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ORIGINS
The Imaginarium was inspired by the writings of Buckminster Fuller, an idealist, designer, engineer, inventor, polymath, humanist and clarion call for sustainability half a century before the word existed in the popular imagination. He wanted human-designed systems to "work for 100% of humanity." The idea for the Imaginarium was entered into the annual Fuller Challenge as part of a larger "Stardust Initiative" proposal. Here is a web archive: 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge Proposal WHAT WE DO The Imaginarium is a social innovation idea incubator--for people, social good and systems change. Open idea forums and labs are designed to engage citizen-based thinking, problem solving and innovating. You can also join a community-based effort that is an "active idea lab," or engage with us privately to incubate your idea|cause|initiative|enterprise using a private or closed (client-based) process or an open (community-based) process, or combination. We want to catalyze input, discovery, creativity and experimentation. PHILOSOPHY As you can see from our logo--a sometimes changing, amateur sketch--we are intentionally slightly "anti-brand" in spirit. We honor the power of the sketch, the value of imperfection, the assets of non-expertise, the contribution of regular citizens, and the opportunities in open systems. Our main tenants of practice are:
CHANGING THE MEANING OF BUSINESS But, we realize we are working against the stream. To a certain extent, we need to work within the existing system while also practicing the system of the future. That means we need to accommodate real people with real concerns who need real branding and real funding. To that end, if you engage us to create a tangible product, a packaged idea for social good that is ready to approach funders, we will work with you at appropriately scaled prices to fully incubate your idea through the first stage of what is normally called business "acceleration." In social innovation, it would be nice to see less emphasis on speed and more emphasis on quality. And, because we are focused on social entrepreneurship and social innovation, we will expose and connect you to new sources of funding that support your initiative and who are actively seeking creative and passionate entrepreneurs who can be change and make change; those that can promote and benefit people and planet more than profit; changemakers who seek to measure human, not just monetary, impact. We have a virtual and roving community presence for now, but hope to create a home soon that can function like a "lyceum for the future" to cultivate citizens and their ideas, in any form and at any stage of development, for their humanity and place in the universe. |
