Program Design and Resources

GoFA has designed this incubator based on its five pillars for developing transformative, collaborative projects and ventures. Drawing from our signature Learning Programs and new prototype offerings from members, our sessions will support your team and project development through co-creation.

ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS: During our orientation, we will engage participants in the Story, Rule, Money (SRM) workshop—a practice of values-based systems intervention. This exercise is designed to reveal our joint analysis of system failures in the journalism and nonfiction media fields and to draw out your insights for transforming them, or charting a new path altogether.

PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION: During orientation, you experienced a small window into the 5C Meditation (5C) practice. Throughout the program, you will have access to a tailored set of recordings that help you to integrate mind/body/spirit in order to generate somatic and energetic flow. These sessions are designed to support what GoFA calls the "5 Cs": curiosity, curation, coordination, commitment, and creation. In addition to these recordings, we will integrate reflections, materials, and experiences that support personal transformation throughout the course of the incubator.

SPECULATIVE NARRATIVE: Our Futurist Writers' Room (FWR) will democratize imagination, surface collective design principles, and reveal shared values within and among the Incubator teams. Each team will go through an individualized process centered on envisioning how your project will transform the communities you are co-creating with (and beyond) through innovative storytelling practices.

GROUP COHESION: Throughout the incubator, we will explore building group cohesion that aligns your collective governance with your mission and purpose. How is your team jointly setting clear guideposts and holding mindfulness as you work towards realizing your vision and goals? What might be signs that greater alignment is needed and what are the processes to achieve that alignment?

COMMUNITY COMMERCE: Two sessions will explore the relationship between your project vision, audience, business models, social impact, and outcomes. First, our Impact Pack session provides a context for developing audience engagement strategies that lead to meaningful social or cultural change through an interactive deck of cards. Second, Our Community Model Canvas (CMC)—a 21st century updated business model canvas—encourages and explores both value and values creation. Not only does the canvas ask your team to bring in the voices of your stakeholders to co-create your mission, it also takes into account how your work considers community resilience to achieve shared prosperity.

OFFICE HOURS: In late December, our team will offer different program options from which your team can pick based on your needs at the time. This tailored session can be used as a follow-up on Community Model Canvas, the Futurist Writers' Room, the Impact Pack, or as a presentation review or a coaching session with a curated GoFA member. We will discuss with you later in the program to discern what would be most helpful.