Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab
To build a world where everyone is equal, we need to recognize how disability interconnects with the issues of social justice and follow the lead of the individuals at the center of the fight. By centering intersectionality and the voices of those most marginalized—from people of color and queer to immigrants and indigenous people—disability justice encourages us to see how society’s diverse systems of oppression reinforce each other and affect every member of the disability community. Ending inequality is a shared struggle, and only by working together will we remove the obstacles ahead and create a future of opportunity for all. (Ford Foundation)
Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab Webinar
Monday, February 12, 2024
Noon – 2:00 pm EST
Find out more about disability justice and ECNV's Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab - an 8-month incubator for social change solutions by and for people with disabilities who have experienced additional injustice, discrimination or exclusion because of race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity or sexual orientation. This initiative is generously supported by a grant from the the Ford Foundation.
Presenters
Disability Justice Panel:
Theo W. Braddy, Executive Director The National Council on Independent Living
Dustin Gibson, Co-Director PeoplesHub
Keri Gray, CEO, The Keri Gray Consulting Group
Mindful Design Lab:
Gretchen Steidle, Founder, Circles for Conscious Change, LLC
Agents of Change 2024 Venture Applications
ECNV is recruiting Agents of Change teams to participate in the second annual Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab is an 8-month incubator for social change solutions created by and for people with disabilities in Northern Virginia, with a special commitment to recruiting teams that include BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ people with disabilities. Teams will move through a three-phase program to develop a venture plan to address a systemic issue affecting people with disabilities and may be eligible for seed funding for implementation.
Do you have an idea to create change for people with disabilities in Northern Virginia?
Are you bothered by an issue you have experienced as a person with a disability*, chronic health or mental health condition that impacts your life?
Do you belong to a group who has experienced additional injustice, discrimination or marginalization because of race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity, or sexual orientation?
Are you ready to work on an issue, especially troubling to you, that will benefit others with disabilities?
Are you curious about using intentionality or mindfulness to deeply explore your issue and identify possible solutions?
Are you open to personal growth, self-awareness, and understanding change through your own experiences?
*A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
WHO IS THIS FOR?
ECNV is looking for teams of social entrepreneurs who:
are disability-led,
are at the earliest stage of their idea development,
targeting their work in Northern Virginia, and
will be ready to implement upon completion of their design.
HOW WILL WE DESIGN AND LAUNCH?
The program will involve three in-person gatherings and weekly coaching sessions with a social entrepreneur and mindful venture design expert. Each week, participants will be expected to engage in various personal growth or self-awareness practices and share insights from their experiences with their cohort. Teams will schedule private coaching sessions based on their pace of idea development, enabling certain teams to move through the venture planning exercises as quickly as they wish, while allowing others to have additional time as needed for venture development.
WHEN DOES IT ALL TAKE PLACE?
Introductory Workshop: February 12, 12-2pm EST
Applications Due: February 19
Interviews and Team Selection Announcement: February 26 - March 4
Deadline to Commit to Program: March 8
Phase 1: SOLUTIONS DESIGN March 11 – end of June
Retreat 1: March 17-19, 2024, 2.5 days beginning Sunday afternoon, In-person Intensive at ECNV
Retreat 2: End of June 2-days, In-person Intensive at ECNV
Phase 2: COMMUNITY LISTENING, July
Retreat 3: Pitch Day: End of July/early August - 1-day, In-person Venture Presentation for Selection to Phase 3
Phase 3: OPERATIONS & IMPLEMENTATION DESIGN: 8 coaching sessions, August – December
Venture Plan Submission for Seed Funding Due: December, TBD
The total commitment to the program involves 3-4 hours weekly for a total estimated 100 hours from March through December. Teams may drive the pace of their work throughout each phase.
Applications are due February 19, 2024. Questions: contact Cherie Takemoto, Director of Disability Justice and Strategic Innovation, cheriet@ECNV.org.
See Mindful Design Lab in Action (YouTube)
Questions & Answers
WHAT IS THE MINDFUL DESIGN LAB?
The Mindful Design Lab core curriculum is an experiential program involving a blend of personal reflection, mindfulness-based leadership skills, and social entrepreneurship skills. This program is for individuals who are seeking to make a difference in the world, but who are also committed to their own personal growth and wellbeing. Your team will receive regular coaching sessions that will allow you to develop your idea at your own pace.
You will be part of a cohort of three to five other Agents of Change teams. The teams will meet monthly by zoom and share weekly about their journey and personal growth. We are excited about the opportunity to build networks of support and solidarity between Agents of Change who will share this journey of mindful change together.
WHAT IS THE MODEL OF CHANGE OR CHANGE FRAMEWORK BEING USED?
The Mindful Design Lab utilizes the Conscious Social Change methodology, a design philosophy of creative, compassionate problem-solving and solutions-building grounded in mindfulness and self-awareness.
DO WE HAVE TO HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE?
Applicants do not have to have experience designing, implementing or leading a social change initiative in the past and or have started work on their solution yet. In fact, this program is tailored to support the development of new ideas and solutions from scratch. If you are already involved in an existing program or organization, it is best to apply with a new program or initiative to get the most out of the Mindful Design Lab.
DO THE TEAMS NEED TO BE ALREADY FORMED? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL BE ASSIGNED TO TEAMS?
We believe that building and carrying out a social impact intervention and venture is stronger as a team. There are so many complexities and roles. We encourage teams at various earliest stages workng together Teams are self-organized because you know who you best work with, who you would like to collaborate with, and a who will contribute to mutual accountability and progress. And yet, if you are just an individual visionary with an amazing idea, and have yet to build a team, you can still apply. We will help you work toward or seek support in recruiting a team to participate with you in the program.
IT IS CLEAR YOU WANT THE TEAMS TO BE LED BY AT LEAST ONE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY AND OTHER MARGINALIZED IDENTITY. DOES EVERYONE ON THE TEAM NEED TO BE DISABLED AND/OR FROM A MARGINALIZED GROUP?
The teams must be clearly led by at least one disabled person who also has other intersecting identities. For many of the reasons described in the Disability Justice and Mindful Design Lab Webinar, we want to see how people with intersecting experiences can use those experiences to power solutions. Other members of the team do not have to be from marginalized groups or be disabled.
DOES THE TEAM NEED TO START UP A NONPROFIT OR BUSINESS?
The program is open to all endeavors that have a social purpose to work at the root, systemic level causes of disability justice issues. It may later take the form of a nonprofit organization or a business, or it might be a shorter-term intervention. There can be many forms, but the social impact for the benefit of people with disabilities for the sake of disability justice is what is most important.
WE ARE AN EXISTING NONPROFIT. WOULD YOU CONSIDER AN APPLICATION FROM US?
We will not rule out applications from an existing organization. However, the team must be led by a person with a disability and intersecting identities. The social issue focus of the project must arise from lived experience and injustice around an issue defined by the team leadership and the venture must benefit people with disabilities. Since this program is an incubator, applicants should be prepared to work on a new initiative that can be designed from scratch through the program.
DO I HAVE TO ATTEND ALL IN-PERSON SESSIONS?
The Mindful Design Lab is a facilitated process with weekly coaching sessions that involves both mindfulness and strategic thinking to create a social justice venture from scratch. This will require a serious investment of time and thought.
We are not certain that teams will be able to benefit from the program unless they put in the time and effort required by this process. We will therefore require that selected teams are able to attend the in-person gatherings. The first in-person gathering is scheduled for two full days on March 18 and 19. The other gatherings will be scheduled for times that work for the facilitators and the teams. If selected for an interview, one of the questions will be whether the team can commit to these two dates.
WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS ARE OFFERED?
We welcome all applications. We will make every effort possible to provide accommodations based on a disability, chronic health or mental health condition.
WHAT IF I AM NOT READY TO IMPLEMENT MY IDEA AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM?
Ventures that have been designed during the Mindful Design Lab and are not ready to implement can apply for funding in a future round when they are ready to move forward. Our intention is that everyone who applies to the program intends to design ventures that they will actually initiate. Phase 1 allows participants to complete a concept design. Phase 2 allows for a guided process of community engagement to refine the idea and complete a pitch presentation. Phase 3 allows for the development of a complete venture plan for the first year of operation. There are limited places in the program, and so we are eager to reserve this opportunity for those who would be willing to move throughout the entire program to completion.