As the world’s systems are shifting from an industrial economy where a
centralized and individualistic mindset dominates to a creative economy where
collaboration and empowerment are prominent, many of our larger institutions
are being challenged as ineffective. Certain trends are gaining traction in
alignment with a more decentralized model. The maker movement’s ecosystem
has expanded and fueled entrepreneurial activities, social innovation labs have
emerged across the globe aimed at collaboratively solving complex social
problems, and technology continues to evolve to enable greater shared access to
information, people, ideas and funds. This research will explore the intersection
of these themes in the context of international development. It will examine how
peer led and purposeful maker-spaces can increase individual and community
empowerment, contributing to a more human centered approach to
strengthening start up ecosystems in developing countries. A case study will
focus on the approach taken by Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs), a social
innovation lab located outside Cape Town, South Africa.