Digital infrastructure for operating an autonomous shared lab space guided by member consensus by Danny Chan

Abstract: The exact circumstances that will constrain a community lab are unique to the founders’ resources (eg, social, fiscal, material) as well as the members of the lab at any given moment. In a community lab with the value of autonomy (possibly coded as self-sustaining, independent, etc), members will need a space where conflicts can be resolved openly. Furthermore, a mechanism to identify how shared resources are used create an opportunity for more advanced collaboration. Transparency regarding the shared resources helps to hold gatekeepers accountable for the implementation of consensus. This is the model of an autonomous lab that is exemplified by Biotech Without Borders (BwoB), a community based in NYC. In this workshop participants will make a decision via consensus through 2 key software platforms that are used at Biotech Without Borders. Participants must create accounts on these software spaces and will participate within the BwoB structure. The first software is Loomio, a decision making software developed for and by cooperative businesses that enables users to discuss and ultimately vote on proposals asynchronously. The second is Open Collective, a financial tool that allows contributions to be collected in transparent budgets and dispensed as appropriate.

INSTRUCTIONS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ss69cpvR_cvYPg1xNXLAMAUKdaFeRryf/view?usp=sharing