Helping leaders make innovaiton real- across sectors, borders and cultures.
Barbara Salopek is an international innovation strategist, TEDx speaker, and author of the upcoming book Future-Fit Innovation. Founder of Vinco Innovation, she helps leaders turn complex ideas into real results — from carbon capture to public sector transformation. With 20+ years of experience, she combines strategic clarity with hands-on delivery. Trilingual and globally minded, Barbara built her company from scratch and now helps others build future-ready organizations that actually innovate — not just talk about it
Barbara Salopek, with over 20 years of experience across sectors and borders, she helps leaders and organizations transform innovation from a buzzword into a system — one rooted in real people, bold strategy, and measurable results.
Originally from Croatia, Barbara moved to Norway with four loans on her back — one for a flat she bought at 25 (and fully repaid within six years), one for a startup she invested in, and two just to secure a residence permit to study in Norway. Without scholarships or family support, she worked her way through a double Master’s degree, launched her career, and repaid all the loans in silence. After nearly a decade leading innovation and transformation at one of Norway’s top consultancies, she founded Vinco Innovation — an independent firm she built entirely on her own, without investors or debt.
Today, Vinco is recognized across Europe for its hands-on leadership in complex innovation initiatives — from carbon capture and healthcare transformation, to maritime decarbonization, zero-emission transport, and public sector innovation. Barbara has successfully led or advised on more than 20 innovation projects and helped clients secure over 10 internationally funded initiatives — including winning public tenders without formal tender training, driven by sheer clarity and resilience.
She combines the sharp thinking of a strategist with the drive of a founder and the global mindset of someone who has lived and worked across four countries. She’s trilingual, holds a double Master’s degree, lectures at BI Norwegian Business School, and serves as an active board member guiding organizational strategy and growth.
Barbara’s upcoming book and keynote, Future-Fit Innovation, introduce her signature framework: true innovation only happens when you address all three levels of change — the individual, the group, and the organization. Skip one, and your strategy will fail. But when all three align, innovation becomes not only possible — but sustainable.
Barbara’s signature framework — and the foundation of her upcoming book and keynote — is called Future-Fit Innovation. It’s built on one core belief:
If you want innovation to succeed, you must work at three levels:
Because individuals make groups and groups make organisations. When all three align, innovation becomes not only possible — but sustainable. When even one is missing, your strategy is likely to fail.
This framework shapes her work with executive teams, innovation leads, strategy units, and public funders alike — helping them unlock real progress and measurable results.
Using the Future-Fit Innovation framework, Barbara equips future-thinking leaders with the mindset, structure, and strategy they need to lead organizations that innovate sustainably.
Innovation is not a 2 day workshop — it’s a system, a mindset, and a discipline.
It is a long term dedication.
Barbara helps organizations build Future-Fit Innovation systems by focusing on Innovation Strategy, Culture Development & Capacity Building.
High-impact talks on innovation strategy, culture, sustainability, and the human side of transformation — delivered with clarity and conviction.
Focused, engaging sessions for boards or leadership teams. Deep dives into innovation culture, psychological safety, strategic creativity, and sustainable innovation.
From diagnosing innovation blocks to co-developing strategy, Barbara helps leaders align people, purpose, and processes so innovation becomes a repeatable capability — not just an isolated effort. This also includes 1:1 mentoring for innovation leaders who want a trusted partner to sharpen strategy, grow confidence, and lead transformation from the inside out.
Strategic support for complex innovation initiatives. From shaping strong concepts and partnerships to securing funding, Barbara contributed to projects that raised 100M+ NOK in public funding.
Future-Fit Innovation Strategist | Speaker | Author
© 2025 Barbara Salopek & Vinco Innovation. All rights reserved.
