About

see what we are doing with communities like yours

Our Open Source Integration Platform (OSIP) provides Community Management as a Service (CMaaS) for electric and Internet infrastructure. As Red Hat is to Linux we are to an integration of DeepSeek, Decidim & more.

By combining AI + human support, we enable the building of regenerative local economies with community ownership whose ROI exceeds electric and Internet infrastructure investment. Blockchain infrastructure finance will enable frictionless investing in 10 m or 10 miles of fiber.

Digital public infrastructure

As DEI is being phased out, Communities can build DPI by integrating AI Agents with input from diverse community stakeholders, from the bottom up, to level the playing field, thereby promoting inclusivity. This is our new podcast in development for 2025. TRANSCRIPT by Otter

Our podcast channel on SoundCloud

Decidim & CMaaS

Decidim & For-Profit Spinoff for Community Infrastructure Management

I. Overview

This document synthesizes information from two sets of sources: the first focusing on the Decidim platform for participatory democracy, and the second detailing the process of spinning off a for-profit company from a nonprofit to create an AI-driven community management service. These two concepts are connected by the idea of empowering communities through technology and participatory processes.

II. Decidim: A Platform for Participatory Democracy

A. Core Functionality & Purpose

• Digital Infrastructure for Collaboration: Decidim is presented as a free and open-source digital platform designed to enable participatory democracy. It allows communities to engage in collective decision-making on various issues. The platform is described as fostering “technopolitical networks for participatory democracy” [7, 15].
• Flexibility and Customization: Decidim is not a rigid tool but offers flexibility for different types of participatory processes, including:
• Participatory budgeting [4, 5]
• Strategic planning [4, 5]
• Citizen consultations [4, 5]
• Community meetings and thematic groups [13]
• Proposals and debates on key issues [17, 24]
• Open Source & Global Community: A key aspect is the platform’s open-source nature, which has fostered an international community [2, 8] of users and developers. This community contributes to the platform’s growth and adaptation. As stated, it is built with “free, open-source participatory democracy” in mind [1].
• Focus on Transparency and Inclusion: The platform appears designed to ensure that decision-making processes are transparent and inclusive, allowing for broader citizen engagement [1]. As mentioned in the context of Decidim Fest 2024, it is striving for “technology and democracy for an ecosocial” approach [16].

B. Applications and Use Cases

• Climate Action and Sustainability: A significant emphasis is placed on Decidim’s relevance for addressing critical issues like climate change, energy choices, and sustainable development [4, 5, 11, 12]. It can be used for community-driven initiatives for a circular and regenerative economy.
• Infrastructure Planning: Decidim is suggested as an appropriate tool for participatory decision-making related to infrastructure projects, as well as “Creative Bureaucracy Through Citizen Participation” [1].
• City Governance: Decidim is being used in various city governance models to enable more participatory and collaborative policy processes [20, 9]. The platform is being utilized “in use” across a large number of organizations [22].
• Collective Intelligence: Decidim can be seen as a platform to harness collective intelligence, leveraging the diverse perspectives of community members [23].
• Real-World Example: Barcelona is mentioned as a city that has utilized the Decidim platform for participatory budgeting [4, 9].

C. Key Quotes

• “Decidim enables participatory democracy through its digital platform.” [7]
• “Decidim enables free, open-source participatory democracy for cities and organizations.” [1]
• “[Decidim’s] flexibility allows for customized participatory budgeting, strategic planning, and citizen consultations that could be applied to promoting a circular, regenerative economy.” [4,5]

III. For-Profit Spinoff: AI-Driven Community Management

A. Rationale and Purpose

• Leveraging Nonprofit Expertise: The idea is to leverage the expertise and educational resources of the Broadband Institute Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) to create a for-profit company that can scale its impact through AI-driven services. The nonprofit can provide “subject matter expertise and educational resources” [1].
• AI-Driven Solution: The new company will develop an AI platform for community infrastructure management that addresses key community needs [21]. This moves towards “Community Management as a Service (CMaaS)” [22, 25].
• Financial Sustainability: A for-profit entity is chosen as it will enable raising of funds beyond that of the nonprofit. The nonprofit can invest and capitalize the for-profit entity. [15].

B. Key Components

• Legal Structure: Establishing a legally separate entity, such as a C-corp or LLC, is crucial to maintain the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. “Ensure clear separation between the nonprofit and for-profit entities to maintain the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status” [27,28].
• AI Model Development: A vertical, large language model is planned, focused on community infrastructure and using data on renewable energy, internet networks and community engagement. “Build a vertical, large language model focused on community infrastructure management” [2].
• SaaS Platform: The for-profit company will provide a subscription-based service through a SaaS platform for “Community Management as a Service” (CMaaS) [22, 25].
• AI Features: The platform will leverage AI for predictive maintenance, automated reporting, personalized engagement and data analytics. This also entails utilizing AI in community engagement strategies [7].
• Business Model: The for-profit company will utilize a tiered subscription service for different types of community needs, such as size. Partnerships will be formed with infrastructure and technology companies.

C. Funding and Ownership

• Nonprofit Investment: The nonprofit can initially fund the for-profit via a transfer of cash or assets in exchange for stock [15].
• Venture Capital: A key focus is securing venture capital funding, especially from investors specializing in AI [5, 17, 19, 20, 33], such as AI Fund [18], Gradient Ventures [31] and OpenAI Startup Fund [30].
• Ownership Structure: The ownership must be structured such that the nonprofit does not directly benefit from the profits of the for-profit.

D. Ethical Considerations and Compliance

• Data Privacy and Security: Protecting community data is paramount. This includes the use of “strong data privacy and security measures” [2].
• AI Bias: Ensuring AI is trained on diverse datasets to avoid bias in recommendations is critical.
• Transparency: Maintaining transparency in AI-driven processes to build trust with communities is a priority.

E. Leveraging Nonprofit Expertise

• Subject Matter Expertise: The nonprofit’s expertise will be used to inform the AI model’s development [1].
• Educational Content: The nonprofit can license educational content to the for-profit entity at fair market value [27].
• Collaborative Research: Research opportunities between the two entities will be leveraged.

F. Key Quotes

• “Form a separate for-profit entity, such as a C-corporation or LLC, to house the new AI-driven community management service” [27].
• “The nonprofit can capitalize the for-profit subsidiary through a transfer of cash or assets in exchange for stock” [15].
• “Develop a SaaS-style platform for Community Management as a Service (CMaaS)” [22, 25].

IV. Connecting Themes

• Technology for Community Empowerment: Both Decidim and the AI-driven platform aim to empower communities through technology, but in different ways. Decidim focuses on participatory decision-making, while the for-profit focuses on efficient infrastructure management.
• Participatory and Data-Driven Approaches: While distinct, both models emphasize the value of community participation (in the case of Decidim) and data-driven insights (in the case of the for-profit). The for-profit solution may be able to use Decidim as a source of some of its community data.
• Sustainability and Infrastructure: Both initiatives address the critical need for sustainable and resilient community infrastructure.

V. Conclusion

This briefing document highlights two interconnected initiatives: the use of Decidim for enhanced community decision-making and the development of a for-profit company leveraging AI for infrastructure management. Both approaches reflect the growing importance of technology in empowering communities and promoting a more sustainable and participatory future.

Join our Group

This new venture is a spin off from our 501(c)(3) nonprofit Broadband Institute Foundation, who will continue to provide their platform cooperative as a meeting place., learning place and marketplace for members.

join now

DrRon Suarez

See Full Bio