Innovation Ecosystems Accelerator: Advancing Community-Driven Solutions for Peace, Planet & Prosperity
A global fellowship model that equips and connects innovation ecosystem builders to advance inclusive problem-solving for social impact
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I am passionate about: inclusive & participatory design
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Communications Strategist
MIT D-Lab
"MIT D-Lab: Designing for a more equitable world"
A global fellowship model that equips and connects innovation ecosystem builders to advance inclusive problem-solving for social impact
Thanks eldy wullur ! We really appreciate the support. We do not currently have partners in Indonesia, but we are looking to expand our partnerships in South Asia over time, so perhaps a few years into the fellowship we could explore the possibility of hosting a cohort there.
Hi Kate Rushton ! Great question. We are currently working on developing our idea from a few different perspectives:
1) We are still gathering user feedback. I recently traveled to Nairobi, Kenya where I met with some of our key stakeholders and was able to share the concept in person and get on-the-spot feedback. Some of the strong ideas that emerged were a) emphasizing the role that MIT can play in connecting fellows to power players, particularly in contexts with hierarchical social structures, and b) perhaps providing a conference stipend to fellows to help them make good connections for partnership and fundraising over the course of the year.
2) We are internally developing curriculum for this fellowship by learning more about the content that's already out there and can be easily curated, as well as understanding what content is not available that we will need to develop ourselves.
3) We are seeking partnerships and simultaneously working to decide upon a regional focus for the first year of the fellowship. Central America and East Africa are strong contenders, but it may depend on where we are able to secure funding or the appropriate local partners. We would also like to expand our connections to organizations doing advocacy and governance work. Our Network is rich with makers, entrepreneurs, community organizers, and systems thinkers, but not as much with advocacy and public policy types. This is something we would like to expand over the next year because we believe this kind of fellow will be a critical part of achieving success at a systems level.
Lauren commented on Innovation Ecosystems Accelerator: Advancing Community-Driven Solutions for Peace, Planet & Prosperity