This document summarises the discussions held by a group of funders and other supporters of innovation spaces internationally. The event took place in London on 24th September 2015 and was hosted by The British Council, Hivos and The Indigo Trust.
We explored factors which contribute to their success and failure and the challenges of monitoring impact, before exploring the following themes in breakout sessions:
1) Hub leadership
2) Community building and skills development
3) Financial sustainability
4) Hub communities addressing civic/social issues
We hope that this discussion sparks greater strategic thinking and collaborative programming amongst philanthropists, the corporate sector and other stakeholders.
Capturing Learning From Tech Innovation Hubs Across AfricaLoren Treisman
This report summarises discussions with staff from technology innovation hubs across seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores sustainability, programming, working with the private sector and civil society, impact and advice for funders.
Building Capacity for Innovation and Systems Change: Innovation Fellowship Pr...The Rockefeller Foundation
Achieving The Rockefeller Foundation’s goals to build resilience and advance inclusive economies requires moving beyond traditional approaches to problem-solving. New ways
of thinking and working are needed in order to have impact at scale. The Rockefeller
Foundation Global Fellowship Program on Social Innovation was designed to enable
leaders to innovate in order to address the underlying causes of complex social and
environmental challenges. With two successive cohorts of Fellowships now complete and
a third underway, the timing is right to reflect on what the Foundation is learning about
building individual and institutional capacity to innovate and drive systems change.
The information in this brief is drawn from a case study of the JLN conducted by Mathematica Policy Research in consultation with the THS team and the Evaluation Office of The Rockefeller Foundation. The study, completed in 2016, was undertaken to assess the extent to which the JLN had achieved its goal of becoming a country-driven, sustainable network helping to advance progress toward universal health coverage in low- and middle-income countries.
The study was based on qualitative interviews to different members of the startup community, including entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, incubators, event organizers and government officials.
The resulting report provided a comprehensive view of the state of entrepreneurship in Costa Rica including determinants such as culture, the startup community, the entrepreneur, the startup and funding.
Capturing Learning From Tech Innovation Hubs Across AfricaLoren Treisman
This report summarises discussions with staff from technology innovation hubs across seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores sustainability, programming, working with the private sector and civil society, impact and advice for funders.
Building Capacity for Innovation and Systems Change: Innovation Fellowship Pr...The Rockefeller Foundation
Achieving The Rockefeller Foundation’s goals to build resilience and advance inclusive economies requires moving beyond traditional approaches to problem-solving. New ways
of thinking and working are needed in order to have impact at scale. The Rockefeller
Foundation Global Fellowship Program on Social Innovation was designed to enable
leaders to innovate in order to address the underlying causes of complex social and
environmental challenges. With two successive cohorts of Fellowships now complete and
a third underway, the timing is right to reflect on what the Foundation is learning about
building individual and institutional capacity to innovate and drive systems change.
The information in this brief is drawn from a case study of the JLN conducted by Mathematica Policy Research in consultation with the THS team and the Evaluation Office of The Rockefeller Foundation. The study, completed in 2016, was undertaken to assess the extent to which the JLN had achieved its goal of becoming a country-driven, sustainable network helping to advance progress toward universal health coverage in low- and middle-income countries.
The study was based on qualitative interviews to different members of the startup community, including entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, incubators, event organizers and government officials.
The resulting report provided a comprehensive view of the state of entrepreneurship in Costa Rica including determinants such as culture, the startup community, the entrepreneur, the startup and funding.
Restart+ Module 6 Sustaining Success and Future Planningcaniceconsulting
Our final module helps you assess what does community regeneration success look like? And how do you evaluate it?
You will also learn that celebrating success is one of the most important things you can do. You will learn about the importance of reassurance marketing, vital as we emerge from the pandemic of 2020.
We provide our last set of practical templates and exercises which you can use to measure the success and impact of your projects and plan for the future for your community regeneration projects.
A Guide to Venture Philanthropy for Venture Capital & Private Equity Investors Ashley Metz
Through examining case studies of private equity firms from several European countries, this publication explores three possible models of venture philanthropy engagement and provides examples of best practice. The PE industry is increasingly interested in becoming engaged in venture philanthropy activities. This paper identifies a number of motives for PE firms to become involved in venture philanthropy, including the desire to give back to their communities, to help employees develop skills such as judgement, resilience and social competences, and establishing them as a positive social actor.
Impact investing - which helps address social and/or environmental problems while also turning a profit - could unlock substantial for-profit investment capital to complement philanthropy in addressing pressing social challenges.
This presentation, given at the inaugural Global Impact Investing Network Investor Forum, discusses the priority barriers in scaling for-impact enterprises and examples of innovative acceleration platforms currently operating within the space.
Capturing Learning from Tech Innovation Hubs across sub-Saharan AfricaLoren Treisman
This report summarises discussions with staff from seven technology innovation hubs operating in five countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores financial sustainability and how the hubs are overcoming key challenges that they encounter.
Fascinating report of an ADASS roundtable in the south west on commissioning. Worth reading for an insight into the challenges commissioners face and some of the ways they're thinking of addressing these challenges.
Facilitating Communities of Practice in the Network EraNancy Wright White
This is the set of slides used for the morning workshop on facilitating communities, along with two other sets of slides that might be useful later to participants, but which we did not conver/talk about. So be forewarned!
A guide on how we have built communities of practice on the Communities of Practice for Public Service website.
With hints and tips to getting started and maintaining your community
Restart+ Module 6 Sustaining Success and Future Planningcaniceconsulting
Our final module helps you assess what does community regeneration success look like? And how do you evaluate it?
You will also learn that celebrating success is one of the most important things you can do. You will learn about the importance of reassurance marketing, vital as we emerge from the pandemic of 2020.
We provide our last set of practical templates and exercises which you can use to measure the success and impact of your projects and plan for the future for your community regeneration projects.
A Guide to Venture Philanthropy for Venture Capital & Private Equity Investors Ashley Metz
Through examining case studies of private equity firms from several European countries, this publication explores three possible models of venture philanthropy engagement and provides examples of best practice. The PE industry is increasingly interested in becoming engaged in venture philanthropy activities. This paper identifies a number of motives for PE firms to become involved in venture philanthropy, including the desire to give back to their communities, to help employees develop skills such as judgement, resilience and social competences, and establishing them as a positive social actor.
Impact investing - which helps address social and/or environmental problems while also turning a profit - could unlock substantial for-profit investment capital to complement philanthropy in addressing pressing social challenges.
This presentation, given at the inaugural Global Impact Investing Network Investor Forum, discusses the priority barriers in scaling for-impact enterprises and examples of innovative acceleration platforms currently operating within the space.
Capturing Learning from Tech Innovation Hubs across sub-Saharan AfricaLoren Treisman
This report summarises discussions with staff from seven technology innovation hubs operating in five countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores financial sustainability and how the hubs are overcoming key challenges that they encounter.
Fascinating report of an ADASS roundtable in the south west on commissioning. Worth reading for an insight into the challenges commissioners face and some of the ways they're thinking of addressing these challenges.
Facilitating Communities of Practice in the Network EraNancy Wright White
This is the set of slides used for the morning workshop on facilitating communities, along with two other sets of slides that might be useful later to participants, but which we did not conver/talk about. So be forewarned!
A guide on how we have built communities of practice on the Communities of Practice for Public Service website.
With hints and tips to getting started and maintaining your community
Strenthening community networks in South AfricaCathy C
The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), through its Digital Access Programme, provided support in 2018 for people in South Africa involved in community networks to attend the Third Summit on Community Networks in Africa, co-organised by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and the Internet Society.
In 2018, the summit was hosted by APC-member Zenzeleni Networks Non-Profit Company (NPC) and took place in Wild Lubanzi, South Africa. In total, 18 individuals were sponsored to participate in the summit thanks to DFID's support.
What follows is part of our effort to capture the activities, results and lessons learned from the Pilot Mentoring project. This pilot project was instrumental in designing the multi-year, multi-country project to enable community networks in Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, which APC is implementing with funding from DFID.
Parsons | MS Strategic Design and Management
Design Innovation and Leadership:
This project is an in-depth exploration of the methods and processes required to design an innovative customer value proposition. The E-Mentor is a personalized online platform and mobile application that can provide Parson’s students with all the information, advice and resources, they need to bring their ideas to life.
From the ideal to the real: Top 20 lessons learned from scaling up innovation...Soren Gigler
Top 20 lessons learned on scaling up innovations from the Open Data Initiative at the World Bank. The Open Data Initiative has transformed the way the World Bank shares and publishes its data enabling users to have free, open and easy access to data instead of a previously mostly proprietary data policy.
How did such a radical change come about? How was it possible that our early very modest endeavors to implement innovations in governance could be scaled up and be replicated across so many different areas at the Bank? How could a vibrant community of innovators from within and outside the Bank come together share experiences, learn from each other and, most important, help to make an important institutional change -- launch an Open Data initiative and empower citizens to provide direct feedback on development programs?
My Presentation from The Impact of Civic Tech Conference 2015Loren Treisman
This presentation provides a donor's perspective on how to think about impact in the civic tech space in Africa. I presented this at The Impact of Civic Tech Conference 2015, which took place in London and was hosted by mySociety.
Inside out finance issue-Indigo Article Page 14-17Loren Treisman
This is the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation's (University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business) Magazine Inside:Out. This series looks at innovative financing for social enterprises and includes an article by me on pages 14-17 which explores why Indigo Trust is willing to take high risks across a diverse social portfolio.
Africa Media Initiative's Justin Arenstein on Data Journalism at IPI, Indigo ...Loren Treisman
Justin Arenstein showcases tools from across Africa which increase citizen engagement, support journalists in uncovering and telling stories and holding government to account.
Adi Eyal Presents on how data can be used for transparency and accountabilityLoren Treisman
Code4SA's Adi Eyal presents a wide range of tools, platforms and infographics which utilise data such as election and census data to improve government transparency and engage citizens.
Making Parliamentary Data Come Alive Press BreakfastLoren Treisman
Indigo Trust and AMI have been supporting organisations across Africa who are using digital tools to improve transparency and accountability and improve citizen participation. These tools include parliamentary monitoring sites like People's Assembly and citizen reporting platforms like Lungisa. This presentation showcases how the Press and campaigners can utilise these tools to amplify their voices and track parliamentary proceedings.
Indigo Trust and Africa Media Initiative Press Breakfast: Making parliamentar...Loren Treisman
Indigo Trust and AMI have been supporting organisations across Africa who are using digital tools to improve transparency and accountability and improve citizen participation. These tools include parliamentary monitoring sites like People's Assembly and citizen reporting platforms like Lungisa. This presentation showcases how the Press and campaigners can utilise these tools to amplify their voices and track parliamentary proceedings.
This is a presentation which I delivered at Re:Publica Berlin 2013 in the Global Innovation Lounge. The conference focused on Internet and Society and this presentation provides an overview of the technology innovation hubs which we are supporting across Africa, some of the ways in which they are beginning to generate income and some of the fantastic social tech projects coming out of them including in the transparency, education and agriculture space.
Bellagio ICT for Development and GovernanceLoren Treisman
A presentation delivered by Dr Loren Treisman at a UNDP conference on Technology-Based Innovation to Strengthen Governance Accountability and Improve Service Delivery for the Poor and Excluded: Sharing of Lessons Learned and Charting the Future. The conference was hosted at The Rockerfeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Italy from 18-22 February 2013.
Mobile web africa 2012 presentation loren treismanLoren Treisman
Presentation delivered by Dr Loren Treisman at Mobile Web Africa 2012 in Johannesburg. This presentation focuses on tech innovation hubs, social tech projects in the health, agriculture and democracy space, the impact of both hubs and social projects, with case studies from Indigo Trust's grantees as well as a role for Foundations and the private sector in supporting this work.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Generating a custom Ruby SDK for your web service or Rails API using Smithyg2nightmarescribd
Have you ever wanted a Ruby client API to communicate with your web service? Smithy is a protocol-agnostic language for defining services and SDKs. Smithy Ruby is an implementation of Smithy that generates a Ruby SDK using a Smithy model. In this talk, we will explore Smithy and Smithy Ruby to learn how to generate custom feature-rich SDKs that can communicate with any web service, such as a Rails JSON API.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
2. SUPPORTING INNOVATION SPACES INTERNATIONALLY
WHAT?
Our challenge is to collectively explore the beginnings of new collaborative programmes and
initiatives that can help strengthen the sustainability of hubs and the role they play in civic
engagement.
WHO?
You are invited as an expert within a diverse group of practitioners, funders, convenors and
infrastructure builders.
WHY?
Hubs have extraordinary potential to deliver high impact solutions and civic impact but too often
they are working in isolation, unable to learn from or inspire one another. They can also suffer
from a disjointed funding model and are at high risk of failing.
HOW?
Swarm will facilitate a collaborative working session where we will learn from each other and via
case studies to co-design some potential areas for future cooperation
3. WORKING SESSION FLOW
3
Introductions and sense of purpose around HUBs
Playback of what you told us you were looking to collaborate on
Examples of HUBs that are innovating
Participation in a theme to find common ground on solutions
Close with a sense of where overlap and commitments can be made
4. PARTICIPANTS AND INTENTIONS
4
DUNCAN EDWARDS, INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES - Interested in the intersection of technology and
hubs and aligning commitments
PAUL MILLER, BETHNAL GREEN VENTURES - Have a number of informal relationships with other hubs and
interested in how support can be further developed across the hub community
ROBIN MILLER, DALBERG - As head of their technology practice and as a former hub founder and member,
interested in how growing gaps in digital inclusion can be bridged - through Hubs and Hub programmes - to
ensure technological innovation creates positive disruption
SAMEER PADANIA, OPEN SOCIETY - An interest in how journalists interact with Hubs and civic spaces
INDERPAUL JOHAR, ARCHITECTURE00 - How Hubs can move from a pseudo real estate model to a movement
model that focuses on systems change and is legitimate and adaptable in different geographic and economic
contexts
SIMON MARSHALL, BIG LOTTERY FUND - Interested in how you can take tech out in the wider world
BEATRICE PEMBROKE, BRITISH COUNCIL - Interested in financial sustainability as well as how these often
quite elite and inward-looking spaces can be opened up to broader communities
LYSNSEY SMITH, BRITISH COUNCIL - Interested in how Hubs can better communicate with one another
5. PARTICIPANTS AND INTENTIONS
5
JONATHAN ROBINSON, IMPACT HUB - Looking to create a new, bolder model of support for communities that
goes beyond the bricks and mortar hub approach
LOREN TREISMAN, INDIGO TRUST - Interested in how funders can better support Hubs and how they can
integrate civic engagement
FRAN PERRIN, INDIGO TRUST - As a funder, interested in how funders can better support these spaces
BEN MOSKOWITZ, MOZILLA - Digital skills are important for individuals and society and Mozilla has an
interest in potentially adapting its own skills programmes to hub environments to create sustainability and
leadership
MARK CRIDGE, MY SOCIETY - Hubs have been a successful user base for many My Society products but there
is still a feeling that they are not maximising potential
GIULIO QUAGGIOTTO, NESTA - Has made many mistakes in setting up Hubs and wants people to learn from
that
BRENTON CAFFIN, NESTA - Focus on capacity building and creating tools that help Hubs and their
stakeholders do innovation better
KHURAM HUSSAIN, OMIDYAR NETWORK - Have invested in hubs with a certain amount of success and failure.
Interested in sustainability, business models, successful collaborations,
6. PARTICIPANTS AND INTENTIONS
6
THOMAS FEENY, RESULTS FOR DEVELOPMENT - Interested in working with donors to understand how they
can support innovation directly, align their goals and build a sustainable pipeline
HELEN TURVEY, SHUTTLEWORTH FOUNDATION - Interested in the collective intelligence in the room and in
highlighting the cultural relevance of what Hub spaces are working on as well as incorporating ideas into
new Principe venture
ANNA CHOINICKA, THE FOUNDATION - They help to support start-ups is interested in how they can use
partnerships for sustainability
MATTHIAS FROEHLICH-REHFELD , GIZ - Looks at collaborative systems of exchange between digital
innovation, maker cultures and startup ecosystems
SARAH DRINKWATER, GOOGLE CAMPUS - Campus has expanded around the world but tech is still too siloed -
interested in where there is overlap with civil society and how those bridges can be built
SOPHE LEFERINK, HIVOS - Leaving role as a traditional funder but interested now in sustainability and civic
engagement for hubs and how they open to a broader community
JONATHAN WONG, DFID INNOVATION HUB - Interested as a funder in hearing a compelling evidence-based
narrative as to why to invest in hubs in preference to other areas of innovation and to hear about
sustainability models and the role of donors in catalysing them
NICOLAS FRIEDERICI, OXFORD INTERNET INSTITUTE - Researchs hubs and innovation spaces
7. HUBS exploration - A summary of factors for
success and failure
7
SUCCESS FAILURE
Leadership
• Driven and ambitious leaders
Execution
• Tailored, structured and well considered support
• Open and flexible
Community and wider ecosystem
• Strong and diverse partnerships - with corporates, funders and
civil society
• A strong understanding of local context - skill level,
connectivity, social and cultural context
• A well nurtured broader community
• Ability to harness diverse talents - from individuals, activists
and creatives, not just NGOs
• Global and local connections
• Inspire communities
• Aligned with the needs and agendas of stakeholders
Sustainability
• Sustainability is built in from the start
Impact
• Ability to articulate a broader impact beyond the Hub
Mission
• Mission undefined
Leadership
• Failure to develop wider management team and plan for
succession
• Leaders that are unfocused and distracted
Execution
• They try to do too much and end up being too generalist
• Too much talking, not enough doing
Community and wider ecosystem
• Failure to articulate and define value proposition
• Elitist and separate from the wider community
• Failure to align activities with broader government agendas
• Too donor focused
• Too much belief in their own hype
Impact
• Failure to demonstrate impact
8. HUBS exploration - Success and failure - the
importance of definition
8
Participants also pointed out that the sector suffers from a lack of alignment around definitions and expectations.
This lack of alignment contributes to the erosion of trust between stakeholders, difficulty in getting initiatives off
the ground and a lack of direction for the wider Hub community. In particular:
1. DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS - Success is variably defined. Narrow measures focus on number of sustainable
start-ups created
2.EXPECTATIONS AROUND TIMEFRAMES - Funders often focus on short timeframes for impact but this is to miss
the point that many hubs are operating in difficult market conditions that have an influence on innovation
cycles
3.EXPECTATIONS AROUND HUB ROLE - Hubs are part of wider systems. While Hubs need to assess the dynamics
of these systems accurately and create relationships with other parties in order to generate success, not
everything can be achieved through Hubs.
9. Learnings from THEMES
9
Financial
Sustainability
• Models are quite varied really; rent vs. consulting vs.
return from startups vs. grants vs. crowdfunding
• Renting vs. owning property makes a big difference
• Do the founders, stay on as CEO/MD
• This is not a big or high margin business
• Ability to monetise the intangible assets created
• Based on the legitimacy of the group and its purpose
• Naming of research & development vs. Innovation
Leadership
Community
development
Civic
engagement
• Could you back and piece together existing programs to
create a suite for the leaders
• Should the vision be 1000 ten person hubs, rather then the
other way around
• HUB might just be a spot that has a need that it is serving
• Natural emergent from the roots of where the need is
• Spokes rather then HUBs maybe
• Stop unfocused hackathons, the solution is rarely a
mobile app, do not let donor drive the problem
• Deliberate cross-fertilisation of groups (tech, policy,
design, funders)
• No need to continue to ‘romantise' the new, start with
what is already there in the community
• Who is framing the problem? civic works better when
addressing real need, not always tech answer!
• Recognise role of existing hub in the existing ecosytem
• Skills exchange are needed
• Building and upskilling in the community
• Let the building happen more organically, coming from
the community and not push too much from donors
• Networks & groups can facility this building with
introductions as groups exist
• DIY toolkit and other online tools exist
• Need to be matched by the on-ground person knowledge
and then supplemented with on-line community
10. SUMMARY of the session
10
Indy: in just 10 years there are now 700 of them, that
is quite something. regardless of full evidence of
impact, something is happening
Indigo: 1/10 of the time we need on this topic
Lots and lots of summits and conferences coming up
very soon…seems like an opportunity to gather
again at the right opportunity; SOCAP is a place
where a gathering of social accelerators always
meetup together
More research is really needed on the
impact, the space//skills//value that has
been gained
Civic program looking at 12
places to doing testing
and understanding against
Traditional donors might need training or coaching as
they get involved in this space
Could we more clearly figure out the
failures and get them better
documented
14. Have you worked with and/or through hubs?
CURRENT AND PLANNED WORK
Are you currently developing and/or delivering
programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Yes -10
No -1
Yes -12
No -1
Multinational programmes
15. Would you be interested in working with other
attendees?
COLLABORATIVE INTENTION
Would you be able to provide resources and/or
funds to a programme that interested you?
Yes - 9
Yes, in the future - 2
Yes -14
No answer - 2
Potentially - 1
No answer - 3
The results from the questionnaire point to great experience and a great desire to collaborate
on new projects
16. PROGRAMME THEMES TO EXPLORE
Financial
Sustainability
Business models
Products and
services
Learning
communities
Digital
skills
Leadership
skills and
development
Products and
services for civil
society
Digital
journalism
Policy
engagement
Increasing
diversity
Youth
employmentCreative
economy
Digital skills
and access
Financial
product
development
Leadership
Community
development
Civic
engagement
The group coming have pointed at these specific areas, that group into themes that they are
exploring around Hubs
17. HUBS exploration; factors of success and failure
group #1
17
•Local context, eg. tech skills, connectivity,
society’s understanding
•Strong partnerships with corporates, funders,
civil society
•Tailored and structured support to startups and
social organisations
•Community strength behind the HUB
SUCCESS FAILURE
•Champion distraction, leader dependent
•Hard to clearly define what will happen need
stronger value proposition
•Hard to demonstrate impact
•Local communities do not understand it
•Can be elitist
•Could they have more relationship to government
and align with agenda
•Too generalist and try to do too much
•Over pulled in direction of donors focus
18. HUBS exploration; factors of success and failure
group #2
18
•Density and willing
•Open
•Of the community
•Flexible
•Connections, globally and locally
SUCCESS FAILURE
•Lack of knowledge of local needs
•Unclear mission
•Inflexible
•Lack of clarity
•Ability to demonstrate impact
•How does one define success?
19. HUBS exploration; factors of success and failure
group #3
19
•Bring in diversity
•Critical mass & density of community &
connections
•Good local drivers, eg. regulations, skills,
infrastructure
•Good reputation/well known
•Use opens to share/scale
•Build strong community first and focus on their
needs
•Tailored, structured support for members,
startups, social orgs
•Strong, diverse partnerships, breakout of silo,
corporate, civil society, funders
•Harness the talent of individuals, activists,
creatives to tackle social challenges — not
just traditional NGOs
•Focus on need/challenges of local communities,
map the interests of wider community
•Narrative around contribution to change, impact
beyond the hub
SUCCESS FAILURE
•Exclusive/elitist
•Talk shop and lack action
•Champion/leader distracted
•Hard to define value prop clearly
•Hard to demonstrate impact
•Wider community do not understand role
•Too generalist
•Over pulled in directions of donors
•Struggle to bring in diverse player too capital city
focussed, english speaking, wealthy, just
techies, etc
20. HUBS exploration; factors of success and failure
group #4
20
•Inspiration
•People who lead Hubs, board, operations
•Sustainability built-in from the start
•What is success? Sustainability? number of
startups? donors can just ask for numbers
•Build ecosystem from the start
•Action based research, aligned with international
community
•Hub collaboration more broadly with wider
system actions more broadly
SUCCESS FAILURE
•Not given a chance to prove themselves
•Evidence point
•Mismatch between donor and community
expectations
•Disconnect with policy and government structure
and systemic change
•Innovation takes a long time
•Cultural dimension is important
•Only look at things from their own perspective
and believe the hype