Who should participate?

Essential to the effectiveness of a lab is the diversity of stakeholders that are participating. Bringing together as many perspectives as possible on the same challenge enables the best possible solutions to be developed. When building the lab cohort, NouLAB looks for a diversity of perspectives and experiences to ensure that it includes participants with first-hand knowledge of the challenge and participants with the decision-making power to implement lasting change. This diversity in perspectives must be multi-disciplinary or “horizontal”, meaning that there is representation across sectors from non-profit, business, government and private sector individuals. Equally important is diversity in decision-making power known as “vertical” diversity. People working with low levels of influence and decision-making power often have different perspectives from people working with high levels of influence and decision-making power - even in the same organization. Working with diverse perspectives creates empathy amongst participants and helps them understand the experience of the humans that are most affected by the challenge being addressed.