264. Neil Smyth - Stewardownership, problems (not organisations) at the center and collective action

Listen to the podcast here: open.spotify.com/episode/7hAF...

264. Neil Smyth - Steward ownership, problems (not organisations) at the center and collective action Neil Smyth (⁠LinkedIn⁠) founder of ⁠Alkemio⁠ and I spoke about collective action problems, agency and ownership.

Maybe it's time we rethink the structures, both real-world and digital, we use for working together on shared challenges!

Read the conversation summary here: worldofwisdom.substack.com/p/264-neil-s...

The conversation explores the power of steward-ownership and how it ensures that profit serves purpose, and the challenges and possibilities of empowering communities through digital platforms for collective action.

What if organisations are not the strongest drivers for change, and we've been collaborating ineffectively?

In a conversation with Amit Paul, Neil Smyth talked about ways to get all efforts focused on solving shared challenges and empowering those best positioned to drive impact.

Europe's Movement Towards Digital Autonomy - Alkemio Foundation

Europe is uniquely positioned to pioneer a balanced, inclusive digital future. Let's build it together! 🚀

👉 www.alkemio.org/post/2025-03...

An image of logos of European tech companies.

In our latest blog, we highlight positive actions across Europe, including promising companies leading the way and powerful trends shaping the digital landscape. We also issue a call to action for all stakeholders, from investors to innovators and citizens, to strengthen the tech ecosystem.

As the digital autonomy movement gathers pace, we believe the conversation should be more than "us vs them." Instead, let's also champion a vision where technology serves the public interest first, grounded in strong governance, robust accountability, and European values.

Screenshots of updates to the platform.

📣 New feature alert! You now have more flexibility to design your space your way. Rename your space tabs and customise descriptions. This new update brings more clarity, offers better navigation, and invites users to be creative.

Details in the latest release notes: alkem.io/building-alk...

Now, we’re back at our desks. We cherish our time together, walking away energised and inspired to build a platform that empowers collaboration and drives progress toward our collective goals. 🚀

A team leader is explaining the session guidelines to the team.

💡 Together, we co-created visions for the digital futures we want to help shape, brainstormed approaches to help communities achieve their collective action goals, identified tangible steps to grow the public interest technology movement, and aligned on our shared goals for the year ahead. 🎯

The team is in a reflection session.

🔍 It was a valuable moment to pause, reconnect, and reflect. A lot has changed since our last offsite! We looked back on a pivotal year, explored shifts in the technology (and geopolitical!) landscape, and dug deeper into what it means to build for the public good.

A smiling team at the dinner table.

🌿 Last week, the Alkemio team gathered in the beautiful Limburg countryside for our first offsite of 2025.

A lot has changed since our last offsite! Alkemio has grown, and so has our impact. ✨ Yet, more than ever, it feels like we’re just getting started.

We agree that reclaiming our online public spaces needs a focus on the values, governance structures, and business models behind the technologies we use. Steward-ownership, championed by public interest tech companies, offers an alternative that prioritises purpose alongside business sustainability.

Since day one, we’ve worked closely with the public sector, and the Alkemio platform has evolved thanks to invaluable insights from ecosystem champions like Digicampus, GovTech NL, @zuid-holland.bsky.social, @vngemeenten.bsky.social, and @gemeentedenhaag.bsky.social. (3/3)

It's inspiring to see the cross-sector collaborations visualised in the report, demonstrating the power of collective action. Equally exciting is the recognition of how emerging technologies can drive transformative progress. At Alkemio, we’re proud to play a part in this ecosystem. (2/3)

How Innovation Ecosystems Foster Citizen Participation Using Emerging Technologies in Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands <img src="https://assets.oecdcode.org/ilibraryres/img/2024/DG-Reform_banner-Kappa_en.png" class="img-responsive" style="adding-bottom:5px;" alt="EU Funded Note"/>This report examines how actors in Por...

A new report from @oecd-ocde.bsky.social offers a comprehensive overview of the key actors and relationships driving innovative citizen participation within the Dutch public sector ecosystem. (1/3)

Read the report here: www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

Poster for RightsCon 2025. Photo credit: Access Now.

𝗔𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗶! 🇹🇼

At RightsCon, we're eager to connect with the digital rights community, learn from thought leaders, and discuss the future of collective action, public interest technology, & steward-ownership.

If you're attending, we'd love to explore ways to contribute to meaningful change.

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The Alkemio team, at the annual off-site in April 2024. All team members are wearing an apron. There are 16 team members, standing in two rows, with 8 individuals in each row. The second row is on a higher platform.

hello, world! 🌍

We are Alkemio, coming to you from the beautiful city of peace and justice.

We believe in the transformative power of technology to fuel changemakers—the dreamers, doers, and innovators who shape a better future.

We're here to learn and collaborate on this exciting journey.💡