Volunteer Academic Researchers, Writers & Editors on Circular Creative Economies in the Age of AI with Animana & Hecho por nosotros

About the Affiliated Organization

Hecho por Nosotros (HxN) is part of the Ashoka Fellowship, a network of leading social entrepreneurs who create innovative system-change ideas to address global challenges. The textile industry impacts every layer of society—local and global communities, consumers, producers, artisans, and businesses—generating significant profit while also sustaining modern slavery and environmental harm. For over 16 years, Adriana Marina—PhD in Economics, Ashoka Fellow, and founder of HxN and the social enterprise animaná—has reimagined the creative economy to protect indigenous knowledge, recognize artisans as innovators, and use technology to strengthen communities.

HxN is building a living platform for shared knowledge and collaboration, uniting over 8,500 artisans, 20,000 natural fiber producers, 50 medium-sized firms, 80 organizations, universities, and governments across Latin America. The creative economy—encompassing fashion, media, design, storytelling, and cultural heritage—remains a powerful yet underutilized tool for addressing inequality, cultural erasure, and environmental collapse. HxN operates at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Ancestral Intelligence, working to ensure communities shape the economy rather than serve it from the margins.

This is a call to co-create a future where the creative economy is redirected toward justice, regeneration, and indigenous sovereignty. The Ashoka network accelerates this shift by connecting leaders across Latin America, Africa, and Asia to build learning structures, forge alliances, and transform fragmented initiatives into shared momentum. Immediate opportunities include:

• Co-creating the learning architecture for systems change in fashion, media, storytelling, culture, and emerging technologies.
• Building a knowledge commons to turn fragmented experiences into shared infrastructure for a global movement.
• Forging alliances to connect institutions, communities, and territories capable of transforming the creative economy.

About the Role

Hecho por Nosotros (HxN) is seeking volunteer Academic Researchers, Writers, and Editors to support research, publications, and knowledge-generation initiatives focused on sustainability, circular economy, creative economies, indigenous knowledge, social innovation, and regenerative development. The goal is to strengthen the quality, accessibility, and impact of HxN’s research and knowledge products, which contribute to international advocacy, policy discussions, educational initiatives, and collaborations with universities, governments, civil society, and multilateral institutions.

Responsibilities

• Review and edit academic papers, research reports, and policy briefs.
• Conduct literature reviews and verify references and citations.
• Provide feedback on research methodologies and argumentation.
• Assist in preparing publications for academic journals and international forums.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to transform research findings into accessible and impactful knowledge products.

Volunteers will ensure the academic rigor, credibility, and effectiveness of HxN’s research, helping generate evidence-based solutions and strengthen international dialogue on sustainability and creative economies.

Requirements

• Master’s degree, PhD, PhD candidacy, graduate student status, or equivalent experience in:
• Economics
• International Relations
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Sustainable Development
• Environmental Studies
• Public Policy
• Social Sciences
• Or related fields
• Experience in academic research, scientific writing, publication, peer review, or editorial processes.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Familiarity with academic citation systems (APA, Chicago, Harvard, etc.).
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Professional proficiency in English (Spanish is an asset).

Volunteer Logistics

• Commitment: 10–15 hours per week (up to 30 hours for some roles).
• Initial duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension up to 12 months).
• Remote/virtual opportunity.
• Certification: After completing the initial 6-month volunteer period, participants may request a certificate acknowledging their collaboration with Hecho por Nosotros (HxN) and animaná, detailing their contributions and responsibilities.