Monica Williams, Co-Founder/Designer PHINCO, Digital Social Design & Systems Thinking Strategist & Developer

Before finding the work of Jim Ross, Digital Design Thinking, and the “21st Century Digital Learning Environments” (21stCDLE) collaboratory, while filming the “Green Team” Eastern Market mural installation for a “Detroit Green City” documentary at Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA) in 2010; Monica studied Moral & Political Philosophy, History and Literature at The Evergreen State College, one of “[40 Colleges that Change Lives]”. This was a first exposure to a learning model that recognized “Curiosity” as opposed to the industrial era experience of High School, and led to her independent research/thesis project on Political Theorist Hannah Arendt (and a mission to apply Arendtian concepts in the world e.g. “Thinking” and a focus on bottom up local democratic practices and process). As a synthesis of this learning and early attempt to apply insights in the world, Monica produced a digital media adaptation of the critically acclaimed book Evil in Modern Thought: An Alternative History of Philosophy by Susan Neiman, based on a two day interview with Neiman filmed at the Institute for Advanced Study in July 2007 and presented at the HASTAC (Humanities Art Science Technology Advanced Collaboratory) Conference at University of Michigan Conference in 2011.

After working with the 21stCDLE & DEPSA team on their early “Digital Media & Learning” MacArthur Foundation grant, committing to an understanding of “Design Thinking” as a vehicle for addressing social, political and climate issues, and engaging in multiple pilot development sites and grants, in 2014 Monica co-founded the Pontiac Holonomy Incubator with Jim Ross. This began as a place-based “War Room” site at 4 N. Saginaw to facilitate possibilities-thinking and community connection to downtown Pontiac via the Ottawa Towers/Phoenix Center/Transportation Center “Innovation Districts & Placemaking” development in contrast to the controversial Phoenix Center demolition “sprawl” & 1950s office/car-centric emergency manager/county/ state-led initiative. Throughout the process of beta-testing PHINCO’s “Digital Visual Design & Systems Thinking” platform as applied to this hyperlocal site, multiple evidence-based design models evolved in Hydra vs. Phoenix like ways related to and impacting Southeast Michigan regional challenges e.g “Brain Drain” (see “Growing Michigan Together” council report), Regional Mass Transit (UNC “Design Thinking for Transportation” Case Study) & Maker Cities (see Detroit’s Michigan Central Innovation); vetted globally via PHINCO’s work with Placemaking US, London Policy Lab & the United Nations World Creativity & Innovation Day network.  

Documentary as Design, Monica’s Video Summaries of Formative Evidence-Based pilot model tests and development projects below:

#1 “Setting the Stage” (Southeast Michigan, The Grift/Big Con) The Albatross Phoenix Center +Presentation by Sean Carlson, Oakland County Deputy Director (Pontiac) an extension of “The Albatross Phoenix Center Meets Emergent Futures & Innovations” original video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1m850KGOP8&list=PLyuSxw3J7M4scl6TuFG3DsramLNYJjyzQ&index=1

#2 “The Unraveling” (Power Lying on the Ground, Arendtian Political Forgiveness) "Way to go tiger!" LULLABY for City of Pontiac, American Rescue Plan Act 2024 (Robin, Taylor Swift)

“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkhzqnsLhOA&list=PLyuSxw3J7M4scl6TuFG3DsramLNYJjyzQ&index=2

#3 “Value Creation vs. Value Extraction” Top Down - Bottom Up, Bubbles Up” Michigan, Democracy's Ground Zero: UN World Creativity & Innovation EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL @ ONCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LBWKriueAc&list=PLyuSxw3J7M4scl6TuFG3DsramLNYJjyzQ&index=3

#4 “Outcomes, WHAT is Lost, WHAT is Gained” The BATTLE: Value Creation vs. Value Extraction, City of Pontiac (wacced out murals, Kendrick Lamar)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypx9Hpmg1Ng&list=PLyuSxw3J7M4scl6TuFG3DsramLNYJjyzQ&index=4