TheThinkTank October 2022

thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org

8 participants
10 discussions

Reusable Repair Checklist Tag
by director 02 May '23

02 May '23

Hey All, We just spent some time and redid the tag we use to track repairs on a bike. I'm sure your shops are similar to ours in that many mechanics of varying skill levels will work on a single bike before it's distributed back to the world for use. This make it challenging to ensure a standard of quality on any given bike leaving the shop. As we fleshed out the tag we realized that it could function loosely as a curriculum. For most mechanics, especially students we suggest starting at the top and working down the list. I've come to realize that no two mechanics will do things in the exact same way, everyone has their own style. We've been suggesting that folks do the first two items in order and then address the rest of the repairs at their discretion. Of course we couldn't put everything on a half page so we had to make compromises. You'll notice as you get closer to the bottom of the tag the categories are a little more broad and don't get into the finer details. We're working on a final check list that will include finer details like checking bearing play, tire wear, fine tune derailleurs and brakes... The final checklist won't hang on the bike but it'll be around the shop and part of our training. Stay tuned for this. We print these double sided, cut them in half and laminate them. We hang them on the handlebars and fill them out with a Sharpie. When the bike is done and gone we clean the Sharpie off with 90% rubbing alcohol and a rag. This allows us to use one tag over and over and over. We've been using these tags for about 2 weeks now and it's been awesome. Communication between mechanics is much clearer and bikes are getting done faster. It's really helped orient Earn-A-Bike students to what needs to be done next on their bike. Anyway if you think it's a good idea feel free to adapt it to your shops needs. -- Ride On! Rich Points http://communitycycles.org Executive Director (c)303-589-0597 (w)720-565-6019 Community Cycles is Boulder's only bike shop dedicated to bike commuting. Find us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCycles

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Service Tickets and Bike Tags
by Amanda Chilson 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

Good Afternoon, I am wondering if bike collectives and shops could share what they are using for service tickets or slips when a bike is being purchased, when preparing a bike to sell, when people drop off a bike to be fixed/tuned and/or a bike that was donated? Thank you so much for your help! Amanda Chilson Health and Wellness Coordinator Northern Berkshire Community Coalition 61 Main St. Suite 218 North Adams, MA 01247 413-663-7588 Ext. 16 www.nbccoalition.org

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Application Precedents / Models / Templates / Help
by Gordon Hamachi 20 Oct '22

20 Oct '22

Josh: Good luck! It sounds like an exciting opportunity for the Mechanical Gardens. I like your instinct to collaborate on your application. I can help, but I hope you can also get local collaborators who are familiar with DCAS, understand local issues, or who bring a variety of relevant perspectives to the process. If you can’t get any local help with something as important as this, how are you going to get local help actually providing any useful services? Sometimes, funding agencies are surprisingly willing to work with applicants. If appropriate, I suggest you make some phone calls to make sure people at DCAS are familiar with you and your organization and all the ways that you are an ideal match for what they need. Feel them out about whether they will meet with you and your team over lunch to get acquainted, or allow you to come in to give a presentation about your organization. Be sure to talk about all of your measurable community benefits to date, such as the number of bicycles repaired per year over the last few years, or the number of people you have engaged in various ways. At the same time, you should gather as much information as possible about what they want. After reading their Request, what important, insightful questions do you have, that will also demonstrate that you are the right organization to partner with them? See if you can get a better idea of what they are looking for. Ask them what parts of your presentation are of particular interest to them. Are prior successful applications available? What is their evaluation process? Are details of their scoring system available? Who are the key decision makers? Think about what concerns DCAS might have with your organization, the Mechanical Gardens. Do you have the organization, the expertise, enough motivated employees or volunteers, to do what they need you to do? If you can anticipate and respond effectively to their concerns, you will be on the bike lane to success! Finally, keep exploring all opportunities until you reach an agreement with someone. Listen carefully to what DCAS says. Sometimes the agency already knows who they are going to partner with, and their Request is just a sham to satisfy a requirement. —Gordon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Josh Bisker <jbisker(a)gmail.com> > One of NYC's larger city agencies, DCAS, has opened up a request for > expressions of interest > <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…> for > facilities-based bike programming, due Dec 9, which includes categories for > things that line up exactly with what the Mechanical Gardens has done and > aspires to do. The things they're looking for – including bike supply > recovery and remanufacturing, small-scale and mobile repair, bike rental > and more – feel like EXACTLY the right fit for what we've been seeking from > the city for years. It's a really exciting opportunity. > > The application, however, is a large lift. I am wondering a couple of > things: > > 1. Is anyone here interested in working with me on it? My hometown > team is pretty low on capacity at the moment, and the skills for creating a > professional-ass government-facing application are not abundant in my > group. Maybe you have some capacity to share, or some experience doing this > kind of thing. Or perhaps you're a person who is less involved in your coop > than you used to be, and you're looking to pitch in somewhere else. I could > really use a team on this, and maybe you want to come on board. > > 2. Has anyone here filled out a big proposal for something similar > before, and would you be willing to share your application materials? In > part I'm looking for language, images, and specifics that we can model some > of our answers on. In part, I'm just eager to be able to present examples > from other places that are running successful programs. > >

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Application Precedents / Models / Templates / Help
by Josh Bisker 19 Oct '22

19 Oct '22

Hey ThinkTank, One of NYC's larger city agencies, DCAS, has opened up a request for expressions of interest <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…> for facilities-based bike programming, due Dec 9, which includes categories for things that line up exactly with what the Mechanical Gardens has done and aspires to do. The things they're looking for – including bike supply recovery and remanufacturing, small-scale and mobile repair, bike rental and more – feel like EXACTLY the right fit for what we've been seeking from the city for years. It's a really exciting opportunity. The application, however, is a large lift. I am wondering a couple of things: 1. Is anyone here interested in working with me on it? My hometown team is pretty low on capacity at the moment, and the skills for creating a professional-ass government-facing application are not abundant in my group. Maybe you have some capacity to share, or some experience doing this kind of thing. Or perhaps you're a person who is less involved in your coop than you used to be, and you're looking to pitch in somewhere else. I could really use a team on this, and maybe you want to come on board. 2. Has anyone here filled out a big proposal for something similar before, and would you be willing to share your application materials? In part I'm looking for language, images, and specifics that we can model some of our answers on. In part, I'm just eager to be able to present examples from other places that are running successful programs. Please consider checking out the language in the RFEI <https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dcas/downloads/pdf/business/rfp-rfb-rfei/rfei-0…>(it's not very obtuse and doesn't have a lot of fluff) and let me know what you think. Josh Josh Bisker | 914-500-9890 <http://voice.google.com/calls?a=nc,%2B19145009890>| Executive Director, Mechanical Gardens Bike Co-op <http://bikecoop.nyc/> 2022 Donation Drive is ON! Support Bike Equity in NYC Today! <http://bikecoop.nyc/donate> Funkrust Brass Band <http://funkrust.com/> | Kessel Run Radio Show on Maker Park Radio <https://makerparkradio.nyc/shows/the-kessel-run-w-joshjoshjosh/>

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Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022 is coming! * Bici!Bici!En todas partes! 2022 se acerca!
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 17 Oct '22

17 Oct '22

English/(Español abajo)Only four weeks left to register and be a part of this opportunity to connect with others in our global community! Thank you to all of you who have signed up to lead a workshop! you can register HERE <https://en.bikebike.org/> *Coming Workshops!! (You can view descriptions at bikebike.org <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/workshops/>) * - Making Connections: How to use our Work and Values to Increase Community Support - Multiple resistances through the bicycle in Chile - Social Bike Rides - Bici Fanzine & Beach Roll - Making the Big Guys Work for You - Software vs. Paper II - Impact of Community Bicycle Shops from the Perspective of Patrons - How we can end Built-to-Fail Budget Bicycles! - The Digital Collective: The Opportunities and Challenges of New Media - Raising children on a bicycle in the South of Chile (Patagonia). Due to popular demand, we will also have some hang-out/socializing times set aside so we can chat and make connections. To make everything as accessible as possible, we will have translators and interpreters available for the workshops as well. We are so looking forward to learning from everyone and creating the opportunity for everyone to share. Remember, the dates for Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022 are November 11-13th and you can register HERE <https://en.bikebike.org/>. If you’d like to donate to facilitate our operations and interpretation efforts, please donate when you register or at Open Collective <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere>. Thank you for being part of the Bike!Bike! community. See you in a few weeks! Bike!Bike!Everywhere! Organizing Committee P.S.: *We still need some more volunteers to make this possible!* Take a look at the volunteer roles on the website <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/> or email and and ask how you can help. EspañolSolo quedan 4 semanas para registrarte y tener la oportunidad de conectarse con otrxs en esta comunidad global! Agradecemos a quienes se han sumado a Bici!Bici!En todas partes! Con un taller para mostrar sus iniciativas as a esta comunidad. puedes registrate aquí. <https://en.bikebike.org/> *Talleres que tendremos!! (puedes ver las descripciones en bikebike.org <https://en.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/workshops/>) :* - Creando conexiones: Cómo utilizar nuestro Trabajo y Valores para aumentar el apoyo de la comunidad. - Múltiples resistencias a través de la bicicleta en Chile. - Rodadas Sociales - Bizi fanzine & rol por playas - Hacer que las Grandes Trabajen para ti - Software vs. Papel II - Impacto de los talleres comunitarios desde el punto de vista de lxs usuarixs - ¡Cómo podemos terminar con las bicicletas hechas para fallar.! - El colectivo digita. Las oportunidades y desafíos de los nuevos medios - Criando niñez en bicicleta en el sur de Chile (Patagonia). Dado que lo pidieron reiteradamente, también tendremos espacios en el programa para socializar además de los talleres para que podamos conversar y conectarnos. Para hacer todo lo más accesible posible, tendremos intérpretes y traductorxs disponibles en cada taller. No podemos esperar para aprender de todxs y crear oportunidades para compartir. Recuerda, las fechas para BIci!Bici!Entodas partes! 2022 son el 11, 12 y 13 de noviembre y puedes registrate aquí. <https://en.bikebike.org/> SI quieres donar para facilitar los esfuerzos de las gestiones e interpretaciones, colabora durante el proceso de registro o en Open Collective <https://opencollective.com/bikebike-everywhere>. Gracias por ser parte de esta comunidad. Nos vemos en algunas semanas. Comité organizador Bici!¡Bici!En todas partes! 2022. P.D.: *¡Todavía necesitamos voluntarixs!* Lee los roles voluntarios en el website <https://es.bikebike.org/conferences/South2022/> o mandanos un email y pregunta como puedes ayudar.

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New Media Use in Bike Collectives
by Aaron Shaw 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

Hey Bike Collective Friends! At B!B! this year I'll be hosting a workshop on the use of new media in bike collectives. I'm hoping to get some form responses to assess the current state of new media use. Hopefully I'll uncover some trends or unique practices that can be used for further discussion in the workshop. If you currently volunteer at a community bike shop, could you take a moment to fill out this form? Also feel free to reach out with comments or suggestions! Link HERE <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9…> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9… *SPANISH TRANSLATION:* ¡Hola Amigos del Colectivo de Bicicletas! En B!B! este año estaré organizando un taller sobre el uso de nuevos medios en colectivos ciclistas. Espero obtener algunas respuestas de formulario para evaluar el estado actual del uso de nuevos medios. Con suerte, descubriré algunas tendencias o prácticas únicas que se pueden usar para una mayor discusión en el taller. Si actualmente es voluntario en una tienda comunitaria de bicicletas, ¿podría tomarse un momento para completar este formulario? ¡También siéntase libre de comunicarse con comentarios o sugerencias! Enlace aquí <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQAcJ3US_5wRZHUPF6vLttwuiDA4bPpL9…> Aaron Davis Bike Collective

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Bici Taller de Comunidad en Bogota, CO?
by eric clough 11 Oct '22

11 Oct '22

Any knowledge amongst the Think Tank about community-style bike shop in Bogota, Columbia? I am preparing for a visit to the Bogota area and would like to 'engage' (voluntourism?) with Bogota bicycle culture. Ciclovia is definitely on my list! Eric Front Street Community Bike Works Coos Bay, OR (US)

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Tech Volunteers Needed / Necesitamos Voluntarixs Técnicxs
by Bike!Bike! Everywhere! 10 Oct '22

10 Oct '22

[Español abajo] Hi community! Thank you to those who have signed up to lead a workshop with Bike!Bike!Everywhere! 2022. We are so excited for this opportunity to share and connect with others who are passionate about bikes, sustainability, and community! B!B!E! 2022 will be entirely run online so we need help with techie stuff. In particular we need volunteers to help with: - Zoom - start sessions, make sure people have necessary roles and access, keep an eye out for raised hands, muted audio, etc., stay until the end of the session. - Discord - create channels as needed, help people who are having difficulty getting access, etc. - Assist workshop facilitators and attendees. - Record workshops and upload them to archive.org afterward. - Troubleshoot when things go wrong or call someone else in to assist. The best part is that you don’t need to be a tech expert! If you already know how to work with Zoom and/or Discord, you’re ahead of the game. If not, we will introduce you to all you need to know to make sure you’re set up for success. Since B!B!E! 2022 will take place on November 11 - 13, we will require those who volunteer to have some availability on those days. This is an opportunity to get involved in the behind the scenes of B!B!E! 2022 and help ensure that the event runs smoothly. And, as a token of our appreciation for your time, we will be happy to provide letters of reference upon request. If you or someone you know might be interested in contributing, please contact us at bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you! B!B!E! 2022 Organizing Committee P.S. We are always looking for long-term tech volunteers to help us maintain the BikeCollectives Wiki, managing email lists, supporting other B!B! events, etc. All the things that will help grow and strengthen our global community. Let us know if you or someone you know would like to get involved! Español Hola comunidad! Gracias a quienes se registraron para facilitar un taller con Bike!Bike! En todas partes! 2022. Estamos tan emocionades por esta oportunidad para compartir y conectar con otres que sean tan apasionades de las bicis, la sustentabilidad y la comunidad! B!B!E! 2022 ocurrirá completamente en línea, así que necesitamos ayuda con algunas cosas técnicas. Específicamente necesitas voluntaries que ayuden con: - Zoom - iniciar sesiones, asegurar que las personas tengan los roles y accesos necesarios, estar al pendiente de manos levantadas, micrófonos silenciados, etc., quedarse hasta el final de la sesión. - Discord - crear canales conforme sea necesario, ayudar a quienes tengan dificultades para acceder, etc. - Apoyar a les facilitadores y asistentes de los talleres. - Grabar los talleres y subirlos a archive.org después. - Resolver problemas cuando surjan o llamar a alguien más para que apoye. La mejor parte es que no necesitas ser experte en tecnología! Si ya sabes trabajar con Zoom o Discord, ya estás liste. Sino, nosotres te presentaremos todo lo que necesites saber para asegurar que estés liste. Como B!B!E! 2022 ocurrirá del 11 al 13 de noviembre, necesitamos que les voluntaries tengan algo de disponibilidad esos días. Esta es una oportunidad para involucrarse detrás de cámaras de B!B!E! 2022 y ayudar a que el evento fluya chido. Y como muestra de nuestra apreciación por tu tiempo, estaremos contentes de proveer cartas de recomendación si nos las piden. Su tú o alguien que conozcas puede estar interesade en contribuir, por favor contáctenos en bikebikeeverywhere(a)gmail.com. Esperamos escuchar de ti! Comité organizador de B!B!E! 2022 P.D. Siempre estamos buscando voluntaries a largo plazo para mantener la Wiki de BikeCollectives, manejar listas de distribución, dar apoyo técnico a otros eventos de B!B!, etc. Todas las cosas que nos ayudarán a fortalecer y aumentar nuestra comunidad global. Haznos saber si tú o alguien que conozcas quiere participar!

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Re: [TheThinkTank] Losing Our Space, Looking for Strategic Guidance & Advice
by Gordon Hamachi 09 Oct '22

09 Oct '22

Josh: Sorry to hear that you're losing your space. Every organization that doesn't own its own space needs to have a plan for what to do if this happens. Therefore, thank you for sharing news of your current crisis with the rest of us. A few years ago, my local nonprofit bike shop lost its space and had to scramble to find a new location. Having experienced that fire drill, here are some actions you could take, in no particular order: - Plead for more time at the current site - Raise funds to purchase the current site - Find and rent a new space - Shrink your space footprint if you can't afford market rents - Become a distributed organization with no specific location - Appeal to local government or business - Partner with a compatible and sympathetic non-profit that does have space *History* Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. In this case, let's remember the past because we *do* wish to repeat it. How did you get your current space? What are the chances that you can do the same thing again? My own organization had been in a space behind an auto repair shop for over 20 years, because the property owner liked what we were doing. He was willing to rent us space at well below market rates. A few years ago the property owner died and one of the heirs insisted on selling the property. The property was certainly worth millions, so buying it would have required raising big bucks. We had months to deal with this. Instead of trying to raise that much money, we chose to look for a new place. *Time Horizon* I agree that it is critical to know how soon you need to vacate. In the worst case you have less than one month before you need to be out. Do you need to move NOW, or do you have months in which you can apply for grants, and make the rounds of various elected officials, agencies, and friendly non-profits who *do* have space? *Space Needs* Think about your minimal and ideal needs. How much space do you currently occupy? What percent is bike storage, tools parts and supplies, retail space, work space? How much could you shrink your space? Are you willing to temporarily go dormant and store everything while you work on finding a new space? Where I live in California, we can generally wrench on bikes outdoors all year long. At minimum, we need warehouse space to store bikes, tools, and supplies. Our shop was only open on weekends, when we could expand out into the adjacent parking lot. When it is sunny or rainy we work under pop-up canopies. One idea that I floated that didn't gain traction was to become a virtual organization with no specific operating location. We could distribute bikes, tools, parts and supplies to our members. Each member could host small popup neighborhood bike repair activities at or near their homes. Repaired bikes (that were ready to be donated) and broken bikes (that needed repairs), could be picked up and dropped off on demand. This model might need warehouse space somewhere, and occasional use of a truck or van. It is also helpful to think big. Ideally, how much space would you want? Where is the ideal location? Would it include retail space? Shop space? Bicycle storage? *Elevator Pitch* In the world of tech startup companies, founders hone their elevator pitches before seeking funding. This is a brief 30-second presentation that summarizes what you do, what you need, and what benefits will ensue if they give you what you want. Write and practice delivering a compelling pitch. There is plenty of advice on how to do this. For example: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/elevator-pitch-examples The goal of an elevator pitch is to receive an invitation to make an extended presentation. You'll want to refine your extended presentation before you start beating the bushes for money. Find the best person in your organization to make the presentation. Do dry runs. Get feedback from business people who have experience with PowerPoint. Refine your slide deck. *Finding Money* If you're going to be asking for money, start by knowing how much to ask for, and where it will go. Do you simply need funds to move? Do you need money to purchase real estate or build out a space you intend to rent? If you're considering a purchase, talk to a local commercial real estate agent to get an idea of how much money you'll need. The good news is that in places with high real estate prices, there are bound to be lots of rich people. Some of them are looking for opportunities to do something to benefit the community. You need to find these people and cultivate relationships with them long before you have a need. With luck, you already know some of them. For example, one wealthy friend of mine was interested in creating a "Maker space" where bike repair activities would coexist with artists needing machine tools, welders, plasma cutters and space to fabricate large scale projects. She might have been willing to put up 1/4 to 1/2 of a property's price, if Maker activities could happen there. That proposal didn't go anywhere, I think because our executive director didn't want to share a space. Various charitable foundations may be good sources of money. They usually have a grant application process. Sometimes their current emphasis might be in one particular area. It's best to phone them to try to assess how well your organization fits with the foundation's current priorities (in other words, what your chances are of being funded). Foundations don't want you to waste your time or theirs, if it seems unlikely that they would fund your grant request. They should be willing to tell you the size of grant that they typically make, so you'll know if your request is going to be in their ballpark range. Foundations seem to want to grant large sums for things like new programs or even a new building, rather than for normal operating expenses. If you're going to ask for donations of any kind, it's best if you are already an established non-profit in the eyes of your State and Federal Government. I could be mistaken, but my impression was that the Mechanical Gardens had not jumped through the necessary hoops to do that. It seems to take a long time to obtain nonprofit status, so you should get started on that if you haven't already done so. If you're applying for grants, you're going to need to document the public benefit that your organization has provided to the community. Many nonprofit shops publish an annual public impact summary to boast about the number of low income people served, the number of bikes repaired and donated back into the community, or the like. If you don't already have this information, start assembling the data (if available) to show your historic growth trend in measurable output. I'm personally not that high on crowdsourcing for major capital campaigns. In my opinion, the amount that you'll need to purchase a property is just too large to gain traction. *Appeal to Elected Officials and Local Businesses* Your local government probably controls a lot of space. The ideal time to get the attention of elected officials is during their election campaigns. Candidates seem more open to hearing about your needs, especially if you can explain the larger problem that nonprofits--that benefit the community--need operating space in an area where rents are sky high. They may be aware of city-owned spaces that you could use. One of the best values of good politicians is that they know a lot of people. Perhaps they can hook you up with a company that is looking for a way to give back to the community while boosting its public image. Perhaps they know a business owner who is a bike enthusiast and make space for you to operate. *Appeal to Other Nonprofits* It might be possible to get space from another nonprofit. Our shop donates repaired bicycles to the needy; a local church that has space might be willing to give us space if we could supply more bikes to the people they serve. *Appeal to Everyone You Meet* It probably doesn't hurt to explain your situation and needs to everyone you encounter. The next person may have the ability to help, or know someone who does. *Here's What We Did* A large tech company near us has been buying up entire blocks of properties to build more office space. They had a warehouse that they were willing to lease to us for well below market rate, but it was a month to month lease because they might decide to start building at any time. We can be asked to vacate with 30 days notice. Fortunately, a neighboring business on the block does not want to sell, so it could be years before the large tech company can acquire the entire block and commence construction. The pandemic-inspired popularity of working from home might also mean less pressure to build offices and more surplus property available for non-profits.

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Hiring Shop Director for Community Cycling Center - Portland, OR
by momoko saunders 04 Oct '22

04 Oct '22

Hi all, I want to post about two big positions at the Community Cycling Center here in Portland OR. We're hiring a Bike Shop Director <https://communitycyclingcenter.org/about/jobs/21957-2/> and Service Manager. <https://communitycyclingcenter.org/about/jobs/service-manager/> We are hoping to get in all applications by the first week of October. Community Cycling Center is a Bike non-profit which has been in operation since 1994. We have a full service Bike shop where we offer used bike sales, low income community discounts, volunteer opportunities, and earn a bike programming. We also have a number of programs which help make bicycles more accessible to our community. If you are interested in a position here, please feel free to Direct Message me and we can chat about the opportunities. Thanks all for reading! Pass it along to your friends! -Momoko

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TheThinkTank October 2022