WHY THIS APPROACH?

For every social, economic, or environmental issue there are innovators implementing great ideas to limited effect. The challenge is in scaling those solutions to meet the scales of the problems, which are often embedded in overlapping systems that include policy, infrastructure, human behavior, institutions, and markets. From overfishing to human trafficking, the systemic nature of complex problems means there are many interrelated barriers that need to be removed simultaneously and strategically. No single solution exists.

Flip Labs problem-solves differently.

Instead of looking at what is broken, we flip the lens on a problem to focus on the people making progress to fix it. By understanding their challenges and examining their strategies, we identify patterns for how to overcome the underlying barriers to progress. These insights help us, and our clients, see the multiple root causes of a problem in order to craft new opportunities to get change unstuck.

Because the potential reach of any independent effort is limited, we take an “ecosystem” or “portfolio” approach to problem solving. The end result is what we call a “pod”— a group of innovators working on separate but related aspects of a problem. Our role is to support their individual efforts, facilitate their collaboration, and develop opportunities that can amplify their work to generate impact that is greater than the sum of their parts.

We’re the analysts, connectors, and accelerators of promising entrepreneurs and ideas capable of delivering large-scale, lasting change.