FLOWLab⁵
Find your way here.
Our mission is to help diverse creators and innovators survive to thrive their first 5 years of
self-employment, startups, or solopreneurship.
Is the FLOWLab⁵ community for me?
Do you want more solidarity and cooperation? Less stress from social media and capitalism?
Are you a solopreneur sick of your four walls? A founder who’s lonely AF?
A burnt to a crisp employee totally over it, looking for a change?
Maybe you’re unpacking harms post-corporate bro culture, navigating workplace PTSD?
Craving connection but love your solitude? Care a lot but also have no f*cks left to give? We got you.
We are glad you found your way here!
FLOWLab⁵ is updating our membership vetting process. Applications may be delayed. Please subscribe to our email list for updates.
Welcome, friend.
The FLOWLab⁵ is where we come together to iterate, ideate, ruminate, and maybe procrastinate. We gather in service of never working for “The Powers That Be” ever again.
We’re leading with a purpose—to create more opportunities for diverse leaders to get past the Startup “Valley of Death.”
Members are co-creating a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and help shape our bi-weekly virtual meet up sessions: Office Hours & coWORK.
FL⁵ is a global network of social change agents, independent, content designers, brand creators, creative consultants, researchers and writers who gather for mutual learning and support.
Feel seen, heard, valued, and inspired.
Join us as we find our way forward, together.
In a recent survey, 75% of FL⁵ members said we were their lifeline.
What do our current members say?
November, 2022FLOWLab⁵ Membership Tiers
What does membership include? How does it work?
How much per tier?
*Choose what you pay based on your needs, business stage, P&L, and income.
See our FL5 FAQ for more info.
Information by Tier
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Flexible Contributions
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PLEASE NOTE.
You can support the work of this community and it’s founding members with one time or monthly tax-deductible donations as a sponsor, even if you don’t participate.
To join our “Active Membership” read our FL5 FAQ.
Transparency for Equity.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Active members will have future voting rights and access to financial and other support services and help shape the communities mandates and research topics.
Interested in joining our beta cohort? Come to an open meetup or email for more info.
Access to Opportunity.
FLOWLab⁵ does not want cost to be a barrier for our community, especially if this is a fit for you.
Want to join, but can’t afford to at the moment? We got you; we provide a limited number of comped memberships. Fill out our low-effort, non-extractive, non-invasive “Comp Me” form.
Support FLOWLab⁵ on Open Collective today.
Our community is currently funded by donations and in kind services from Collective Flow Consulting, monthly member dues/donations, and through our generous partners and sponsors.
FLOWLab⁵ utilizes an open budget and everyone has access to our financial data. Active members can participate in allocating funds via our community governance monthly meetups.
Participatory design and transparent finances are just two of the ways we are testing more equitable ways of operating and collaborating.
🔥HOT TIP: FLOWLab⁵ is fiscally sponsored and hosted by Open Collective Foundation (OCF), a 501c3 nonprofit.
What does it mean to be a hosted nonprofit?
We get a lot of the benefits of being a nonprofit without a lot of the startup costs and administrative work. Giving, Membership, Sponsorship, Donations are tax-deductible.*
As a hosted nonprofit we can apply for grants, product discounts, all with less overhead.
Learn more about OCF here.
*Fine print: For tax information and regulations consult your CPA or tax advisor. We do not offer legal, financial or tax advisory services.How do we utilize our budget.
Members dues and sponsors are used for community management, bi-weekly meetups, content creation, admin, Slack, Zoom, and we are seeking sponsors to make this sustainable. Funds will help us increase and systematize our program management, improve communications with members, automate our workflow streamline member onboarding.
We are raising $1 million USD to fund our new Community Director, a conference, and to offer micro-grants to ~20 of our entrepreneur and creator members. Currently the majority of costs are paid for by Collective Flow Consulting.
Sponsor a FLOWLab⁵ project.
FL⁵ membership was made for you!
What’s in it for me?
Small business founders are doing the equivalent of 4.2 jobs, many with the addition of parenting and house manager, caregiver, or other responsibilities, second jobs, with zero dollars and zero support…until now.
We provide education, tools, resources, references, job tips, tech stack insights, and a peer community of practice to build equitable and inclusive businesses from the start. Regular inspo, research, and writing prompts custom for your cohort via our community Slack. We plan to publish a report at the end of 5 years, sharing how our hypothesis turned out.
Feel seen, heard, valued, and inspired.
Besides an awesome community of solid humans (primarily creators with disabilities or Neurodivergent), members get additional low & no cost toolkits, a resource library, introductions and new connections, discounted workshops, peer to peer expert advising, pop-ups including on-demand art direction and content feedback sessions.
Special beta-member bonus: A healthy dose of social justice and opportunities to help shape this community, including participatory budgeting, voting on equity microgrants, and collaborative decision-making. Contribute to our collective success as we find our way through solopreneurship together.
Already a member?
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