Building the Alignment Engine for a Livable Future
The Chamber of Us is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit technology organization building Pathfinder — an open, ethical, AI-augmented standard to align people, projects, and capital with a sustainable future (SSP1). We build open-source tools that enable effective, data-driven, and ethical global coordination.
Read the White PaperA Forecast for Humanity
The Pathways to Our Possible Futures
Just as a weather forecast helps you plan, the world’s top scientists (IIASA, IPCC) have modeled what life on Earth could look like by 2100. Their models reveal radically different futures—and confirm we are currently "off track".
The Sustainability Pathway
This "Green Road" scenario represents a future of global cooperation and proactive, sustainable development.
- Global cooperation
- Rapid decarbonization
- Investment in human well-being
- A stable population (~8.5 billion)
- Reduced inequality
- A just, sustainable civilization that limits global warming
The High-Risk Pathways
These "Collapse Trajectories" represent futures of uncoordinated, high-risk development and widening inequality.
- Nationalism & regional rivalry (SSP3)
- Widening inequality (SSP4)
- Fossil fuel expansion (SSP5)
- High population & resource strain
- Severe warming (e.g., 3–5 °C)
- Systemic risk & ecosystem degradation
- Widespread instability & human suffering
Solving Alignment Failure
From Systems Thinking to Systems Deployment
The forecasts are clear, but the path is not. The world’s top scientific bodies—IIASA and the IPCC—have already modeled what a sustainable, equitable future (SSP1) looks like. Yet humanity remains “off track” not for lack of knowledge, but for lack of coordination.
The Chamber of Us was founded to bridge this gap. We apply the principles of systems thinking and engineering design to operationalize the world’s most trusted climate and development frameworks. Where IIASA and the IPCC define the blueprint, TCUS builds the engine that can execute it.
At the core of that engine is Pathfinder — an open, ethical standard for alignment. It integrates data, logic, governance, and people through the TCUS Superstack, enabling global actors to synchronize strategy and deploy solutions at scale.
We don’t just build tools — we build the infrastructure that turns knowledge into motion. From local classrooms in Ethiopia to data models that shape planetary policy, Pathfinder connects the blueprint to the bedrock.
From Model to Mission
Turning Global Foresight into Local Action
We translate the scientific blueprints of IIASA and the IPCC into real-world systems. Pathfinder is the alignment engine that connects those models to field deployments that deliver measurable human impact.
IIASA / IPCC
Global models define the blueprint — the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) that map sustainable futures through 2100.
Pathfinder
The Alignment Engine: open protocols that translate high-level scenarios into actionable standards for coordination and measurement.
Real-World Pilots
Field initiatives like From the Ground Up (Ethiopia) and Section Great (US) test alignment in action — proving the model through measurable impact.
Our First Focus Region
Why Ethiopia — and Why It Matters
Ethiopia isn’t just a country in need — it’s a test case for what’s possible. Over the next 75 years, its population will more than double, shaping the trajectory of Africa and the planet.
The world’s fastest population growth is happening in regions where education, healthcare, and energy systems are still being built. The choices made here will decide whether the next century brings stability and shared prosperity — or deeper inequality and climate breakdown.
That’s why The Chamber of Us began its work here. By helping partners like Together We Learn Ethiopia and Soddo Christian Hospital, we invest in the most powerful form of climate action there is: human capacity — the ability of people to adapt, innovate, and thrive.
“If Ethiopia succeeds, the world wins.” — TCUS Annual Report 2025
The TCUS Superstack
The Engine for Alignment
While Pathfinder is the open standard, the TCUS Superstack is our open-source, AI-augmented reference implementation. It’s a modular system of interlocking tools, built by a global volunteer community, to answer the core questions of coordination.
Quasar
(The Data Layer)
Where are we vs. SSP1-aligned targets?
This system ingests and normalizes scattered public and partner datasets, preserves data provenance, and creates standardized “evidence packs” for analysis and decision-making.
Sentinel
(The Logic Layer)
What are the highest-leverage options to accelerate alignment?
Sentinel compares real-time data (from Quasar) against SSP1-aligned targets. It models scenarios, ranks options by impact / cost / risk, and flags uncertainty for human-led review.
Lodestar
(The Governance Layer)
What should we do — ethically and for the long term?
Our ethical-AI and governance engine applies Pathfinder’s guardrails (equity, sustainability, localized agency) and creates auditable “decision ledgers” to ensure accountability.
Libelle
(The People Layer)
Who will do it — and how do we mobilize them well?
Our live MVP, Libelle, is the human-coordination platform that matches volunteer skills, values, and availability to active projects. It powers volunteer pods and closes the loop from plan to people.
Proving the Model
Real-World Alignment in Action
We test our alignment model in the field—showing how coordinated, open systems can align resources, data, and talent toward measurable impact.
Libelle Development
(Live MVP)
We built and launched the Libelle MVP using the same volunteer-pod model it was designed to manage. It is live, operational, and actively onboarding the global volunteers building the rest of the stack.
From the Ground Up (Azezo)
(Ethiopia • Underway)
We aligned $14k in community support with $22k from our partner, Together We Learn Ethiopia, unlocking a $27k grant from the Amhara Development Association—fully funding a $63k upgrade of three classrooms in Azezo, now underway.
Gendit Library (DAF Facilitation)
(Ethiopia • Completed Transfer)
We facilitated a $70,000 Donor-Advised Fund gift from a U.S. donor to support the library build and resourcing at Gendit Primary School—led with Building Futures Ethiopia in partnership with Together We Learn Ethiopia.
Our Principles
An Ethical Architecture
Pathfinder is more than code—it’s an open, auditable infrastructure built on transparency, consent, and human-centered design.
Open Source
All code, protocols, and methodologies are transparent, auditable, and freely available. This ensures trust, prevents system capture, and invites global collaboration.
AI-Augmented, Human-Led
Our model uses AI to enhance human judgment—never to replace it. Humans provide oversight (via Lodestar) and always make the final decisions.
Ethical & Consent-Based
We design for privacy, user control, and human flourishing. We don’t sell data or engage in surveillance. Libelle users, for example, own their data.
A Call to Collaborate
This is not just a project — it's an invitation. Pathfinder and the TCUS Superstack can only succeed through collective action. This is the playbook.
For Funders
Seed the development of the Pathfinder standard, the reference Superstack, and our critical pilot projects. This isn't just charity; it's an investment in essential global infrastructure.
Talk to the TeamFor Partners
Co-run a pilot project. Bring your use case, domain expertise, and datasets; we provide the stack, the process, and the volunteers to test our alignment model in real-world conditions.
Start a PilotFor Builders
Contribute code, design, research, and strategy. Join a working group for Quasar, Sentinel, Lodestar, or Libelle. We are built by a global community of volunteers — join us.
Join via Libelle