**Who:** Technologists, designers, researchers, and civic inventors developing new civic tools, protocols, and infrastructure. **Essence:** _Those who experiment, prototype, and push the field forward._ Innovators are the technical and conceptual engine of open civic innovation. ### **What They Do** - Design and prototype civic systems, utilities, and protocols - Contribute documentation, case studies, and playbooks to the commons - Collaborate across clusters to improve interoperability - Integrate learning from Labs projects into real-world applications ### **What They Learn** - Systems and protocol design (modular, composable, inclusive) - Stigmergic and polycentric coordination models - Technical interoperability and civic data ethics ### **What They Contribute** - Open-source frameworks, tools, and civic utilities - Knowledge commons entries (guides, templates, architectures) - Working prototypes and proof-of-concept systems ### **What They Get** - Peer recognition and collaboration opportunities - Visibility for projects within a global field - Access to aligned funding via Foundation and Labs programs - A structured environment to evolve ideas into applied systems ### **Why Participate** - **Purpose & Impact:** Build the civic infrastructure of the future. - **Learning & Mastery:** Deepen expertise in systems thinking and protocol design. - **Collaboration:** Join a network of builders solving complex coordination challenges. - **Support & Resources:** Access funding, mentorship, and field visibility. **Participation Rhythm:** Variable — from part-time collaboration in clusters to full-time engagement in Labs projects. **Example:** A developer creating an open governance protocol that integrates identity, voting, and resource coordination tools used by multiple communities. ## **Organizers — The Community Weavers** **Who:** Facilitators, civic hosts, local leaders, and social innovators implementing open civic systems in place. **Essence:** _Those who turn frameworks into lived practice._ Organizers embody civic imagination at the community level — weaving relationships, context, and participation. ### **What They Do** - Mobilize communities around local civic needs and opportunities - Adapt open protocols for participatory governance and local culture - Facilitate assemblies, workshops, and collective decision-making - Connect local action to global learning through documentation and storytelling ### **What They Learn** - Facilitation, hosting, and participatory governance - Translating global frameworks to local realities - Tools for collective intelligence and coordination ### **What They Contribute** - Implementation stories and cultural adaptations - Feedback on what works (and what doesn’t) in practice - Local prototypes and methods for replication elsewhere ### **What They Get** - Access to tested frameworks and playbooks - Peer support and mentorship from other organizers - Potential funding for local initiatives - Connection to innovators and patrons for long-term resilience ### **Why Participate** - **Purpose & Meaning:** Bring civic imagination to life in your own community. - **Connection:** Join a network of place-based changemakers learning together. - **Learning:** Gain access to participatory facilitation and coordination tools. - **Support:** Receive funding and resources for community initiatives. **Participation Rhythm:** Cyclic — tied to local initiatives, events, and community rhythms. **Example:** A neighborhood organizer implementing a mutual aid network using open civic coordination tools, then sharing learnings with others globally.