In a recent meeting, our mentor wholeheartedly shared, “It’s not about me or my project; it’s about making our collaborative effort work in service of humanity.” These words resonate deeply with the Do-it-Together (DiT) culture and ecosystem we are fostering. We celebrate collective efforts rather than individual success, focusing on the well-being of the community as a whole.

But as a volunteer-driven network organisation, how can we increase our collective capacities?

Over the years, A--D has been fortunate to be endorsed by a warm network of committed members, mentors and partners, helping us build a resilient organisation that relies more on our own resources rather than solely depending on the market or the state.

2024 marks a transformative chapter for A--D. We are very excited to announce three exciting collaborations, bringing us one step closer towards a stewardship based organisation:

New Steering Group Members:

We welcome Tanzil Shafique, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate School at The University of Sheffield School of Architecture and Landscape, to our steering group. This deepens our relationship with Sheffield and fosters socially innovative practices and a DiT ecosystem, leaving no one behind. We’d also like to welcome Jack Lehane, Postdoctoral Researcher and Ecosystem Manager, who expands our network resources for social science, systems research and co-design education.

Global Challenge Program Update:

We are transforming the Global Challenge program into a biennial event and are now gearing up for the next edition in 2025 (GC2025). We’re excited to introduce our execution and strategy team members:

Sarah Essbai – General Strategy & Communication
Hani Salih – Content & Event Strategy
Paulina Ojeda – Multimedia & Campaign
April Beturin – UI/UX Design & Research
Tushita Varma - Strategic communication & partnership

Funding Partners:

Our collective impact is strengthened by these funding partners, who sustain our spirit and capacities. A BIG thank you to Creative Industries Fund NL and Hilti Foundation for their support!

Over the past months, our journey has been enriched by many passionate mentors, supporters and firm believers, who guided and energised us with their trust. Our deepest gratitude goes to these individuals who contribute to scaling and accelerating our collaborative vision. Thank you, Johann Baar, Beatrice De Carli, Martha Thorne, Nathalie Jean-Baptiste, Geert Lovink, and countless others for their invaluable insights and support. Your contributions are deeply appreciated.

Does our vision resonate with you? Are you inspired to play a role in driving socially innovative practices? We invite you to join us in expanding our collective impact—whether through collaboration, mentorship, or sharing your network and resources. Reach out today and let us know how you'd like to contribute to this transformative journey.

Cheers,

Changfang, A--D co-founder