A few months ago, I found myself deep in the Amazon rainforest on an expedition with The Pachamama Alliance, a nonprofit close to my heart. Immersed in the Ecuadorian jungle, I witnessed ecosystems that thrive not because of domination or competition, but because of interdependence. Every tree, insect, and current of water plays a role in sustaining the whole—adapting, evolving, and strengthening one another in ways that ensure collective survival.
It was a living metaphor for the world we are building with artificial intelligence today. The systems we create are no longer just tools to extend human will; they are networks of intelligence that must be designed with reciprocity and shared value at their core. Just as the rainforest’s vitality depends on balance, so too does our future with AI.
At Left Field Labs, we’ve spent 17 years helping some of the world’s most ambitious companies — from Google and Meta to Qualcomm and Amazon — make the future tangible. Along the way, we’ve learned a simple truth: technology is only as meaningful as the problems it solves.
That’s why on September 16, we’re launching Build What’s Next — a new pro bono initiative challenging visionary organizations to bring us their most urgent, unsolved problems. One partner will be selected for a four-week sprint with our strategists, engineers, and designers to build an early-stage solution at absolutely no cost.
Why now?
The age of AI has ushered in endless promises of efficiency. But efficiency alone won’t define the next era. The real work is using creative technology to tackle the problems that keep progress stalled — whether in business, community, or society at large.
As our Founder and CEO Sarah Mehler puts it:
“Build What’s Next is about solving the problems that seem unsolvable, the ones that define our collective future. We want to hear from organizations with challenges that matter, challenges that if solved could create lasting impact for communities, industries, and the planet. Extraordinary breakthroughs often come out of left field, and this program shows how creative technology can be a force for the greater good.”
Who should apply?
We want to hear from leaders who’ve identified a challenge technology should solve — but lack the time, resources, or team to tackle it. From chasing new models for enterprise, to scaling climate solutions, to expanding digital access, or reimagining broken systems that limit equity and opportunity, we’re seeking the kinds of moonshot challenges that can’t wait another cycle of business as usual.
What you’ll get
Four weeks of embedded collaboration with the Left Field Labs team. Together, we’ll shape the vision and strategy for one breakthrough solution — bringing the same caliber of thinking Fortune 50 companies rely on to fuel their most ambitious initiatives.
How to apply
Submissions are open now at [URL] and close Friday, November 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
We know one sprint can’t solve every challenge. But if it proves that creative technology can be applied with urgency, empathy, and ambition to build solutions for the greater good, it will be a step toward redefining what it means to truly build what’s next.
What to Do Next:
Explore the brief at leftfieldlabs.com/buildwhatsnext
Reach out to buildwhatsnext@leftfieldlabs.com with questions.
See how we’ve helped organizations build what’s next, from big tech giants like Google to legacy innovators like Hasbro. [Link to work page]
Hear more from our Founder and CEO Sarah Mehler about the urgency of building beyond efficiencies with AI. [LINK to Collective Intelligence Launch Blog - Link TK]