The Interledger Community 🌱: Lawil Karama

Interledger Foundation Invites Research on Financial Inclusion & Payment Interoperability

Lawil Karama — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:59:09 +0000

Overview

The Interledger Foundation invites abstracts for original research on tackling barriers to financial access, fostering an open and interoperable financial system, and supporting responsible use of technology in the financial sector.

The Foundation invites research contributions on digital financial inclusion and payment interoperability. Grants of USD 5000 and an opportunity to present your work at the Interledger Summit in Mexico City.

About the Call

While financial access has expanded in recent years, significant barriers remain. This call invites members of the global research community to build new knowledge on the societal, technological, and policy aspects of financial inclusion and interoperable payments.
Selected authors will be invited to develop full-length papers and will receive an honorarium of $5,000 USD

Key Themes

Submissions should align with one of the following themes:

Understanding Financial Inclusion:Definitions, measurement frameworks, case studies, rights-based approaches
Key Actors and Incentives: Roles of financial institutions, intermediaries, community agents, and regulatory bodies
Regulatory and Policy Dimensions: Financial regulation, data protection, consumer protection, competition and compliance
Technology and Interoperability: Cross-border standards, AI and disruptive tech, settlement and routing strategies
Research engaging with: Studies exploring the Interledger Protocol or Open Payments Standard is particularly welcome.

Please find more detailed guidance on the available key themes on the Call for Paper site on the community Forem and on the Submittable platform.

What to Submit?

Submit an abstract (800–1000 words) that includes:

Title
Research questions
Context and methodology
Proposed arguments and relevance
4–7 Keywords
Also include:
A brief CV (max 3 pages per author)
A 1-page bibliography

All abstracts must be in English and submitted via the Submittable platform.

Key Deadlines

Abstracts due: May 15, 2025
Selected authors notified: June 30, 2025
First paper draft due: September 15, 2025
Peer review feedback: October 15, 2025
Summit in Mexico City: November 5–6, 2025
**Final papers due: **November 15, 2025

For questions or to learn more, please review the grant guide or contact the program team at the Interledger Foundation at programteam@interledger.org

Ready to submit? Head to the Submittable platform and upload your abstract before May 15, 2025.

Introducing the 2025 Interledger Foundation Ambassadors Cohort!

Lawil Karama — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:03:40 +0000

The Interledger Foundation Ambassador Program is for individuals passionate about activating communities who have been – and continue to be – systematically excluded from financial access and empowerment opportunities.

Each year, we seek individuals who possess distinct qualifications and are eager to explore innovative pathways, enhance standards, and create and implement open-source technologies.

All Ambassadors of the Interledger Foundation are collectively bound by their dedication to promoting digital financial inclusion within their respective communities and areas of expertise. Our previous ambassadors represent a diverse assemblage of individuals passionate about creating positive change. They take pride in their capacity to effectuate change by connecting individuals with events, resources, and one another. To learn more about their impact, you can explore their grant reports here.

This year, our foremost objective is to strengthen our commitment to improving interoperability and access to digital financial services, which is crucial for the actualization of rights such as access to education, healthcare, and an adequate standard of living. The exclusion of more than 1.7 billion adults from formal financial systems perpetuates cycles of poverty and marginalization. Rather than perceiving digital financial inclusion as an isolated issue, it should be recognized as a fundamental economic right that enables individuals to engage in financial and economic life actively.

With this in mind, we are thrilled to introduce our newest Ambassadors cohort and highlight the impactful projects they will be leading throughout the year.

Sheena Allen is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and tech architect. She has founded multiple successful startups.
Her project, "Financial Exclusion in the Southern U.S. : The Real Whys, Challenges, and the [Potential] Role of Digital Inclusion," this study investigates the financial exclusion faced by unbanked, underbanked, and neglected individuals in the Southern U.S. By prioritizing direct engagement, it seeks to uncover systemic and behavioural barriers that may be overlooked using traditional research methods.

Gavin Chait is a data scientist specializing in data curation and interoperability in the field of open data and open-access research for almost twenty years. Gavin is planning on developing “Hop Sauna, a social marketplace framework.”
Hop Sauna, is an open-source template stack ready for custom development of community-moderated Open Payments-enabled web shops, including a base server and client, with documentation, to support rapidly creating new types of federated commercial social applications.

Xiaoji Song is a Berlin-based artist, activist, performance-maker, game-maker, and researcher. Xiaoji Song's project, ”Shifting Power in the Informal Economy,” highlights the Informal economic activity in a continent that has over 90% digital connectivity.
She researches how the informal economy is essential to the livelihoods of marginalized communities, yet its informality—often not by choice—results in exclusion, stigma, and limited choices when seeking labor rights protection and economic empowerment.

Andria Barrett is a fierce advocate for inclusion and leverages over 15 years of experience helping organizations—from tech startups to nonprofits—create inclusive environments where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Andria’s project, “Empowering Global ROSCA Users through Digital Financial Inclusion,” focuses on ROSCA users and aims to discover what steps need to be taken to support their transition to using digital financial tools that encourage global participation.

Caroline Sinders is an award-winning critical designer, researcher, and artist. They’re the founder of the human rights and design lab Convocation Research. Her proposal,”By Design? The Hidden Harms Within Banking Apps,” highlights how harmful design patterns (often called dark patterns or deceptive design patterns) are barriers to digital inclusion because they unintentionally trick, confuse, manipulate, or nudge users into making unintended decisions. This project aims to provide those building new digital financial services with insights on how to design inclusively and mitigate the risk of unintentional harm when engaging with demographics or contexts.

We are excited to welcome this new group to the Interledger Community. We look forward to their projects, which will raise our collective awareness and knowledge while simultaneously inspiring enthusiasm for the advancement of digital financial inclusion.

If you’re looking for more insights on the 2025 Ambasadorship cohort, be sure to follow our community forum! It’s a wonderful space where all Ambassadors will showcase their exciting work.

About the Ambassadors program

The Call for Ambassadors is now closed. For more details on the program, preview the Application Guide. Should you have any inquiries, feel free to email the program team.

You can also subscribe to our mailing list to receive all grant opportunities directly in your inbox or join our community space to engage with current projects and connect with our expanding community.

The Ambassador's grant Program opens today!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:33:40 +0000

The Interledger Foundation (ILF) continues to foster equitable pathways for digital financial inclusion by advancing open payment standards through its Ambassadorship program. The program aims to enhance the Interledger Foundation's stewardship of the Interledger Protocol (ILP) by fostering each Ambassador's unique expertise and ecosystem.

We are thrilled to announce that our grant opportunity, the Ambassadorship grant program, opens today at 12 p.m. EDT.
Applicants can submit their proposals by August 31st, 2024, at 11:59 PM EDT.

About the Program

The Ambassadorship program is essential to the Interledger Foundation, and during their tenure, they assist us in furthering our mission: to increase awareness, promote thought leadership, boost participation, encourage research, facilitate experimentation, and foster innovation in the Interledger Protocol (ILP)-enabled networks and Open Payment Standards. Moreover, their contribution will aid in furthering our global strategy for change and provide essential tools for advancing digital financial inclusion.

More specifically, the 2024 Interledger Foundation Ambassador Program seeks qualified individuals who operate at the intersection of various fields, which are essential for advancing digital financial inclusion. Individuals who are willing to utilize their expertise, skills, interests, values, and networks by researching new pathways, advancing standards, developing and implementing open-source technologies, activating communities, promoting accessibility, and envisioning artistic products.

The Ambassador's endeavors will expand our ecosystem, reduce disparities, and fortify our collective impact.
This program is for everyone who shares our vision and is ready to make a difference.

Are you considering applying to become an Interledger Ambassador?

Reflect on your passion within your field and how your unique blend of skills, interests, values, and networks can pave the way for digital financial inclusion. We extend our invitation to researchers, developers, open-source contributors, entrepreneurs, educators, policy regulators, open standards enthusiasts, digital and financial rights advocates, creators, and artists.

To inspire the applicants, we would like to share the Ambassadors we have selected this current year

Key Milestones

The opportunity to apply for this call for proposals will be available from June 4th, 2024, through August 31st, 2024.

The Interledger Foundation will enable the candidates to execute their submitted Ambassadorship proposal within six months of the award being accepted. For their efforts all ambassadors will receive a $30,000 grant.

How to Apply

To apply for the Ambassadorship program, applicants need to create an account on Submittable.

Once you register an account, you will be able to access the open grant opportunities provided by the Interledger Foundation.

The application for the Ambassadorship call for proposals is a two-phase process.

Phase one of the application includes registration and general project information. After submission, our reviewers will evaluate it, and if selected, the applicant will receive an invitation to participate in phase two.
Phase two is invitation-only; applicants will receive this application by invitation after being selected by the Interledger Foundation for successfully completing phase one.

What are the requirements of an ILF Ambassador?

Applicants to the Ambassadorship program should be experts in their field and able to demonstrate their track record and previous experience.
We expect applicants to be dedicated to the field they are applying to and to aim to continue in that field after their Ambassadorship ends.
Applicants must be leading work internationally-focused that addresses digital financial inclusion and tackles systemic level problems.
Understanding how to increase participation through organic activations beyond the existing Interledger Foundation network.
A compelling work plan detailing the applicant's knowledge and experience of the Interledger Protocol, Open Payments, and other ILF initiatives.
Willingness to increase the current ecosystem's knowledge through sharing expertise and/or scientific research is needed.
Designing, building, and implementing new strategies or open-source technology as a contribution to the emerging Open Payments initiatives.

We are looking forward to your participation in the Ambassador's call for proposals!

For more information, visit the Interledger Foundation’s website and explore the community forum. To find information on the current call for proposals' eligibility requirements, application forms, and other additional information.

All are welcome to the Interledger Slack or contact us at programteam@interledger.org if you have any questions.

The ILF Salon featured on the F|M podcast

Lawil Karama — Tue, 28 May 2024 09:28:42 +0000

Today, we are excited to introduce the inaugural edition of the Interledger Salon on the Future|Money podcast, a quarterly panel hosted by the Interledger Foundation and facilitated by Chief Program Officer Chris Lawrence.

Our aim with these discussions is to bring together some of the most innovative individuals in our ecosystem.

We invited Jayshree Venkatesan, Senior Director of Consumer Protection and Responsible Finance at the Center for Financial Inclusion,
Ed Cable is the president/CEO of Mifos, the Current awardee of the Financial service grant phase one. You can view their presentation during our Community call here.
And Paula Hunter, Executive Director of Mojaloop Foundation.

Like us, these individuals work tirelessly and passionately to create a more equitable financial world.

We hope to advance Digital Financial Inclusion to create better futures that imagine systems that aren’t subject to outdated models, technology, and power. Can open standards and protocols for exchanging value broaden our thinking about some of our most persistent economic problems?

This approach also demands new ideas and metrics that shape outcomes that:

Enhancing the potential scale of economic participation.
Decrease transaction costs, make public models more affordable, and support new business models.
Minimize the importance of physical and political obstacles.

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like. We hope you enjoy this episode of The
Interledger Salon serves as a platform for dialogue, insight sharing, and collective action.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Interledger Salon on the community forum!

Note: The 10th episode was recorded on Friday, March 15th, 2024.

THE INTERLEDGER’S AMBASSADORS' CALL FOR PROPOSAL IS OPENING IN JUNE

Lawil Karama — Fri, 24 May 2024 16:56:23 +0000

The Interledger Foundation (ILF) continues to build equitable pathways for digital financial inclusion by advancing open payment standards through digital outreach and participation via our Ambassadorship program. The program is designed to support the advancement of the Interledger Protocol by honing the expertise and developing an ecosystem unique to each Ambassador. This program is open to anyone interested in furthering digital financial inclusion.

Therefore, We are thrilled to announce a new grant opportunity, the Ambassadorship Call for Proposal (CFP). The Ambassadorship program is essential to the Interledger Foundation, and during their tenure, they assist us in furthering our mission: to increase awareness, promote thought leadership, boost participation, encourage research, facilitate experimentation, and foster innovation in the Interledger Protocol (ILP)-enabled networks, Open Payment Standards. Moreover, their contribution will aid in furthering our global strategy for change and provide essential tools for advancing digital financial inclusion.

More specifically, the 2024 Interledger Foundation Ambassador Program seeks.
The Ambassadorship program seeks qualified individuals who operate at the intersection of various fields which are essential for advancing digital financial inclusion. Individuals who are willing to utilize their expertise, skills, interests, values, and networks by researching new pathways, advancing standards, developing and implementing open-source technologies, activating communities, promoting accessibility, and envisioning artistic products. The Ambassador's endeavors will expand our ecosystem, reduce disparities, and fortify our collective impact.

This program is for everyone who shares our vision and is ready to make a difference.
Are you considering applying to become an Interledger Ambassador? Reflect on your passion within your field and how your unique blend of skills, interests, values, and networks can pave the way for digital financial inclusion. We extend our invitation to researchers, developers, open-source contributors, entrepreneurs, educators, policy regulators, open standards enthusiasts, digital and financial rights advocates, creators, and artists.
To inspire the applicants, we would like to share the Ambassadors we have selected for the year 2024

The opportunity to apply for this call for proposals will be available from June 4th, 2024, through August 31st, 2024. The Interledger Foundation will enable the candidates to execute their submitted Ambassadorship proposal within six months after the award is accepted. All ambassadors will receive a $30,000 grant
for research, building, organizing, and advocacy.

To apply for the Ambassadorship program, applicants need to create an account on Submittable. The Ambassadorship call for proposals is a two-part process. For the Ambassadors grant, phase one will be visible to any registered account.

Phase one of the application includes registration and general project information.
Phase two is an invitation-only application.

#Stay tuned for more details on the Interledger Foundation’s website and community forum for information on the current call for proposal’s eligibility requirements, application form, and other additional information. All are welcome to the Interledger Slack or contact us at info@interledger.org if you have any questions.

Tune in! The ninth episode of the F|M podcast is now available!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 14 May 2024 15:54:37 +0000

The ninth episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod (Listen here)[
https://podcast.interledger.org/@futuremoneypodcast/episodes/waterworks-of-money]

Welcome to another episode of the Future| Money podcast.
In this episode, we're speaking with Carlijn Kingsma from Waterworks of Money, a project that delves into the metaphor 'money as water'. As a cartographer, Carlijn discusses her artistic process and how her project simplifies complex topics like monetary systems and financial structures. Making these topics more accessible and engaging, the project aims to foster essential conversations for enhancing financial literacy and inclusion.

We'll also explore the three future scenarios developed during her tenure as an F|M Awardee. These visualizations, created by Carlijn Kingma, Martijn van der Linden, and Thomas Bollen, provide an insightful map of money flow in our society.

You can find more information on The Waterworks of Money and their future scenarios here:

The Valley of debt-free Money

The Agora of Democratic Money

The Republic of a Thousand Coins

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like.

Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!

The eight episode of the F|M podcast is out now!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:55:51 +0000

The eight episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod Listen here

Re/Simulate - YouTube

Join us for the latest Future|Money Podcast episode! This week, we have a dynamic collective from Mexico City and Quito: Felipe Brugues, Ana Rodriguez, and J...

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Join us for the latest Future|Money Podcast episode! This week, we have a dynamic collective from Mexico City and Quito: Felipe Brugues, Ana Rodriguez, and Juan Carlos Leon.
Their project, Re/Simulate, uses 3D-printed clay sculptures to investigate the effectiveness of financial and economic programs.

You can find more information on the Project Re/simulate here
Progress Report

Please tune in to hear more about the trio and their inspiration and artwork.

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite podcast platform!

The seventh episode of the F|M podcast is out now!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:01:22 +0000

The seventh episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on *@Castopod *
Listen here

Taking the Train to digital financial inclusion - YouTube

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Join this week’s episode, where we welcome our newest host, @chrislarry , Chief Program Officer of the Interledger Foundation.

Chris converses with @andrewmangle , an Associate Professor from Bowie State University. They discuss the partnership between the Interledger Foundation and Bowie State, which provides students with learning opportunities in fintech, open-source technology, and Digital Financial Inclusion.

Don’t miss the insights into Dr. Mangle’s journey, student motivations, mentorship, and the upcoming event. #amtrackathon.

You can find more information on our partnership with Bowie State here.

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like.
Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!

The sixth episode of the F|M podcast is out now!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:36:52 +0000

The sixth episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod
Listen Here

Lena Ghaninejad- Liminal Matter - YouTube

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In this episode, we are in conversation with Lena Ghaninejad. She will be sharing about her artwork, Liminal Matter. The installation aims to illustrate the evolution of money from tangible matter that originates directly from the Earth (grains, food & stones) into an increasingly immaterial entity which leaves more people behind as financial systems complexify and access to technology remains limited -thus asking the question: how can we best share the planet's resources?.' Lena will discuss how Liminal Matter shaped her vision of a financially inclusive future and how food has become a means for her to become a food activist and an artist.

You can find more information on Liminal Matter here:
-Grant Report #1
-Instagram

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like.

Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!

The fifth episode of the F|M podcast is out now!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:39:22 +0000

The fifth episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod
Listen Here

In this episode, we are in conversation with @esthermwema. She will share her artwork, Sikhula Sonke: Living Archives of Afrofuturist Village Banking, which she created with three communities in Zambia and South Africa.

Sikhula Sonke is an isiXhosa phrase that means 'we grow together.' The project is a mixed-media artwork and storytelling project that documents informal savings groups to understand inclusive financial models in Southern Africa.

In recognition of the wisdom that already exists within local communities and is little understood outside of them, the project focuses on women with a wealth of knowledge on inclusive, open financial systems.

These women have created their own financial practices that support resilience and are responsive to their communities' needs. We discussed with Esther how this artwork shaped her vision of a financially inclusive future, Her pathway toward becoming an Artist, and how the world influenced her.

You can find more information on Shikula Sonke here:

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like.

Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!

The fourth episode of the F|M podcast is out now!!

Lawil Karama — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:00:45 +0000

The Fourth episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod Listen here

Bringing Down A Mountain - YouTube

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In this episode we talk with Subhashish Panigrahi, he is a civil society leader and documentary filmmaker with an interest in tech, media, and society. His films focus on conservation and assertion and broader issues of access, digital rights, and openness. He advocates for community-led media, open tech development, and indigenous sovereignty. Subhashish will share more about his childhood in India and how language influences social constructs and access to technology. In his new short film, “Bringing Down A Mountain,” a docufiction set in the Odia Language, he uses Open Source imagery to reimagine how technology is built, implemented, and affects financial inclusion.

You can find more information on Subhashish Panigrahi and his project here:
-Bringing Down A Mountain Grant Report
-Website
-Linkedin
-Twitter

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like.

Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!

Tune in to our latest F|M Podcast featuring Xiaoji Song

Lawil Karama — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:22:13 +0000

The third episode of the F|M podcast is now streaming on @Castopod, listen here

Parallel Society - YouTube

'For me, art is for building the infrastructure of imagination.' Tune in to our latest FM Podcast featuring Xiaoji Song

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In this episode, we converse with XiaoXiao, also known as Xiaoji Song. She is an artist, writer, and researcher currently based in Berlin, Germany. Her work centers around community-specific experiences, influenced by texts, games, and performances. These experiences often touch on topics such as migration, techno-politics, and the performative aspect of political memory, particularly their relevance to global phenomena. In this episode, we will delve into her work "Parallel Society,

"The Parallel Society is a cyber-drama that explores financial inclusion and equity by featuring the parallel fate of two characters, a Lebanese migrant in Barcelona and a villager in rural China's Henan province. The game sheds light on financial traumas, such as behavior patterns and psychological impacts as results of financial exclusions experienced by these two characters, and radically imagines a world where such barriers no longer exist, but the characters are still trapped in the old pattern.

You can find more information on Xiaoji Song and her projects here:

Let us know what you think, leave a comment, ask a question, show some love, and tap to like. Stay tuned for more updates here on the community forum!