RxC Fellowship Program

From January 25 to April 2, 2021, the first cohort will work together to strengthen civil society and rethink public goods.

For more details, visit the Fellowship Page

Watch the Q&A

Fellows

We are pleased to announce the first cohort of the RadicalxChange Fellowship Program. During the 10 week program, 16 fellows will be working on 12 projects that address a number of pressing challenges.

Paula Berman, Megan Bogia, Tracey Bowen, Jesús Cepeda, Jack Henderson, Sidney Li, Elena V. Molina, Sato Ozawa, Douglas Powell, Emilio Sempris, Aaron Soskin, Allison Tam, Deborah Tien, Saeed Valadbaygi, Christine Vandevoorde, Raymond Yeh

Mentors

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors, Ocean Protocol and Streamr.

What

Starting January 2021, the RadicalxChange fellowship program will host its first 10-week cohort, bringing together mission-driven individuals and teams to work collectively on projects to strengthen civil society and rethink public goods. We believe that positive and comprehensive change is only possible through the inclusion of diverse voices and backgrounds. Selected fellows will come from multiple areas of endeavor, such as activism, art, design, entrepreneurship, investing, policymaking, research and technology.

The program will explore four key topic areas with fellows: governance, property rights, data rights, and competition through interactive talks, networking, and mentorship. Our aim is to provide fellows with a platform and contacts to supercharge their projects to deliver meaningful economic and societal change.

Who

We saw applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds including but not limited to: activists, artists, designers, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, and technologists. We were looking for applicants who:

• Want to strengthen civil society and contribute to the creation of new public goods,
• Think in terms of public goods increasing returns (or increasing returns to scale) and not individualistic decreasing returns,
• Want to rethink incentives and ownership structures, such as “exit to community” and other alternative corporate or cooperative forms, to create more equitable economies.

Why

1. Get Access: Fellows will have direct access to high calibre mentors and peers working on projects that have a meaningful positive impact on the world.
2. Learn: Fellows will collaborate and learn from a diverse mix of people across disciplines to broaden your horizons and solve your problems creatively.
3. Bring Impact: We will help maximise the fellows’ chances of impact by providing access to relevant customers, investors, partners, and policymakers, who understand impact-driven results.

FAQs

How long is the fellowship and will there be a weekly calendar?

The program will take 10 weeks structured around 8 hours of material per week, so 80 hours in total to become a fellow. Each week will have a theme: Week 1 is an introduction, Weeks 2 and 3 are focused on democracy and governance. Weeks 4 and 5 on property rights. Weeks 6 and 7 on data rights. Weeks 8 and 9 on competition and antitrust. And Week 10 will be preparation and demo day.

Can I apply as part of a group?

Yes. If you are working together as a team on a project, then we will accept joint applications. We don’t have a limit to the size of the team, and each application will be considered on a case by case basis.

Does my project need to be closely linked with the themes in the book?

No, the book is a starting point for how to rethink the building blocks of democracy but not the end point. We encourage applicants to have their own views and perspectives on what is needed.

Does my project need to be global in scale?

No, local projects will be equally considered.

Do I need to have a fully fleshed out idea before applying?

Yes. We will help guide fellows with their projects but in order to be considered we need a project to be reasonably well scoped so that something material can be demoed at the end of the 10-week program.

What will be the main outcomes of the fellowship both for a potential candidate and for society?

The program is designed to provide an environment for fellows to make progress in their work. The outcome is decided by the fellow, and we trust fellows to maximise the time with us to make as much progress as they can. Broadly, the success of the project will be determined by the community at large and if the output creates social value and contributes towards the strengthening of civil society.

Can my essay be longer or shorter than 1000 words?

Yes, your essay can be 10% greater or less than the 1000 word count in order to qualify. So no fewer than 900 words and no more than 1100 words.

How many fellows will be on the program?

The final number of fellows depends on the number of submissions. We are aiming for somewhere between 10 and 20 fellows to ensure a high-quality experience with enough diversity while still being an exclusive program.

How much time will I need to dedicate to the program?

We anticipate that individuals will really get maximum value if they can dedicate 8 hours a week to the program. This amounts to 80 hours over the course of the 10-week program.

Will I receive funding?

No direct funding is offered at this time. But the RadicalxChange team is offering you as much time and resources as possible during the 10-week program for you to make the most out of the fellowship. After the program is over, fellows will still have access to these resources, and we hope you value the network we offer.

How much of the program will be asynchronous?

We know how busy fellows can be and so we are aiming to deliver the program asynchronously when possible. We think that there will need to be some element of synchronous networking and learning to ensure all fellows get to learn from each other and build strong relationships. We are building the program in a flexible manner to accommodate most schedules and time zones.

Can I fail the fellowship?

The program is designed not to pass an exam but rather to create a collaborative environment in which individuals and teams can thrive. Fellows who are not committed and are not present at a minimum number of meetings won’t however be able to benefit from the “Fellow” title or network.

What would a successful fellow do?

Success will be to meaningfully engage with other fellows and the broader network to deliver something tangible after 10 weeks. Fellows will have their own goals and motivations and we don’t want to get in the way. We aim to facilitate and guide individuals and teams to reach their own goals by providing access to an ecosystem of RxC resources.

visit the Fellowship Page