The mentoring workshops are designed around five distinct themes, increasing understanding about different questions around sustainability and openness.
Each of these themes have a different mentor with expertise on the topic, and you will get to hear their talks and have discussions with them.
Georgia Nicolau
Instituto Procomum (Brazil)
Georgia Nicolau is a Brazilian creative professional, researcher, writer, trained facilitator and consultant in the areas of social organizations, collective action, innovation and culture and arts. She is interested in everything related to a transition to a fairer, egalitarian and cooperative world. Since 2020 she is a Fellow at the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme at the LSE. In 2016, she co-founded the Procomum Institute, a commons-oriented NGO where she is director of programs, partnerships and institutional development. Between 2013 and 2016, Georgia was a director at the Ministry of Culture of Brazil. She is a founding member of the Global Innovation Gathering Network.
Aravinth Panch
DreamSpace Academy (Sri Lanka)
Aravinth is a devoted social entrepreneur empowering underserved communities in war-affected regions of Sri Lanka to solve local socio-economic and environmental challenges. He co-founded DreamSpace Academy – a non-profit social enterprise tackling local challenges through challenge-based learning, grassroots innovation and impact venture building
Bahar Kumar
Impact Hub Kathmandu (Nepal)
Bahar Kumar is the Director of the new Impact Hub Kathmandu, previously known as Nepal Communitere which is a dynamic community-based innovation hub supporting bold changemakers to convert their ideas into success. She designed the flagship I-Cube Business Incubation Program providing business masterclasses, coaching and mentoring for Nepali entrepreneurs. Bahar empowers visionaries with approaches such as human-centered design to deeply understand communities’ needs and design innovative and relevant solutions. She has a dual Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in International Development and Psychology, has studied at the Delhi University School of Social Work and has a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University in New York.
Saad Chinoy
Professional Geek (Singapore)
Saad is a professional geek with a passion for technology and OpenSource methodology. Co founder of Singapore based Frugal Innovation startup, SpudnikLab, a PotatoProductions company that works to address the #digitalDivide through digital skills education and effective use of low-cost technologies. His Storytellers’ Kitchen and EdibleMakerspace community initiatives bring together writers, illustrators, researchers, publishers, citizen scientists, and readers to demystify the complexity of smart-phone interactivity AR / VR / stop-motion animation through learning by doing. Furthermore, Saad initiated SalvageGarden the assistive technology makerspace that engages a community of makers, engineers, care givers, persons with disabilities, and care professionals towards the research and development of Assistive Tech devices and low-cost solutions. Saad also serves on the advisory boards of the Global Innovation Gathering, and r0g_agency for open culture and critical transformation.
Emilio Velis
Appropedia Foundation (El Salvador)
Emilio Velis is Executive Director of the Appropedia Foundation with a special focus on sustainability and international development, with work that spans different areas of the open movement for social impact. Emilio is also Chapter Leader of Creative Commons in El Salvador and a board member of the Internet Society El Salvador Chapter. He is an adjunct lecturer at the Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios in El Salvador and of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, MA.
We’re open for your applications for 2022 until the 31st of May!
What is the Critical Making Mentoring Programme about?
How can you advance your product innovation based on openness and critical thinking? We are inviting makers & innovators globally to take part in the journey towards shaping a sustainable future of making. All mentoring sessions will take place online, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. Find out more.
Critical Making 