Since 2012, FabRiders has been at the forefront of building, refining, and iterating participatory and network-centric practices to empower social change movements & initiatives. Founded and led by Dirk Slater, whose career spans nearly three decades of convening people in diverse contexts.

Deep experience in participatory and network-centric approaches

Our nearly 30 years of work have centred on building and refining participatory, network-driven models that empower organisations, networks and communities to drive social change. This longevity has allowed us to iterate and adapt our practices to a wide range of contexts and challenges, ensuring relevance and effectiveness over time.

Upcoming Events

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  Strategy Design: A Cohort for Civil Society Leaders
  Co-develop dynamic, responsive strategic plans alongside civil society peers. FabRiders’ Strategy Design cohorts are designed for civil society leaders and practitioners who need to develop or update their organisational or… Read more: Strategy Design: A Cohort for Civil Society Leaders
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  The Session Design Lab
  If you’re getting ready to run a session at ECF in Oxford, RightsCon, The Global Gathering, or your own workshop, training, or meeting, join the Session Design Lab to create… Read more: The Session Design Lab

Our Latest Blog Posts

• Strategy Is Always About Power – Whether You Name It or Not
  More takeaways from The Strategy Design Festival In the first post from the Strategy Design Festival, we argued that strategy needs to be treated as a verb, not a document. In the second, we suggested that most “theories of change” are really untested stories, and offered… Read more: Strategy Is Always About Power – Whether You Name It or Not
• Your Theory of Change Isn’t a Theory
  More Takeaways from The Strategy Design Festival Most of us talk about our “theory of change” as if it were a fixed truth. In practice, it’s often a polished narrative on a slide deck, respectable enough to show a funder, but not quite sharp enough to… Read more: Your Theory of Change Isn’t a Theory
• Strategy is a verb, not a document
  In January, we gathered a room of civil society leaders, organisers and strategists for the very first Strategy Design Festival in London. It was a day to step away from the day‑to‑day and ask a simple but unsettling question: What if we treated strategy less like a document and more like a living practice?

Stay up to date on all things FabRider

Emphasis on co-creation, shared ownership, and inclusion

A core lesson from our experience is the value of co-creating solutions with stakeholders. By engaging participants in the design and implementation of projects, they foster a sense of ownership and agency, which is critical for sustainability and impact. Our facilitation methods prioritise inclusion and the intentional management of power dynamics, especially in virtual and remote settings.

Iterative, feedback-driven methodologies

We have consistently integrated feedback loops into our processes, using real-time input and reflection to adapt projects and workshops. This iterative approach ensures that strategies remain aligned with the evolving needs of participants, networks and communities, distinguishing our work from more rigid, fixed-plan consultancies.

Focus on capacity building and social learning

Over three decades, we have developed and led numerous capacity-building initiatives and social learning experiences. These are designed to transfer knowledge and empower individuals and teams to build peer networks, strengthen team cohesion, and develop facilitation skills that support long-term collective action.

Flexibility and adaptability across diverse contexts

FabRiders’ extensive experience has underscored the importance of adapting methods to fit unique cultural and organisational contexts. Our global perspective is balanced by a sensitivity to local needs, ensuring that solutions are both practical and culturally appropriate.

Shared visions of success, theories of change and strategies

Our experience highlights that organisations aiming for social change benefit from engaging stakeholders in developing a clear vision of success, theory of change and the strategic planning process. This fosters shared ownership, inclusivity, and a stronger drive for meaningful impact.

Technology in service to communities and mission

We are committed to social justice and mission-driven work, ensuring that technology is always in service to the people and causes we support. Our approach centres the needs, context, and wisdom of each community, allowing us to remain adaptable and responsive to their unique challenges. We believe that technology should empower communities to achieve their goals, not dictate their direction.

Commitment to collective power and social justice

A defining principle throughout FabRiders’ history has been a focus on building collective power and supporting social justice movements. Rather than being technology- or platform-centric, their work is issue-focused and rooted in supporting organisations to resist repression and create just alternatives.

Our decades of experience have demonstrated that sustainable social change is best achieved through participatory, adaptive, and inclusive processes that prioritise co-creation, continuous learning, and a deep commitment to collective power to drive social justice.