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Most organizations approach change as something to manage. A new strategy, a new structure, a new set of goals. But what if real transformation doesn’t come from plans or policies, but from experiences that change how people see themselves and each other? Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea design those kinds of experiences. Through the College of Extraordinary Experiences, they bring together people from very different worlds and immerse them in something unfamiliar, often uncomfortable, and deeply human. The goal isn’t just learning. It’s transformation.

In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss what it means to design for transformation, why difficulty is often a necessary part of growth, and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful change inside organizations.

Claus Raasted is an experience designer and entrepreneur known for his work in live-action role-play and organizational transformation.

Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator focused on creating co-creative, transformational experiences.

In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss:
- What makes an experience truly transformative
- Why discomfort is often required for real growth
- How immersive design changes how people think and behave
- Why traditional learning often fails to create lasting change
- What leaders get wrong about driving transformation
- How environment and context shape human behavior
- The difference between entertainment and transformation
- How to design experiences people carry back into work
- Why transformation can’t be forced
- And other topics…

Claus Raasted is a Danish entrepreneur, speaker, and experience designer. He is a pioneer in live-action role-play and has authored more than 40 books. His work focuses on mindset change, leadership, and designing experiences that drive behavioral transformation.

Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator working at the intersection of innovation and transformation. He has collaborated with organizations including IKEA and Google to design co-creative experiences, and is co-founder of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He holds a master’s degree in Innovation in Tourism from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences.

Together, Claus and Paul co-founded the College of Extraordinary Experiences, a five-day immersive program that brings together people from around the world to explore transformation through lived experience.

Resources Mentioned:
World Experience Organization: https://worldxo.org/
London Experience Week: https://londonexperienceweek.com/
College of Extraordinary Experiences: https://www.extraordinary.college/

Connect with Claus and Paul:
https://www.clausraasted.com/
https://de.linkedin.com/in/paulbulencea
https://dk.linkedin.com/in/clausraasted

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

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Josh Block became president of his family’s medical imaging company at 29, just months after layoffs had shaken trust across the business. People were asking whether he was ready. His answer was simple: not fully. But he knew what he didn’t know. That humility became the starting point for how he chose to lead. Instead of protecting his position or pushing for performance at any cost, Josh shifted from what he calls the “Me Cycle” to the “We Cycle.”

In this episode, Dart and Josh discuss whether leadership alone can shape culture, whether performance is the goal or the byproduct, and what it really means to believe that people matter at work.

Josh Block is Executive Advisor and former President at Block Imaging, where he led the company through significant growth and cultural change. He is the founder of Cube Mobile Imaging and author of People Matter at Work.

In this episode, Dart and Josh discuss:
- Work as a reflection of leadership beliefs
- The shift from “Me” to “We” leadership
- Why humility builds trust
- Performance as a byproduct, not a goal
- What it means to feel safe at work
- How transparency changes behavior
- Why culture shows up in daily decisions
- The role of leaders in shaping experience
- When growth follows people, not pressure
- What it means to believe people matter
- And other topics…

Josh Block is Executive Advisor at Block Imaging, where he previously served as President from 2011 to 2025, helping grow the company into a global provider of refurbished medical imaging equipment. He is also the founder of Cube Mobile Imaging and the author of People Matter at Work, which explores how leadership shapes culture and performance.

Resources Mentioned:
Josh’s Book, People Matter at Work: https://www.amazon.com/People-Matter-Work-Fostering-Everyone/dp/1637635044

Connect with Josh:
https://www.blockimaging.com/blog/author/josh-block
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshblock1/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

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Many companies treat experience as the final layer of the business: a nicer interface, a friendlier script, a smoother customer interaction. But the real experience of a company comes from something deeper. It grows out of the systems, incentives, and environments that shape how people behave. If those foundations are wrong, no amount of design can fix it.

Experience architect, Alain Thys, has spent years helping organizations rethink those foundations so the experience customers and employees feel is actually built into the way the company works. In this episode, Dart and Alain discuss how organizations turn vision into lived experience, how leaders create environments where people naturally do the right thing, and why choosing the right customers and employees may be the most important design decision a company makes.

In this episode, Dart and Alain discuss:
- Why experience must be architected
- Turning vision into lived experience
- Why you cannot design a smile
- Creating environments where people do the right thing
- Listening to employees like customers
- Emotional and rational space in leadership
- Choosing the right customers for your business
- Hiring for fit before skills
- Why some customers drain the organization
- Designing for future customer expectations
- And other topics…

Alain Thys is the founder of Alain Thys & Co., where he helps organizations design and implement customer and employee experiences that drive business performance. He previously served as Managing Partner of Futurelab and has worked with global brands including Adidas, Audi, Mercedes, Reebok, Toyota, and ING. His work focuses on experience architecture, customer transformation, and aligning organizations around meaningful experiences. He is the author of So You Want To Be Customer-Centric?

Resources Mentioned:
Alain’s Book, So You Want To Be Customer-Centric?: 8 Steps To Profitable Customer Relations: https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Customer-Centric-Profitable-Relations/dp/1463785143

Connect with Alain:
Website: https://www.alainthys.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainthys/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.