Edge City Newsletter - Mar. 2025

Hello friends! Timour here. I hope you are having a wonderful day. ☀️  

Our first Edge Expedition (April 3rd-13th) is coming up fast and we’re getting excited for this ten-day trip to explore South Africa’s frontier tech and culture scene whilst enjoying the beauty of Cape Town’s mountains and beaches.  There are still a couple of spots available if you want to YOLO in, apply here.

This newsletter also covers more details about Edge Esmeralda 2025, our grants programs, a recap from Edge City Austin, and yours truly on the ReFi podcast.

Scroll down for all the updates!

Attend Edge City South Africa →

Remind me, what is Edge City?

Edge City creates popup villages around the world that convene people working at the frontiers of tech, art, science, and society.

Our mission is to act as a ‘society incubator’—a living lab to experiment with new ideas, technologies, cultures, and organizations. All with the goal of advancing human flourishing.

We’re building towards a global network of temporary and permanent innovation hubs. Check out our roadmap on how we plan to scale into a Network City.

Collaboration is essential to achieve our vision. That’s why we aim to partner with folks who are reimagining permanent living environments, whether a new city or a reinvigorated town. Please reach out if you are building something relevant!

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Calls to action

• We’re hiring a Programming Lead: This person will help oversee the various programs that run throughout Edge Esmeralda (and potentially future popups!)
• Apply to join or share our South Africa Expedition with friends!
• Twitter and Telegram: Follow us on Twitter and join our Telegram updates channel to stay in the loop :)
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest talks and content from Edge City events (we have a number of updates since Edge City Austin).
• Donate: Edge Institute Inc. is a registered 501c3 non-profit. Your contribution helps us continue our mission. Every donation makes a significant impact!

Edge Expedition: South Africa (April 3-13)

Edge Expeditions are shorter and more intimate trips with around 30 participants. The goal is to pioneer with our community to build long-lasting connections and collaborative relationships amongst participants and with local builders, creatives and scientists on the frontiers of technology and society.

This first expedition is a deeper exploration of South Africa’s growing frontier ecosystem and how it could become a key node in our global network and location for a 2026 pop-up village. We’ll explore the local talent network, urban environment, and cultural context whilst taking in the natural beauty of the Western Cape.

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Schedule & Itinerary

We've mapped out a high-level schedule so you can see what to expect on this expedition, you can find a high-res version on our updated website.

Join this expedition →

Edge Esmeralda 2025

Edge Esmeralda returns May 21 – June 24 in Healdsburg, CA. During this month-long popup city, we prototype new ways of community-driven living, working and learning.

This interdisciplinary and family-friendly gathering lays the foundation for Esmeralda, an upcoming permanent town which can showcase how human flourishing and intentional wellbeing can become part of our daily lives.

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Changes from last year

• We’ve already published the outline of the program so you can book your trip accordingly.
• Group dinners will be on Fridays instead of Sundays.
• Accommodation should be booked directly with the hotel or through independent sites.

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Ticket prices for Edge Esmeralda increase at the end of the month, so grab your spot now.

Apply here →

Edge City’s Grants Programs

Over the last few weeks, we’ve announced a number of programs to support frontier builders and talent. Here is an overview of these opportunities.

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SHIFT Grants Program - Funding D/ACC projects

In collaboration with Nodes, we’re funding bold experiments in decentralized acceleration (d/acc) across biosecurity, cyber defense, information resilience, physical resilience, neurotech, and social technology.

With initial funding coming from pioneers like Vitalik Buterin, Trent McConaghy,  ASI Alliance (Ocean Protocol Foundation), and Yoni Ben-Shimon, this grants program is designed to accelerate a defensive approach to technological advancements.

There are two tiers in this program:

• Micro Grants ($5K-$15K) – For prototypes and exploratory experiments & ideas.

• Development Grants ($20K-$40K) – For teams with clear execution capacity and milestone-based deliverables.

Learn more about SHIFT Grants here or apply now.

Inflection Grants - $2,000 for builders under 25

If you’re a creative builder under 25 and working on turning unusual ideas into reality, we’ve got you covered!

Inflection Grants provide $2,000 to grantees to support you building a brighter future. As a grantee, you'll gain access to Edge City’s global community and ecosystem, and receive guidance from past recipients who can help you on your journey.

Read more about Inflection Grants here, or apply now.

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The Edge City Fellowship - Free access to our popup village

The Edge City Fellowship is a three-month long program to empower the next generation (under 25) of builders and creatives to accelerate human flourishing with emerging technologies.

As a Fellow, you will get sponsored to join one of our popup villages for a month-long immersive co-living experience where you can meet, learn from, and collaborate with hundreds of frontier innovators and leaders.

The spring 2025 cohort is at Edge Esmeralda (May 24 – June 21).

Read more about the Fellowship program here, or apply now.

Other news

Can popup cities shape the future?

I recently had a fun chat on the ReFi Podcast, exploring how our popup cities and temporary community-centric gatherings are a playground for prototyping new models for distributed governance, funding, collaboration, community currencies, and regenerative systems.

You can listen to this conversation on Spotify, YouTube, Apple or your favorite podcast app.

Edge City Austin recap

Edge City Austin brought together 300+ builders, researchers, and artists for six days of immersive sessions, co-creation, deep conversations, and community vibes.

From morning workouts to late-night salons, this mini popup village sparked new ideas, brought unexpected collaborations, and provided a glimpse into the future of Austin’s frontier ecosystem.

Read our full recap here

Read, Listen, Watch & Visit

Read: Linea Johnson - John Schwenkler discusses human flourishing in the age of technology

John Schwenkler is a professor of philosophy at Florida State University, specializing in philosophy of mind, action, and epistemology. In this interview, John shares his view on what it means to flourish in our digital age and how to make large philosophical ideas accessible.

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Read: Josie Zayner - We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?

In a recent article, biohacker and genetic designer Josie Zayner explores the profound implications of gene editing, questioning societal hesitations and advocating for embracing our potential to shape life itself.

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Visit: Radius

A new project from a friend in the Edge City network (congrats Kevin Fischner!) Radius is a farm-to-table butcher and grocery sourcing local Texas meat, produce, dairy, eggs, seafood, and more. It is also the first step in an experiment in applied Georgism; reach out to Kevin if you’re curious about that, and visit Radius if you’re in Austin at 1912 E 7th St in Austin, TX.

Quotes and Reflections

“Vibes at Edge City Austin are immaculate ✨ I especially love their attention to detail and making a curated, good experience for everyone, down to getting green juice for all participants to stay healthy and hydrated.” - Devansh Mehta

“Pop-up cities are like summer camp for builders. A growing trend that empowers curiosity, experimentation and human connection. - Alice Corsini

“So impressed w how @JanineLeger *transformed* how innovation networks form physical communities full of brilliant humans, serendipitous connections, & healthy habits - first w @Zuzalu_city & now @JoinEdgeCity! Grateful to be part of these gorgeous gatherings around the world!🌍💙” - Molly Mackinlay

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As always, thank you for reading. Looking forward to seeing you at Edge City South Africa in a few weeks! ☀️

Timour + the Edge City team