TechSoup is thrilled to announce the launch of the Cultural Memory Lab, a collaboration between Gray Area, Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW), and TechSoup. This program represents an important step forward in our mission to bridge emerging technologies with the needs of civil society organizations, specifically, organizations building more secure community archives that preserve underrepresented histories.
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A Global Response to Digital Preservation Challenges
From an impressive pool of 181 applications worldwide, we've selected four pioneering projects that demonstrate exceptional approaches to cultural memory preservation. Each project exemplifies our core values of community ownership, technological innovation, and sustainable preservation of diverse histories.
Meet Our Inaugural Cohort
{B/qKC}: A Black Queer Archive
{B/qKC} challenges outdated archival practices through accessible storytelling and intergenerational power building. This project documents the rich and often overlooked history of Kansas City’s Black queer community, including the underground ballroom tradition and the forced closure of Soakie’s — the city’s only Black gay bar. Through a unique licensing model, contributors retain ownership of their materials while benefiting from digitization and storytelling efforts. {B/qKC} aims to use decentralized storage to ensure long-term accessibility of its growing digital archive and explore DAO models for community governance.
Digital Memory Keepers: Decentralized Archiving of Zapotec Biocultural Knowledge
Servicios Universitarios y Redes de Conocimientos en Oaxaca’s project collaborates with Zapotec communities in Oaxaca to document and preserve traditional agricultural practices, environmental vocabulary, and oral histories. With a focus on indigenous data sovereignty, the project will deploy decentralized storage solutions to safeguard biocultural knowledge while maintaining community control over digital heritage. By integrating decentralized technologies, Digital Memory Keepers will create a bilingual archival system accessible to Zapotec speakers and the broader public.
Learn more about Digital Memory Keepers.
The Mobility Independence Foundation’s Open-Source Online Repository
The Mobility Independence Foundation’s project will create a long-term, decentralized archive of open-source designs for durable medical equipment (DME). By ensuring unrestricted access to the technical blueprints of essential mobility technology, this project empowers individuals with disabilities, engineers, and repair technicians worldwide with the right of self-repair. Through decentralized storage, the repository will safeguard DME designs, empower users with the knowledge and resources to maintain their own equipment, and reduce dependency on expensive, slow-moving manufacturers and insurers.
Learn more about The Mobility Independence Foundation.
Archiving Myanmar’s Digital Landscape
The Archiving Myanmar’s Digital Landscape project, developed by the Myanmar Internet Project team, documents the country's recent political and social upheavals by preserving online content related to digital resistance efforts. This includes social media posts, news articles, and other vulnerable digital artifacts that are at high risk of censorship or deletion. To ensure long-term preservation and accessibility, the team will apply decentralized technologies such as IPFS and the Uwazi platform. With a strong focus on data integrity and contributor safety, the project serves as a critical resource for Myanmar’s diaspora, human rights defenders, and researchers committed to protecting and understanding the nation’s digital history.
Learn more about Archiving Myanmar’s Digital Landscape.
Supporting Innovative Approaches to Cultural Memory
The Cultural Memory Lab is a four-month incubator designed to help community-based archives integrate decentralized technologies into their work.
Each selected project receives the following:
- $3,500 – $5,000 in direct project funding
- Access to Gray Area’s eight-week DWeb for Creators course
- Dedicated technical mentorship from experts at Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW)
- Regular cohort check-ins for collaborative learning and peer support
- Coaching on project planning and budgeting to improve future grant applications
- Showcase events to feature project outcomes to DWeb leaders and potential funders
What distinguishes this program is our commitment to providing a blend of individualized technical support and collaborative learning opportunities. By providing technical resources and mentorship, we are helping these projects build sustainable, decentralized archival models that protect cultural heritage and empower their communities.
Acknowledging Our Partners and Judges
Our selection process was guided by an evaluation of the short-listed candidates, led by Mai Ishikawa Sutton, Associate Producer of Decentralized Web Projects at Internet Archive, and Kaitlin Donovan, Senior Program Manager at Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web. Their evaluations focused on community representation and impact; innovative use of decentralized technologies; implementation feasibility, expertise and experience of project teams; and alignment with program goals.
A Heartfelt Thanks to All Applicants
With 181 applications from around the world, the response to the Cultural Memory Lab exceeded our expectations. We are inspired by the incredible work being done by so many dedicated archivists, technologists, and community organizers to preserve cultural memory in innovative ways. While we could only select three projects for this cohort, we are committed to continuing to support and grow this network of practitioners.
Stay Connected with the Decentralized Web Community
Here are several ways to stay engaged with FFDW, Gray Area, and TechSoup’s various initiatives.
Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web: Follow on Bluesky, X/Twitter, or YouTube.
Gray Area: Join their mailing list for future opportunities or register for the DWeb for Creators course (starting April 16, 2025).
TechSoup's Public Good App House: Subscribe to the Public Good App House newsletter for monthly updates on technology solutions addressing society's biggest challenges. You can also attend webinars and workshops designed for software developers, program managers, and nonprofit leaders with technical interests.
The Cultural Memory Lab is supported by an award from the Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web. Public Good App House is a project of Caravan Studios, a division of TechSoup.