Every social innovation project I have been involved in has, at some point, managed to make me feel like I might just be crazy to think that this new product/service I believe in could truly work. It’s tough to do things differently. So a few months back I got together with Nick Jankel-Elliott of Elemental to set up ‘The Disruptors’, a group exploring how to create and maintain systemic social change - what we hope will become the place for the biggest ideas and bravest people, creating a community of empathy and inspiration.

To get started, we decided to organise a monthly knowledge and networking session at The Hub on the first Tuesday of every month. We put our heads together to map different social, environmental or consumer system, look at existing and potential disruption points within it, and hear from disruptors who are doing it. We will also begin to share state-of-the-art disruption and innovation tools from some of the most pioneering thinkers on the planet.

So far we’ve explored retail packaging and distribution channels with Cath of Unpackaged and the film world with Pawel of ‘What the Bleep do we Know?!‘. We looked at how rule-breaking can be done systematically to overcome barriers. Next in line is the education system with Mary and Paul of School for Everything, and the energy grid with Joe of Dynamic Demand.

Our aim is to collate and publish the systems, their social disruptions and the disruption tools and techniques - for everyone to benefit, on and off line. In the meantime, the best way to get involved is to join our rapidly growing Facebook group, and come along to our next episode which (breaking from our First Tuesday rule) will be held at Shine on Saturday 10th May.