FIN-01
Finance & Operations
Help make the organization actually function.
- Nonprofit bookkeeping
- Budgeting and financial systems
- Grant administration
- Organizational operations
- Documentation
- Compliance support
BARKLY / PEOPLE / 001
Build With Us.
Barkly Labs is a nonprofit technology research and education organization building software, hardware, research systems, open technology, and community infrastructure around people.
Can we make computers front-load the hard stuff for humans?
01 / WHY JOIN
Build something useful.
Barkly is growing from an idea into an organization. We cannot — and should not — build all of it alone.
We are looking for people who want to think, build, question, experiment, document, teach, and improve things with us.
02 / WHAT WE BUILD
Connected systems.
Barkly works across research, software, hardware, standards, education, and community.
Research
Human-centered computing, AI, computer vision, experimental systems, and applied research.
Software
CYN-X, Barkly Docs, Barkly Linux, open-source tools, APIs, and developer infrastructure.
Hardware
PawBoard, reclaimed technology, embedded systems, and open hardware.
Standards
Human-centered engineering practices around accessibility, autonomy, privacy, safety, and transparency.
Education
Technical documentation, learning resources, workshops, research communication, and making complex systems understandable.
Community
Connecting builders, artists, researchers, educators, creators, makers, and curious humans.
03 / WHO WE NEED
Different brains. One lab.
Barkly needs more than programmers. We need people who can help build the organization around the technology.
ENG-01
Engineering
Build software and hardware with us.
- Python and web development
- AI and machine learning
- Computer vision
- Linux and infrastructure
- Embedded systems
- Electronics and hardware
- APIs and open-source development
RES-01
Research
Help us answer the question: does this actually work?
- Experiment design
- Datasets
- Evaluation
- Reproducibility
- Research documentation
- Human-centered testing
- Evidence collection
DOC-01
Documentation
Make complicated systems understandable.
- Barkly Docs
- Technical documentation
- Research records
- Functional requirements
- Tutorials
- Public knowledge
CRE-01
Design & Creative Technology
Technology can be rigorous and expressive.
- Interface design
- Visual design
- Creative coding
- Games
- VR and AR
- Animation
- Experimental media
COM-01
Community & Education
Help Barkly build with people, not just around them.
- Community events
- Workshops
- Educational programs
- Outreach
- Partnerships
- Creator communities
- Accessibility initiatives
04 / HOW WE WORK
People before extraction.
Barkly's organizational principles should reflect the same human-centered thinking we apply to our technology.
Human First
People are not resources to be optimized.
Understandable
Systems should explain themselves.
Private Where Practical
People should have meaningful control over their information.
Experimental
Try things, learn, document, and try again.
Open When Possible
Share knowledge and technology when safe and useful.
Evidence Over Hype
If we do not know, we say we do not know.
05 / YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE QUALIFIED
Bring something real.
Barkly cares about what you can contribute, not just what credentials you have.
You might be an engineer, student, researcher, artist, maker, systems thinker, community organizer, self-taught programmer, or simply someone with a really good idea.
06 / PARTICIPATION
Start where you are.
Barkly is currently growing. Different people may participate in different ways.
P-01
Volunteer
Contribute time to Barkly projects and infrastructure.
P-02
Collaborator
Work with Barkly on a specific project, experiment, or research effort.
P-03
Advisor
Bring specialized knowledge to help Barkly make better decisions.
P-04
Research Contributor
Participate in experiments, studies, documentation, or technical research.
P-05
Future Staff
As sustainable funding becomes available, Barkly intends to create paid ongoing roles.
07 / START SMALL
One thing is enough.
You do not need to join everything.
01
One Project
Start with something you actually want to build or explore.
02
One Contribution
A pull request, research experiment, documentation page, design, or idea can be enough.
03
One Conversation
Tell us what you care about and where you think you can help.
08 / BUILD WITH US
Barkly is still being built.
You do not have to wait until everything is finished. Help shape what it becomes.