The Creative Justice Lab is a three-day innovation sprint where college and high school students work with communities to build practical solutions to the problems they face every day.
How it works
The community defines the problem
The Creative Justice Lab begins by bringing together community members who experience inequality and leaders who understand its systemic causes. Multidisciplinary student teams work directly with two community partners to ground their understanding in lived experience rather than abstraction. Corporate and institutional partners contribute tools and expertise that support the work. Over the first two days, teams focus on deep engagement to move beyond surface-level insights and identify root causes and practical points for intervention.
A solution in three days
Day 1
Multidisciplinary student teams work directly with community partners to understand challenges through lived experience, moving past surface problems to identify root causes.
Day 2
Teams prototype solutions using real tools and platforms provided by The Engine or corporate partners, with community and industry mentors guiding rapid iteration from concept to working model.
Day 3
Teams pitch their solutions at our annual gathering in a venture- style competition, presenting to community members, investors, and corp. partners - who can serve as judges and select winners for long-term incubation.
Teams pitch and compete for startup capital
Teams pitch their ideas in a venture-style competition, showcasing feasibility, community support, and real impact potential. Winners receive incubation from The Difference Engine, including mentorship, workspace, and access to ASU resources. Corporate partners can invest in additional promising solutions while teams retain their intellectual property. Projects then move into a six to twelve month implementation phase with regular check-ins to support successful real-world deployment.
Solutions shared with the community that helped build them
We share each Lab’s process and insights with the communities that helped shape them, creating a playbook others can use. Students gain hands-on experience in community-driven innovation that sets them apart in impact-focused fields. Past Labs have launched real solutions, including Meals in Motion, which addresses food insecurity and received $50,000 to support long-term implementation.
Become a funder
Funders accelerate practical solutions and see measurable results in the communities in which they operate. Contact the team with questions at [email protected]