Hylo is a community-led, open-source platform designed to facilitate collaboration and resource sharing among purpose-driven groups. It serves as a prosocial coordination tool, enabling communities to connect, organize, and work collectively towards common goals. Hylo is maintained by the Terran Collective, a California Bay Area community dedicated to amplifying cooperation among individuals and organizations focused on regenerative practices and community resilience.
Key Strategic Focus
Hylo's strategic focus centers on supporting place-based organizing, particularly within bioregions—geographic areas defined by natural boundaries and cultural practices. By fostering deep trust and strong relationships, Hylo aims to enhance the capacity of purpose-driven groups to create a livable future for all. The platform emphasizes participatory design, co-developing tools with real-world groups to meet their specific needs.
Technological Platform and Innovation
Hylo distinguishes itself through several proprietary technologies and methodologies:
- Nested Groups and Cross-Group Collaboration: These features enable emergent cooperation between groups, facilitating broader coalitions to address common goals.
- Open-Source and Non-Profit Structure: Hylo operates as an open-source platform under a non-profit model, ensuring transparency and community-driven development.
- Participatory Design Process: The platform is developed through relationship-driven development, collaborating closely with partners to co-design tools that amplify their work.
Leadership Team
Hylo's leadership comprises individuals with diverse backgrounds:
- Tibet Sprague, Director of Technology: A systems entrepreneur and communitarian technologist, Tibet is the founder and core steward of the Terran Collective.
- Clare Politano, Director of Product: With a background in non-profit communications and software engineering, Clare leads product development, focusing on participatory governance and community stewardship.
- Tree Willard, Director of Development: A Two Spirit Cherokee citizen, Tree has extensive experience as a nonprofit leader, activist, and community organizer.
- Krisha Subramanian, Community Lead: Krisha brings expertise in business development and sales, with passions in holistic wellness and regenerative living.
- Aaron Broduer, Director of Design: An interface and systems designer, Aaron has worked on various social apps and platforms, focusing on resilience and thriving in uncertain futures.
- Tom Watson, Senior Software Engineer: Based in Canberra, Australia, Tom focuses on mobile development and explores cultural practices that build community.
- Yasmine El Baggari, Community Steward: A native of Morocco, Yasmine is dedicated to connecting people and bridging cultures to encourage a more peaceful world.
Competitor Profile
Hylo operates in the social networking and collaboration platform industry, with competitors including:
- Mastodon: A decentralized and federated social platform focusing on personal interaction, offering features like custom emojis and robust moderation tools.
- Diaspora*: A federated social networking service designed as a privacy-aware alternative to mainstream platforms, emphasizing user control over data.
- Minds: An open-source platform for decentralized social networking, allowing users to monetize posts and engage in various content types.
Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships
Hylo collaborates with various organizations to enhance its platform and extend its reach:
- Planetary Health Alliance: A global consortium dedicated to advancing planetary health.
- Prosocial World: An organization focused on applying evolutionary and behavioral science to improve cooperation and collaboration.
- OpenTEAM: An initiative providing farmers with open-source tools to improve soil health and promote regenerative agriculture.
- Regen Network: A platform leveraging blockchain technology to incentivize ecological regeneration.
- Salmon Nation: A bioregional network aiming to foster resilience and sustainability in the Pacific Northwest.
Operational Insights
Hylo's commitment to open-source development and participatory design differentiates it from competitors. By focusing on place-based organizing and bioregional collaboration, Hylo addresses the unique needs of purpose-driven groups, fostering deeper community engagement and more effective coordination.
Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions
Hylo aims to transition to a structure that enshrines the platform as a technology commons with a participatory governance model, formally including stakeholder voices. This approach seeks to enhance community ownership and ensure the platform's sustainability. Additionally, Hylo plans to continue developing features that support bioregional organizing, further empowering communities to address ecological and social challenges collaboratively.
Contact Information
- Website: www.hylo.com
- Email: hello@hylo.com
- Social Media:
- Instagram: @hylo
- Twitter: @hylo
- Facebook: @hylo
Hylo's headquarters are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States.
