We are actively engaged in the dialogue and debates of our space: on issues of social justice, global development, and democratic innovation, and on the ethics and methodological evolution of design, mediation, and co-creation practice. More of our writing can be found at Medium.
Dave Algoso and Kerry Brennan will help kick off the NYC Service Jam on Friday, February 27 with a framing discussion on the question of what a service really is. They will challenge participants to think holistically about the nature of service challenges, including how both technological and human components interact to shape the service experience. More details here.
On Thursday, February 26, Dave Algoso will join a twitter chat with Filipino land reform activist Toti Chikiamco, the Overseas Development Institute’s Leni Wild, and DfID’s Pete Vowles. They will be discussing how an entrepreneurial approach to development reform helped make it possible for ordinary Filipinos to own their land, and what other development efforts can learn from this. More details here. Follow @dalgoso or the hashtag #AdaptDev to join in.
Nicole and Dave will present lessons from Reboot’s vision, strategy, and practice to students in the course “Service City” at Parsons The New School for Design on February 26th. They will discuss Reboot’s approach to the practical side of service work, including achieving and sustaining community engagement, the financial viability of projects, and managing client relationships. “Service City” focuses on the strategic and organizational considerations needed to sustain and scale viable social service enterprises.
Zack will join a panel of social entrepreneurs and impact investors at Harvard Business School on Monday, February 23rd, to discuss how to iterate and test new ideas. The panel, hosted by HBS Social Enterprise Initiative and Harvard i-Lab in conjunction with the New Venture Competition, will address how social entrepreneurs can understand social needs and the demands of the impact economy, as well as how to adapt their models as their understanding of these needs changes.
At Interaction 15, this year’s Interaction Design Association conference, Panthea will share her thoughts on how designers can shift perspective and build processes to tackle thorny governance issues like corruption and social accountability. In downtown San Francisco, from February 9-11. Follow @PantheaLee, @ixdconf, and #ixd15 for updates.
The latest issue of the Kuramo Report, a Lagos-based quarterly publication on the intersection of business, policy, and development, features Reboot’s work creating citizen-driven improvements to public services in Nigeria. In partnership with the World Bank and local government and healthcare officials, Reboot designed and piloted a patient feedback platform in Wamba, Nigeria.
We are delighted to announce that Husna is joining Reboot’s team as the new Director of Programs. She brings valuable experience leading programs in conflict-affected
At EduCon, a conference on the future of schools, Zack will present on the theme of connections, drawing from Reboot’s work around the world to discuss how globalization connects communities and advances opportunity, but also exacerbates inequality. In Philadelphia, January 23–25.
Panthea will present Reboot’s work in Nigeria and elsewhere on a panel on strengthening collaborative governance, while Adam will lead a discussion on public infrastructure service delivery. The conference will take place from January 16 to 18 in Montreal, Canada. Follow #unitetounlock, @PantheaLee, and @AdamTalsma for coverage and updates.
We’re excited to be partnering with Be Social Change to ring in the holidays and build stronger connections between the people and organizations driving social innovation in NYC. This evening at 6:30 PM, join us at Wix Lounge for the New York Social Good Holiday Bash. Bring your friends for an evening of festivities with a community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, professionals, and creatives. Reboot friends get a 25% discount with the code “NYSGholiday.”
This afternoon, Dave will judge Columbia SIPA’s New Media Task Force Pitch Competition, which in its 4th year focuses on digital technology solutions for the global urban environment. Pitches from competing teams will propose ways to improve urban waste management in India, eldercare in China, and postal services in Kenya. He will be joined by co-judges Robert Fabricant of Dalberg and Anand Shah of BMW Impact Ventures.
We are pleased to welcome Laura and Anna to the team. Laura Freschi comes from NYU, where she worked on aid effectiveness, development history, and financial inclusion. She will join Reboot as Director of Partnerships, overseeing our in-house communications and creative team, and leading Reboot’s efforts to spread its philosophy and learning through writing, events, and partnerships. Anna, a social innovation specialist with a background in neuroscience, social justice, and human-centered design, will contribute to strategy, research, and development of products and services.
Reboot will have several team members in Istanbul next week for a Civil Society Innovation Initiative co-creation workshop. USAID and Sida are convening over 40 civil society organizations from around the world for the three-day event. Reboot is both a participant and also facilitator, along with our co-facilitation partner CIVICUS. Follow along on Twitter – #CivSocInov8
Zack and Dave are participating in “Doing Development Differently” on October 22nd and 23rd. The event is jointly hosted by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and the Overseas Development Institute. They’ll be presenting Reboot’s work on public financial management reform and facilitate a design-thinking workshop. Follow #differentdev on Twitter for live coverage.
Kerry will moderate a panel at this year’s ConDatos on October 1-2, the most important regional event on open data in Latin America and the Caribbean. The panel will feature Latin American and Caribbean open government specialists discussing how to design initiatives that enable institutional participation and integration.
Dave will moderate a panel at the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship on September 29-30. The panel, titled “Market-Based, Risk Capital Funding for Peace”, will explore how to develop a market-based “peace industry”.
This Friday, September 26 Zack will give the keynote speech at the 2014 PakathonNYC. The event connects technologists, entrepreneurs, and development professionals to explore how technology can address social issues in Pakistan. Zack will talk about Reboot’s experience applying technology for development in Pakistan and elsewhere.
We’re delighted to welcome Georgette Stewart and Emily Herrick to the team. As our accountant, Georgette is responsible for financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, and compliance. Emily, who was our design intern this summer, continues with us as a part-time communications designer. Welcome to them both!
We’re excited Panthea will join the jury for PEACEapp, a global competition to promote digital games and gamified apps as venues for cultural dialogue and conflict management. PEACEapp is now open for submissions. Developers, technologists and peacebuilders around the world are invited to apply!
Exploring current events in Libya, Dane makes the case that violence is a tool of the political process. “While violence continues to be the primary means through which attention is brought to political concerns in Libya,” he writes, “with time new tools and new venues can help build trust in a more peaceful political process.”