STRUCTURE LAB
The overarching theory of change
of Structure Lab is that
legal structures manage relationships.
The labs are not reduced to 
focusing on any one kind of structure and maintain a signature comfort living in a space of blurred lines, emerging forms, and new innovations. Structure Lab is not only for the entrepreneur, but also for investors and ecosystem players, situating the labs in Criterion’s mission of shaping markets and systems to create social change.
Criterion responded to the need for both creativity and clarity in the social change space with the creation of Structure Lab. Initially supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Structure Lab is a day-long learning experience that provides a framework in which to think about structure as part of social venture strategy. In the process you meet and develop relationships with like minded peers in your community.
The enterprise of social change is in flux. Terms of capital are shifting. New legal forms are emerging and the marketplace is more open to new organizational forms than ever before. Such periods of flux are rife with unpredictability, yet these periods are also rich with possibility; new approaches emerge and the rules of the game change.
What this means for you is that significant opportunities exist among the corporate forms that structure our organizations: for profits, non profits and all the permutations in between. Structure Lab provides participants with a simple and accessible way to evaluate various structure options and to move forward strategically toward achieving their goals.Structure Lab enables participants to explore what is possible. Settings include private groups, MBA classes and public gatherings in cities across the United States.
Questions about Structure Lab or just want to get in touch? Write structurelab@criterioninstitute.org.