We’re building something bigger than us
TLDR: 1RG is now a not-for-profit and you could help shape its future
1RG Space has never been about making a profit. As founders, we strived to make it sustainable but never expected it to be profitable. We always thought of it as more of a community resource than a business. This is why we never sought outside investment - 1RG was bootstrapped from our savings (thank you big tech!) and funded by our consulting work.
Because we don’t have outside investors, we’re not beholden to anyone’s idea of what 1RG should be, and this has given us the freedom and independence of taking wild bets like running an incubator, creating wayfinding, a forum for conversations that challenge mainstream narratives about technology, and hosting a festival of ideas. It’s because of this independence that today 1RG is a scene where you can explore technology with enthusiasm and curiosity, while remaining critical of the systems of power that control it and our role within them.
While we’re now officially incorporated as a not-for-profit entity in Ontario, 1RG has operated as a community organization since 2022. Our legal structure is finally in line with how we’ve always operated.
The most exciting development is in governance: as a not-for-profit 1RG can extend legal membership to folks who are part of the community. It’s a non-voting group, but it’s a formal role in the organization: a tangible place in the conversation about what 1RG is for, and mechanisms for accountability. Any revenue 1RG makes has to be aligned with its purpose and reinvested in the organization. Now there’s someone other than us founders who gets to ask whether that’s been done or not.
In many ways, 1RG is a response to the times we live in. In its inception, it was a response to the extreme isolation of the pandemic. Today, the challenges we face are different, and while 1RG’s form is shifting, our response remains the same: by focusing on care and community, we build capacity for resilience. In a moment of heightened tech-induced alienation, real power comes from staying connected with each other, and, together, building alternative practices for what it means to be a technologist.
We believe that the not-for-profit structure will support 1RG as it grows beyond the two of us. You can be a part of 1RG and help shape its future by becoming a member, or you can get involved by joining one of our many events.
Serena + Max
P.S. We now accept donations.
