Our Next Chapter: The Power of Glocal

Ten years in, we find ourselves in a familiar place: standing at the edge of what we know works and asking what more is possible.

Through the Flying Labs Network, we have tested — in real time and across diverse contexts — what it takes to sustainably localize emerging technologies for social good. We have documented what we learned. We have shared it openly, through numerous articles and learning reports over the years, and again in our recently published 10-year Impact Report. 

Our track record now positions us uniquely for what comes next. The work ahead is about leaning more intentionally into the relationships and collaboration that allow locally led innovation to flourish.

We are therefore thrilled to reintroduce ourselves with the launch of our new positioning and renewed focus for the coming years. We remain the same small but mighty team, but with sharper clarity and renewed energy to create lasting impact in the Tech4Good sector.

The Power of Glocal

The current Tech4Good landscape still too often reproduces uneven dynamics. By investing billions into technology and little into the people who design solutions that last, it gives the lead to technology. And when technology leads instead of people, communities don't shape or own solutions. Decisions keep flowing top-down, projects run in silos, and when funding ends, impact ends with it.

Our experience has shown a different path is possible. When local and global actors work together in well-designed and trusted spaces, impact multiplies. 

This insight now guides our path forward: Building ecosystems where local and global actors work together as equals, innovate safely, and co-create locally owned Tech4Good solutions that work — and last. This is our new mission. If the first 10 years were about the Power of Local, then the coming years will be about the Power of Glocal.

What we have learned is that localization is only one part of the picture. Local experts working in their own communities must be in the driver’s seat when it comes to designing and implementing solutions. The importance of this cannot be overstated.

However, the ability to work closely with organizations and companies across borders is an equally important element. Through partnerships that intentionally redistribute power, both local and global actors can bring their strengths to the table. Together, they can create lasting impact at scale by collaborating to design solutions that are locally led and globally supported.

The Next Five Years

This is the  humbling truth: no matter the trillions invested each year, technology will not save us. Not drones. Not AI. Not any tool, no matter how sophisticated. Our intention, therefore, is to expand our ecosystem-building practice to focus on the people, relationships, and collaborations that result in lasting solutions.

We want to continue generating grounded evidence that investment in tools without investment in people leaves both financial resources and human potential underutilized — insights that can help funders rethink their approach and unlock the full value of their Tech4Good investments. 

We do not expect the road ahead to be linear or tidy. And we do not expect to walk it alone. 

We invite you to explore our updated website, get a feel for our direction for the next five years, and learn more about our value proposition, our updated theory of change, and how we intend to amplify the Power of Glocal.

And we invite partners and funders who share this conviction — who are willing to try a different way — to walk with us towards our vision: a world where people lead and technology follows.