We are the
Shuttleworth Foundation

...and we fund people who are unafraid to re-imagine the world
and the way we live in it.

We would like to live in an open knowledge society with limitless possibilities for all.


To help us get there, we identify amazing people with innovative ideas, give them a fellowship grant, and multiply the money they put into their own project by a factor of ten or more.

If we are deliberate about finding great people, supporting and sharing their positive approaches for social change, the world will get better, faster. That is why we are looking for social innovators who are open at heart, have a fresh perspective on addressing challenges and have a very clear idea of their role in bringing about positive change.

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Open Philosophy

Openness is at the core of the Foundation’s experiment in the world


Open Philosophy

We wanted to understand what would happen if the values, processes and licences of the FOSS world were applied to areas outside of software. Could that provide key building blocks for further innovation? What are the conditions that optimise innovation for positive social change? How can openness add value to that process? This is at the heart of the Foundation’s contribution to the world.

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Fellowship

The only true way is not a project plan but a champion


The holy grail for every funder is sustained impact - an approach continuing to influence behaviour positively long after your funding has run out. We believe people, rather than systems or organisations, are at the heart of sustaining change. The only true way is not a project plan but a champion, someone who will drive an idea through an ever changing landscape, to continue to make a real difference in the world.

That is why we invest in individuals, building a family, not a portfolio. Each fellow is passionate about a unique cause they typically pursue both before and after the fellowship. We make a conscious choice not to limit our scope because we believe in the power of a diverse network. We strive to build a community of fellows who work together across disciplines, sparked by their similarities and strengthened by their differences.

Current fellows

Cecilia Oliveira

Cecilia Oliveira
Protecting lives from gun violence

Chris Hartgerink

Chris Hartgerink
Liberating scientists through worker cooperatives

Delphine Halgand-Mishra

Delphine Halgand-Mishra
Protecting the right to know and the duty to tell

Diarmaid McDonald

Diarmaid McDonald
Democratising access to medicine

Felix Reda

Felix Reda
Defending and promoting online rights

Jeni Tennison

Jeni Tennison
Remodelling data governance

Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs
Reclaiming the African Narrative

Shannon Dosemagen

Shannon Dosemagen
Reforming environmental data sharing

For more information about all those previously part of the fellowship program please view our alumni.

Thinking

What makes us tick


Thinking

The more we share the thinking, working and practices of ourselves and our fellows, the better. Making these publicly available allows other organisations, project implementers, funders, policy makers, change agents, advocates and academics to engage - learn from what we have done, critically assess, give feedback and open the door to collaboration.

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