About me
Ela Kagel is a digital strategist and expert in commons-based economies, organisational design, and cooperativism. For over two decades, she has been creating spaces that foster cultural exchange, digital innovation, and collective empowerment.
Since the 1990s, Ela has been instrumental in developing networks and platforms that challenge extractive models of technology and economics. In 2010, she co-founded SUPERMARKT, an independent hub for digital culture and collaborative economy in Berlin. There, she has spent over a decade curating conferences, workshops, and research projects that explore cooperative practices and equitable digital infrastructures.
Ela is also co-founder and board member of Platform Coops eG, a coop that supports the development of the digital, cooperative economy across sectors. In parallel, she co-founded Poetic Technologies, a collective enterprise dedicated to reimagining digital infrastructures beyond bureaucratic constraints.
Past roles include artistic director of MoneyLab Berlin (2021), curator for Transmediale Festival (2009–2011), and long-time collaborator with Public Art Lab. Throughout her career, Ela has consistently bridged the cultural and digital spheres with a focus on democratic ownership, radical care, and community-led innovation.
