Introducing the Core Lab team: Francisco Yu

Curious about the folks who are participating in the Shift Lab? Wonder no more! Over the next three weeks, we will feature each of the Core lab team members (12 in all) as they tell us their thoughts about social innovation, racism and poverty in Edmonton, and why they joined the Shift Lab.  Yesterday, we met Keren. Today, meet Francisco Yu. You can also check out Francisco's bio here. 

What excites you the most about the Shift Lab?

I look forward to being on the Shift Lab because of how similar its visions are to the work I already do in the community. I think what excites me the most about the Shift Lab is the unusual and innovative way we strive to tackle issues. The very concept of creating prototypes to use in our community to explore the intersections between racism and poverty champions new doors for our community. I hope to strive with this lab, to grow and nurture new ideas, not only to build our capacity to research for change but to be the explorers for it.

When did you first learn about social innovation?

I first learned about social innovation through my work pushing toward the City of Edmonton’s EndPoverty Strategy. I looked at the work our sector does and saw what kind of approaches we could take that were community focused, culturally inclusive, creative and innovative, and most importantly making a strong positive social impact. I looked at how the EndPoverty Strategy can be implemented into our current community work strategies to address poverty on the three fronts of economics, human rights, and public opinion and saw that a change on this massive community scale needs an effective approach. This is not the time for standard approaches. I believe that social innovation is the answer.

What do you think the next four months will be like?

I expect the next four months to be about learning more about our team members, identifying our skill sets and bringing out the potential in each one of us to work together in a collaborative and complimentary fashion. With our newly identified understanding of each other’s strengths, we will identify social problems that cross racism and poverty in our society and tackle said issues with innovative and creative concepts, prototypes and eventually solutions. Everything we will do will be aimed at bringing about a focus on bettering society. There is no time like the present to lead the expedition against poverty and racism!

Why is a focus on racism and poverty important to you?

Racism and poverty have always been the underlying factor of many problems found in our society. They either start as a root of a problem, or work their way up to become an obstacle to someone trying to fix their problem. If we are serious about the issues that are arising in our community, I believe that the strongest foundation we build upon is one that is anti-oppressive in a society without racism and poverty. There are many cultural minorities that are affected in different ways by poverty whether it is a lack of education, careers, or opportunity. These lead to many other issues such as proper housing, proper health care, and reliable community connections. I have faith that socially creative and innovative approaches can lead our society into a more culturally, socially, and economically positive direction to unite the communities in our amazing city.