What is The People’s Money: Designed by Community?
The team engaged 80 community members through surveys, interviews, and design workshops, distributing approximately $3,340 in compensation to the community for their expertise. The final implementation includes recommendations for the program’s curriculum, participant recruitment strategy, mentorship, partnership model, participant support, and overall structure.
In 2025, Cambio Labs was selected through The People’s Money: Designed by Community (The People’s DxC), a pilot program of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity’s Service Design Studio (“the Studio”) and the Civic Engagement Commission’s annual citywide participatory
budgeting initiative, to launch a $165,000 youth entrepreneurship program in Morningside Heights, Hamilton Heights, Central Harlem. While The People’s Money asks New Yorkers to decide which project ideas are funded, DxC asks them to determine how those projects are implemented.
To design the program, 6 community members with deep roots in Harlem were hired as Fellows under the Designed by Community DxC) program. Over six months, from January to June 2026, the fellows led a participatory action research and service design project. They developed an implementation plan shaped by the lived experiences of the Harlem community
2027 Logic and Timeline
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What does the program offer?
Cambio Program Sessions:
Instructor-led sessions where Cambio will deliver the curriculum.
Sessions are held weekly in the Fundamentals Program and bi-weekly in the Advanced Program.
Cambio
Check-ins:
1:1 meetings between participants and Cambio staff to discuss progress,
identify challenges, and provide support to participants. Check-in’s occur weekly in the 3-month
Fundamentals Program, and bi-weekly in the Advanced Program, alternating session weeks.
Internship Placement Support:
Participants who do not continue to the Advanced Program
receive support applying for internship opportunities through the Work Progress Program (WPP)
or the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).
Mentorship:
(Advanced Program only) Participants will be matched with local entrepreneurs
who have experience and expertise in their industries of interest.
Mentor Check-ins:
■ Monthly 1:1 meetings: Focus on supporting participants’ professional growth, entrepreneurial development, and progress toward business goals.
■ Informal bi-weekly: Check-ins (text or email) to foster continuous support.
Group Sessions: Opportunities for the full cohort to benefit from the diverse experiences and perspectives of the mentor network.
Support for Mentors: Mentors are compensated at a professional consulting rate for their time and support. Light training will be provided around expectations, structure, and recommended approaches. Cambio and mentors check-in every other month to
exchange updates, troubleshoot challenges, and reflect on opportunities to strengthen
the partnership.
Partner organizations will offer engaging financial literacy workshops to equip participants with knowledge and skills to manage their personal and business finances.
○ For the Fundamentals Program, workshops focus on personal financial management, including budgeting, banking, and credit scores.
○ For the Advanced Program, workshops focus on business financial management,
including financial planning, bookkeeping fundamentals, and preparing for business
loans and other funding opportunities.
Financial Workshops:
Real World Experience
Our research with the Harlem community highlighted the importance of
learning through real world experience. This will be incorporated into the program through the
following hands-on learning opportunities:
○ In the Fundamentals Program, participants will:
■ Explore industries through informational interviews with approximately 3x
professionals, including at least 1x social entrepreneurs and 2x professionals outside their original industry of interest.
■ Develop and iterate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
■ Conduct market research and validate their business idea.
■ Attend networking events.
■ Develop and deliver a business pitch, with encouragement and guidance on how to integrate social impact / sustainability into their business model.
In the Advanced program, participants will:
■ Build relationships within Harlem’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through
community engagement, networking events, volunteering, meetings with local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, civic leaders, and community boards.
■ Develop an advisory board of trusted Harlem-based community members, business owners, mentors, and civic leaders who can provide ongoing guidance and support their entrepreneurial journey beyond the program.
■ Formalize their business by:
● Building and testing their brand.
● Developing stakeholder partnerships (suppliers, collaborators, etc).
● Developing marketing strategies (social media marketing, analytics).
● Establishing operational systems, supply chains, and contracts.
● Building financial and operational management tools, applying for funding.
● Defining impact metrics.
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Pitch Competition & Business Showcase
Pitch Competition with family and friends:
■ At the end of the Fundamentals Program, participants present their business model canvas and pitch their ideas to family, friends, the program mentor network, and fellow participants. The event will provide a supportive, low-stakes environment to build confidence, strengthen presentation skills, validate ideas,
and build community buy-in while celebrating participants’ accomplishments..
Business Showcase:
■ At the end of the Advanced Program, participants showcase their businesses to investors, community partners, and other stakeholders. Each participant receives $2,000 in business support funding to purchase eligible materials, software, equipment, or services to prepare for the business showcase and help
advance their business.
