry, government, and the third sector.
Across my work, I aim to bridge research and practice, helping organisations and communities develop responsible innovation that delivers both economic and social impact.
Teaching and supervision
Courses
Modules taught
- Group Consultancy Project
- Innovation
- Creativity and Enterpreneurship
- MSc Dissertation
- Client Project Placement
- Help to Grow
Supervision
- Masters dissertations
- PhD supervision
Research
My research focuses on healthy ageing and ageing in place, exploring how innovation can support longer, healthier, and more independent lives. I am particularly interested in the role of robotics and emerging technologies in care, as well as business model innovation for organisations responding to demographic change. I collaborate with partners across academia, industry, government, and the third sector, and participate in international research projects aimed at developing practical, scalable solutions for ageing societies. My work emphasises cross-sector collaboration, responsible innovation, and real-world impact, bridging research and practice to inform policy, services, and organisational strategy.
Research impact
My research seeks to generate practical impact by informing how organisations, policymakers, and communities respond to population ageing. Through collaborative projects with public, private, and third-sector partners, I contribute evidence and tools that support ageing in place, service innovation, and more inclusive, age-friendly environments. My work on robotics, emerging technologies in care, and business model innovation helps organisations explore sustainable approaches to supporting older adults while addressing workforce and resource challenges. I participate in international research collaborations and knowledge-exchange activities designed to translate research into practice, influencing policy discussions, organisational strategy, and service design.
Projects as Principal Investigator, or Lead Academic if project is led by another Institution
- UK-South Korea Ageing in Place Research Network (led by TDE) (01/02/2022 - 29/02/2024), funded by: Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)
Publications
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Certified Coach, Oxford Brookes University
Conferences
- Innovating Healthy Ageing at Home and in the Community: A UK-South Korea Scoping Review of Care Technologies
- BSG Conference, Oxford, 2026
- Innovation Management for Technology-Enabled Ageing in Place
- ISPIM Innovation Conference, Bergen, 2025
- Business Model Innovation in Consultancy
- ISPIM Innovation Conference, Tallinn, 2024
- An Integrative Synthesis on Tech-Enabled Homecare
- Transforming Care Conference, Sheffield, 2023
- Value Propositions of Homecare Models
- GSA Conference, 2020
- Emerging Models of Home Care Providers in the UK
- Transforming Care Conference, Copenhagen, 2019
- How Generative Mechanisms Explain Scientific Knowledge Transfer
- Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 2018
- Relatedness Mechanisms in Academic-Industry Knowledge Transfer
- UIIN Conference, London, 2018
- Open Innovation in Practice: The Role of Social Capital
- IPDMC Conference, Copenhagen Business School, 2015
Consultancy
Further details
My work is grounded in applied social sciences, focusing on innovation and enterprise in response to complex societal challenges. I conduct practice-engaged research in partnership with organisations, policymakers and regulators, examining emerging business models, service innovation and technology adoption in ageing societies.
My earlier research explored innovation management and knowledge transfer between science and industry, including collaborations in the food sector addressing nutrition, sustainability, waste reduction and food security.
Alongside academia, I bring a strong entrepreneurial and practitioner perspective developed through founding and co-founding businesses, as well as consulting in supply chain management and procurement for organisations including Ofcom, Ealing Council and Lotus Cars.
I am also a coach, helping clients align their values and reach their peak potential. Rooted in humanistic psychology, my approach emphasises holistic development, intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence and meaningful growth.
I hold a double honours BBA (Hons) in Business and International Trade, an MSc (distinction) in Supply Chain Management, and a PhD in Scientific Knowledge Transfer.
Some selected research projects include:
Vivensa Foundation Ignite Grant (2026–27): Laying the Groundwork for an Age-Friendly Oxford: Mapping Needs, Generating Evidence and Building Partnerships
Knowledge Exchange Small Grant (2024–25): Innovating Healthy Ageing: Integrating Technology into Home and Community Environments
ESRC Research Network Grant (2022–24) UK–South Korea Ageing in Place
Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (2021–22): Servitization and Business Development
UKRI Innovation Fellowship, University of Sheffield (2018–21): Advancing Business Innovation and Skills Development in the Homecare Sector
Worldwide Universities Network Research Mobility Programme Grant (2020)