Sam Liebeskind

Betri Reykjavik has potential to be a model for many others since it is an example of digitally-enabled open innovation platform with uniquely high levels of ongoing participation, progress, and engagement. It is also unique in that (1) it is “developed and maintained by a grassroots nonprofit organization, and not by a government, (2) rapidly... See more

But it also seems clear that reinforcing local community structures should not be the only approach. So many towns and neighborhoods in the United States are effectively mini-one-party states. With the demographic sorting that has taken place over the last 40 years, focusing our attention primarily on local politics and participation in local... See more

The six principles are: (a) build simple solutions (b) to overlooked problems (c) that actually need to be solved (d) deliver them as informally as possible (e) starting with a very crude version 1 (f) and then iterate... See more

In 2026, journalism’s theory of change will be reinvented by practitioners exploring what service means beyond the article. For The Jersey Bee, that means newsletters, directories, guides, zines, text messages, resource fairs, comedy shows, and community media training — in addition to narrative reporting.

Now in our fifth year, The Bee envisions... See more

Another lesson to take away, however, is that you need to refine your personal brand and know exactly what you symbolize — that is, which slice of the algorithmic network of consumer identities you represent. Eventually you run the risk of replicating the very institutions you’ve rebelled against.