Sharyn Tenn

Founder & CEO, Flourish51
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For over 25 years, I’ve designed human-centered solutions within complex global systems—health, finance, education, humanitarian response, and organizational development—where design decisions shape real lives and long-term outcomes.

My perspective was formed through early ties to my grandparents’ rural community in Jamaica, where I experienced both hardship and joy. There, I learned creativity as resourceful problem-solving, shaped by cultural wisdom, humility, and care for one another. I came to see resilience as intelligence and lived experience as a critical source of design insight—lessons that continue to guide my work.

Across 35+ countries, I’ve partnered with communities, clinicians, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs, and institutions to co-create initiatives that strengthen access, agency, and well-being. Over time, a unifying truth emerged: flourishing is the result of intentional design—design that aligns systems with human strengths, dignity, and creativity.

Why Flourish51

Flourish51 is the natural evolution of my design practice.

• Launched in 2021 as a low-fidelity prototype, Flourish51 began as a human-centered design studio grounded in well-being science and strengths-based psychology, inspired by the global goal of 51% of humanity flourishing by 2051.

• After five years of applied work across social impact, equity, and well-being design, Flourish51 evolved into version 2.0—a living prototype of flourishing-centered design.

• Today, Flourish51 partners with people and communities to design flourishing lives, careers, and organizations.

  Portfolio

Throughout my career, I have applied key human-centered design practices to co-create solutions within real-world contexts and across cultures:

• Equity-centered global health advocacy ecosystems, shaping how research, policy, and funding intersect with lived experience
  (Global Health Technologies Coalition)

• Human-centered market access and adoption strategies for women-led HIV prevention innovations, centering agency, trust, and real-world use
  (International Partnership for Microbicides)

• Global collaboration models for cardiovascular education and research, co-created with clinicians worldwide
  (American College of Cardiology)

• Peer learning eco-systems to support women entrepreneurs, strengthening community-based microfinance networks across five regions
  (Small Enterprise Education and Promotion Network)

• Strengths-based organizational development framework within a large humanitarian relief institution
  (Catholic Relief Services)

• Youth leadership and global citizenship educational programs grounded in character strengths and experiential learning
  (National Geographic)

  None of this work started with solutions.
  

  It started with listening, reframing, prototyping, and testing—the essence of human-centered design.

  Credentials

• Master of International Affairs, Columbia University

• BA, International Studies & Spanish / Latin American Studies, American University

• Executive Certificate, Innovation & Human-Centered Design, Johns Hopkins University

• Certificate, Diversity & Inclusion, Cornell University

• ICAP Fellow, Aspen Institute & University of Denver

• Certified Applied Positive Psychology Coach, Educator, Practitioner, The Flourishing Center