Steve Daniels

Makeshift has a keen eye on the ground the Caracas skyscraper squatter, the Barcelona apartment hotelier, the Kampala retailer who accepts airtime payments.

This economic fringe, often outside the law and not formally recognized, is a sandbox for the next big social innovations. Future leaders need transparency into these informal economies. What solutions work, and how might we scale them?

Makeshift, a quarterly magazine and think tank, is bringing its insights to classrooms by designing custom instructional magazines in collaboration with teachers. Their pilot will feature in-depth reporting and photography showcasing grassroots appropriate technology solutions around the globe, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania.