Tap into the lived experiences and insights of community members facing poverty through our Design Insight Group (DIG)
DIG members cite the biggest benefit of participating is having their voices truly heard and valued.
Blue Ridge Labs (BRL) is the innovation arm of Robin Hood, dedicated to launching, accelerating, and investing in technology ventures that fight poverty in New York City.
Over the years, we’ve developed a co-creation approach that emphasizes real collaboration with the very communities affected by poverty—ensuring each solution is both innovative and deeply relevant.
Why It Matters for You: Ensure your solutions truly serve those who need them most. By partnering with Blue Ridge Labs, you gain direct access to the Design Insight Group (DIG)—a 5,000+ member community of low-income New Yorkers. Their lived experiences guide every step of the design process, giving you actionable insights that reduce guesswork and foster meaningful change.
How It Benefits Your Organization: At the intersection of technology and social good, our team of designers, engineers, and social innovators helps refine ideas, validate concepts, and maximize impact. With BRL’s proven methodology—including co-creation and hands-on mentorship—you can confidently develop innovations that are both technically sound and socially transformative.
Why It’s Crucial for Sustainability: We do more than facilitate user feedback—we invest in your long-term success. Through our Fellowship, Catalyst, and Follow-On-Fund programs, your initiative leverages the insight of working with innovators from concept to launch.
What This Means for Your Partnership: We honor the dignity and safety of the community at every stage. DIG members receive fair compensation for their expertise, and we uphold rigorous standards around data privacy and participant well-being. By partnering with BRL, you demonstrate ethical leadership, building trust among stakeholders and the communities you aim to serve.
We’ll learn about your project goals, challenges, and research needs.
Together, we’ll clarify timelines, target demographics, and co-design workshop plans
We handle all scheduling, logistics, and compensation—removing administrative burdens from your plate.
BRL can facilitate sessions, or equip your team to do so.
Empowering you to receive comprehensive insights and feedback
I have been involved with Blue Ridge Labs and DIG since 2017. This company is full of heart, innovation, dreams and talent! What has motivated me to participate and collaborate with DIG is that this is a place where brilliant minds come together to change lives and communities. I'm passionate about helping my community and working with others who collectively work to make it happen! Here we: Think it, Dream it, Build it!
Blue Ridge Labs and The DIG program empowers individuals and community with the tools and information to meet the needs of employment, housing, standard living, and community enhancement in today's society. I've come to identify and understand that programs like Blue Ridge are essential because it develops products and programs as well as incentives to motivate, enrich and help communities succeed. It’s not the people that the program employs that makes the program, but rather the people they work with (Dig Members) that makes the program. We work together to find solutions. That's why I like to thank Blue Ridge Labs/ DIG staff for there unconditional support. There is a battle to combat societies struggles. Blue Ridge and Dig actively seeks to successfully create ways to engage and improve community development. Blue Ridge Labs/DIG is right by your side, telling you it'll all be all right
My experience being a DIG member goes way back and I love my entire journey with them. This is the only platform where I, a woman of color and of Indian descent, am able to voice any concerns and genuinely be heard. I’ve brought several ideas to the table and the staff were neither judgmental or discriminatory. They were always helpful, willing to listen and explore various ways to help the community.