Building local impact through Community-led initiatives

Last week, I spoke at the Builders Guild by HackUnion, a community-driven gathering focused on builders, innovation and hands-on learning.

The session explored how open systems like Web Monetization and Open Payments enable a participatory way to build and sustain the Internet of Opportunity.

What stood out was the curiosity of participants. The questions ranged from understanding the open-source journey, to practical use cases, to how individuals can get involved. It often starts with a question and trying to understand how these ideas fit into their own context and reality.

The HackUnion organizers have been connected with the Interledger Foundation for the past four years and have been actively engaging in the Interledger Hacktoberfest campaign since 2023. This continuity shows how local communities sustain.

Community-led events like Builders Guild by HackUnion remind us of the importance of enabling and supporting real-world, grassroots initiatives to do what they already do well that especially matters locally. Manyof these efforts are powered by volunteers who give their time and energu.

These local events create low barrier to entry for anyone to build understanding, ask questions, cross-pollinate ideas and develop perspective.

At Interledger Foundation, supporting local communities is part of practising openness, creating spaces where participation is meaningful, accessible, and rooted in real-world engagement.