Mission

GMin seeks to create a human-centered design ecosystem in which young people from all segments of society have opportunities to innovate, effect positive change in their communities and demonstrate thought leadership within a local and regional context.

What We Do

GMin runs makerspace and design competitions (Innovate Salone, Innovate Kenya, and Innovate the Cape) that invite youth in developing countries to design solutions to problems they themselves have identified in their communities. GMin provides young people with the platforms to learn, to make and to connect.

1. Learning: Youth will engage in creative thinking workshops and STEAM workshops to learn design-thinking principles and conduct background research on problems they have themselves identified. Through these workshops, students also have the opportunity to draft a project proposal to enter the InChallenges competition and receive detailed feedback about their proposals.

2. Making: Youth will develop prototypes to test their solutions to problems they understand. Based on feasibility, innovation, and social impact, finalists are selected and seed funding of USD 250 is provided to each finalist team to procure local materials. Based on progress and potential for scale, additional USD 1,000 is provided to winner team(s) to scale and further develop their prototypes.

3. Connecting: Youth will connect with other innovative secondary students as they work on diverse types of projects. Furthermore, the teams are put in touch with GMin’s global and local networks of mentors and professionals, who assist students to further develop their prototypes. Local companies and NGO’s working in similar fields also ensure ongoing support and cooperation to help them scale their projects on the ground.

GMin has garnered critical accolades and support from world-class research universities such as MIT and Harvard; leading software and engineering companies such as Google, AutoDesk, and SparkFun; international organizations such as UNICEF; and prominent foundations such as Rockefeller Foundation and Segal Family Foundation.