We, as humans, have always loved stories. Stories connect us, motivate us. They make the bitter pills of reality easier to swallow.

Imagine if UBI wasn’t a dream but a reality. What happens in the lives of everyday Americans when they receive $1000 per month, no strings attached?

Explain what you would do with universal basic income (UBI) in four words.

Does universal basic income excite you or concern you?

Why do you think many people (maybe including yourself) feel shame or embarrassment when talking about money?

If you're in Toronto on Sat Aug 22, don't miss this. www.ubiworks.ca/bootstraps

Bootstraps Documentary Screening | Aug 22, 2026 | Hot Docs Toronto

Join us at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for a night at the movies and a proper celebration. Bootstraps is a documentary series by Emmy-winning filmmaker Deia Schlosberg that followed eleven househol...

ubiworks.ca

Basic Income Earth Network@basicincomeearth.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ten years in the making, Bootstraps is a documentary series by Emmy-winning filmmaker Deia Schlosberg that followed eleven households through a multi-year basic income experiment. If you'll be in town for BIEN Congress, register here for your free ticket; zurl.co/F6aZ1

We're headed to TORONTO! 💛 Join us on Saturday, August 22 for a sneak peek of Bootstraps, a docuseries by Emmy-winning filmmaker Deia Schlosberg that followed eleven households through a multi-year basic income experiment 🎥 RSVP: www.ubiworks.ca/bootstraps

Bootstraps Documentary Screening | Aug 22, 2026 | Hot Docs Toronto

Join us at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for a night at the movies and a proper celebration. Bootstraps is a documentary series by Emmy-winning filmmaker Deia Schlosberg that followed eleven househol...

ubiworks.ca

Ten years in the making, Bootstraps is a documentary series by Emmy-winning filmmaker Deia Schlosberg that followed eleven households through a multi-year basic income experiment. If you'll be in town for BIEN Congress, register here for your free ticket; zurl.co/F6aZ1

Let’s go beyond the data and economic charts and instead explore how our lives, relationships, and communities would actually change if there was a financial safety net like universal basic income.

You just finished watching an amazing documentary. As the credits roll and your eyes recover from the tears, you think to yourself, “I need to do something about this!” You’re ready to take action… but how? Read our latest post: www.bootstrapstv.com/p/when-the-c...

When the Credits Roll, What Comes Next?

Why we are taking our UBI documentary on the road to build a community-driven safety net from the ground up.

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During our 100+ nationwide screenings/events (2026-2027), we are gathering our community AND connect you with partner projects that are working towards building that safety net. To bring this to life, we are raising the funds to get the show on the road: givebutter.com/9sEnIs

Bootstraps UBI Docuseries Impact Campaign

Help us fund 100+ Bootstraps screening events around the country

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We have a lot planned and a lot to look forward to. Thank you for being along for the ride.

Can't wait for the best part of the whole post-production process: you watching the full docuseries! 💛🎥

If you were our agent, which streaming platform would you pitch the Bootstraps docuseries to?

Check out our latest post on finding a distributor for a docuseries about how participants of a UBI experiment transformed their lives: www.bootstrapstv.com/p/3-simplifi...

3 (simplified) Steps to Distributing a Documentary

On finding a distributor for a docuseries about how participants of a UBI experiment transformed their lives

bootstrapstv.com

We have a great story to share with you, but we also need to figure out where the show is going to live. This month, we’ll start pitching Bootstraps to streaming networks and distributors to find the show a home.

In one of the largest & longest-running UBI trials in the world, GiveDirectly has given millions of dollars (no strings attached) to ~23,000 people across 195 African villages since 2017. Listen to the participant stories here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpHfkpa08Lo

How a Universal Basic Income works in Kenya #ubi

Discover how GiveDirectly is making a difference in Kilifi, Kenya, by providing a $30 monthly universal basic income to families living in poverty. This init...

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“Basic income is the most effective core policy to save the people, save the country, and save the market economy in a future society where jobs are disappearing and polarization is severe.” -Lee Jae Myung, President of South Korea

How can we learn to trust that people are inherently good?

Believe it or not, a country has already launched the world’s first national universal basic income program: the Marshall Islands. Through direct deposit, check, or Stablecoin (cryptocurrency), all resident citizens of the Marshall Islands will receive $200 per quarter.

In 2018, then-Governor Lee Jae Myung led a youth basic income program in the Gyeonggi Province that provided 1 million won (about $663) annually in local currency to 175,000 24-year-olds. As a result, small- and medium-size businesses in the area had a surge in sales.

How do you acknowledge that most people operate from a place of good intentions?

What would you do, along with your trusted neighbors and friends, if you had universal basic income as a financial foundation to build on?

While being “too trusting” can leave people vulnerable to manipulation or exploitation, trust in others is essential for our society and economy to function. So, how do we rebuild trust in each other?

In Europe’s first government-backed basic income trial, Finland paid 2,000 unemployed citizens a monthly income of €560 (~$634; £490) from Jan 2017-Dec 2018. Findings showed no radical change in employment rates but showed a boost in mental well-being & life satisfaction.

While being “too trusting” can leave people vulnerable to manipulation or exploitation, trust in others is essential for our society and economy to function. So, how do we rebuild trust in each other? Read more at bootstrapstv.com 💛 Photo: Matt Collamer (Unsplash)

If you were in charge of developing a universal basic income policy, how much would the monthly payment to each person be?

Online discussions about UBI are full of people doubting others’ ability to spend the money “correctly.” But flip the question around and ask them about themselves, and suddenly they trust their own intentions completely. It’s a curious self-versus-others paradox.

"Some said the basic income allowed them to go back to the life they had before they became unemployed, while others said it gave them the power to say no to low-paid insecure jobs, and thus increased their sense of autonomy." - Professor Blomberg-Kroll on Finland's 2017-2018 UBI trial

Personal curriculums are self-directed learning journeys that celebrate intellectual curiosity outside of formal education. Here are some recommendations of interactive online tools for your personal curriculum on basic income! What other websites should we add to this list? 💛