Open October
Connect • Build • Merge
Building the open commons of Detroit together.
About Open October
Open October is a month-long build cycle where Detroit's creative and technical community comes together to launch and document projects that strengthen the Detroit Open Commons. We are building open, collaborative systems that reflect values of transparency, accessibility, and permissionless innovation.
Schedule
A month of hands-on learning with open source tools, open data exploration, and community building.
add Projects Introduced & Teams Formed
• Selected projects are introduced, goals discussed
• Teams formed around 5 curated projects
• Meet your fellow builders and collaborators
• Set expectations and timelines
commit Open Build Session #1-4
🍕 Community building, peer mentoring, and pizza.
merge Merge Party Showcase
Demos of what was built (apps, visualizations, stories).
Symbolic merge into shared repo.
Community celebration with food, drinks, and networking.
How We Build Together
No expectations, but clear direction. We're not here to force outcomes—we're here to create space for meaningful collaboration.
🌟 The North Star
Building in the open where knowledge and tools are shared
Creating a digital commons for Detroit — a working space that archives, shares, and expands on the technology and learnings we produce
Strengthening relationships by working side by side as one cross-functional team
🎯 The Spirit
Collaborative sandbox — The more open you are with your ideas, the more others can build on them
Learning to work together differently — We're not just coding, designing, or organizing
🏗️ What We're Building
A network of creators, builders, and organizers with shared resources
A foundation for building businesses and creative projects together, rooted in collaboration and transparency
💡 Project Approach
Scoped for 4 weeks — Show meaningful progress in sprint timeframe
Collaborative by design — Clear roles for contributors
Interactive outputs — Others can engage with code, data, designs, documentation
Get Involved
Interested in connecting, building, and merging with Detroit's open commons? Let us know how you'd like to participate.
Questions? Contact us:
Become a Sponsor
Fuel Detroit's open commons.
Your sponsorship directly supports community learning, transparency, and local innovation.
Bronze Git Commit
Sponsor an X-Large pizza you get:
Logo on website
Social media recognition
Newsletter mention
Silver Branch
Sponsor 2 X-Large pizzas you get:
All Commit benefits +
Sponsored Text in Promotional Materials
Golden Pull Request
Sponsor 4 X-Large pizzas you get:
All Branch benefits +
IRL mentions at events
Platinum Merge
Sponsor 5+ X-Large pizzas you get:
All Pull Request benefits +
Sponsorship messaging in promotional materials
1 minute pitch opportunity