So, how does this Incubator work, and what actually is an Incubator?
An Incubator based model is where people join a programme that aims to develop, grow and ‘incubate’ ideas and people. In this project you will work with a group of practitioner mentors, star with a half baked idea, and we will incubate that idea into a well rounded and actionable plan. This Incubator will take place over six weeks and will involve supported project work to form an idea that is personal to you, in which you can do good in your identified community. You will get the space and support to have a positive impact on your community, the place you feel you belong or are connected to. You will be able to engage with community practitioners who have insight and experience working to build relationships and make projects happen in community settings. And you will find your WHY, your reason for doing this, your motivation and story. You do not need to know you WHY yet, you can find this on the journey…
Each week will consist of a session, with input from practitioners and community advocates, with a series of short tasks and activities, and you will then work independently or within smaller groups and with a Mentor to support your idea to develop. You will be provided with resources and help in creating and delivering your ideas. In every session you will work collectively, as well as independently and with the support of your Mentor. Its a really excited project, where we see YOUR amazing ideas emerge and become a reality, trust us – you can do this!
By the end of the Incubator, you will have a story to tell and share about your idea, and will have the option of putting your concept into reality, and pitch for seed funding and/or mentor support from Man Met to make your idea a reality.
Then you can pitch for funding and future mentoring, to take your project into the real world, and make is happen!
SESSION ONE – we played icebreaker games, built a friendly and safe space to engage, and then had Kiran join us to talk about values and our north star, a way to define our guiding…
Incubator Session 1 – 14:30 to 16:00 on 11/06/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Your North Star & Parameters of the programme
Incubator Session 2 – 13:00 to 16:00 on 18/06/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Goals…
Incubator Session 3 – 13:00 to 16:00 on 25/06/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Build with not for
Independent work 13:00 to 16:00 on 02/07/25 A week off from scheduled activity to work on your project
Incubator Session 4 – 13:00 to 16:00 on 09/07/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Feed back from tasks
Incubator Session 5 – 13:00 to 16:00 on 16/07/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Get it Done!
Incubater Session 6 – 10:00 to 15:00 on 23/07/25 – Brooks Building Resource Centre, 2nd floor Brooks Building: Workshop full day (Ideally you can attend all day, to prep and gather together all your ideas, but you can also just attend sections)
Pitch your idea – 10:00 to 16:00 on 30/07/25 Attend a 1 hour group session pitch for funding
01/08/25 to 15/10/25 Mentoring Successful pitches will receive a bursary and a mentor to make their project idea a reality.
17:00 to 19:30 on 15/10/25 – TBC Celebration Celebrate your project, learn form each other, offer feedback and share, invite your peers/family/community to celebrate with you!
Some self study packs that will be useful for you:
Watch: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable: Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Luvvie Ajayi Jones isn’t afraid to speak her mind or to be the one dissenting voice in a crowd, and neither should you. “Your silence serves no one,” says the writer, activist and self-proclaimed professional troublemaker. In this bright, uplifting talk, Ajayi Jones shares three questions to ask yourself if you’re teetering on the edge of speaking up or quieting down — and encourages all of us to get a little more comfortable with being uncomfortable. What truths do you have to speak? What is your core value (shea butter moisturiser haha)!?
“Being yourself is a revolutionary act. And in a world that wants you to whisper, I choose to YELL!” Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Watch: Jessica Jackley: Poverty, Money — and Love
Watch this Ted X Talk and note the themes Jessica discusses around building relationships, building caring connections, and how vital caring is for our life’s meaning and our wellbeing. Note how Jessica really picks up on the value of stories, and how stopping to. listen to someone else’s story is soooo valuable! Believing in each other makes our stories into love stories for others, we can change the world and make tomorrow a better day through engaging in this! Inspiring…
“So, What I hope is, not only can the money keep flowing through Kiva, thats a very positive and meaningful thing, but I hope that Kiva can blur those lines. Like I said, between the traditional rich and poor categories that we are taught to see in this world. This false dichotomy of us and them, have and have not. Because as that happens, we can feel free to interact in a way that’s more open, more just, and more creative. To engage with each other and help each other.”
