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Value Added Services (VAS) are an increasingly popular way to engage mobile phone owners, even in the most rural areas. In Bihar, for example, Unilever has established a mobile radio station that calls users to provide “infotainment” in the form of music, jokes, and of course ads for up to a 15-minute period. Of all…
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The “How to Work with VAS Vendors for M4D Impact?”, Technology Salon featured a lively discussion with Vijay Sai Pratap, Julia Burchell, and Kristen Roggemann. We focused on value-added service (VAS) vendors, the third-party organizations who create, integrate, launch, and maintain mobile services outside of ‘core’ Mobile Network Operator services: voice, SMS, and data. Participants…
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The July 7th Technology Salon in New York City focused on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Public Consultation. Our lead discussants were Tiago Peixoto, Team Lead, World Bank Digital Engagement Unit; Michele Brandt, Interpeace’s Director of Constitution-Making for Peace; and Ravi Karkara, Co-Chair, Policy Strategy Group, World We Want Post-2015 Consultation….
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At the “How Can We Bridge Gender Gaps and Increase Women and Girls Access to Technology?” Technology Salon in Washington, D.C., leaders in various fields came together to discuss data and initiatives aimed to bridge the gender gaps in technology, with lead discussants Shireen Santosham, Revi Sterling, and Elise Young. I was fortunate enough to…
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The private sector has been using dashboards for quite some time, but international development organizations face challenges when it comes to identifying the right data dashboards and accompanying systems for decision-making. Our May 29th, 2015, Technology Salon (sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation) explored data dashboards and data visualization for improved decision making with lead discussants…
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Tech lovers can be guilty of techtopia. We imagine that technology makes life better for anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or access to basic resources. With 4.4 billion people in the world still not online, the tech community is deliberating over how we will get the next billion online. Will it be through policies like…
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Two new Pew Research Center studies are very enlightening around the American public’s perception of privacy, security, and surveillance. While both reports are worth a read, there are two contradictory statements that really stand out: The surveys find that Americans feel privacy is important in their daily lives in a number of essential ways. Yet,…
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In a world where 6 billion people have access to a phone, yet only 4.5 billion have access to a toilet, it is pertinent to ask how technological innovation can meet the needs of those living in poverty. At the How Can We Do Technology for Development Better? Technology Salon at ThoughtWorks in London, Amber…
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On project teams, everyone envisions a solution or product. When everyone leaves the room, most imagine a “piece of an animal” or even “the whole animal” in completely different ways. When teams have designers, some of these barriers are eliminated because designers create testable prototypes of “the whole animal”. Prototypes present ideas in a tangible…
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In December 2014, United States President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced an agreement to restore diplomatic ties between the two historically adversarial countries. As Cuba becomes a more open country, especially in relation to the United States, how will they welcome NGOs, businesses, or government activities in the formerly cloistered country? And…
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At the recent Technology Salon on ICT for Cuba, experts came together to discuss the role of ICT in growing the Cuban economy and how the United States government, private industry and nonprofit organizations could help. The main takeaway I got from the event was the uniqueness of the Cuban system and that any company…
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Our April 16th Technology Salon Brooklyn, co-hosted with the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF) and AfroLatin@ Project explored the issue of tenant rights within the wider context of structural discrimination. We aimed to think about how new technology and social media might be a tool for helping community organizations to support Brooklyn residents to know their…
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Our April 21st NYC Technology Salon focused on issues related to the LGBT ICT4D community, including how LGBTQI issues are addressed in the context of stakeholders and ICT4D staff. We examined specific concerns that ICT4D practitioners who identify as LGBTQI have, as well as how LGBTQI stakeholders are (or are not) incorporated into ICT4D projects,…
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The inaugural Technology Salon in Bangkok on April 30th explored whether mobile games can really help to improve development outcomes. Lead discussants included: Sowirin Chuanprapun of UNESCO, which has been exploring the use of gamification to enhance its broader programs, including the release of Sai Fah – The Flood Fighter, a mobile-based game that they…
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At the April Technology Salon San Francisco, the discussion moderator, Aaron Mason, welcomed everyone and quickly focused the thought leaders from across the technology and development fields on the issue at hand: How Can New Technologies Improve Disaster Response? At the heart of the initial conversation was the recent American Red Cross report: A Vision…
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Our Technology Salon in New York City on Oct 7 focused on the potential of games and gamification in international development work. Joining us as lead discussants were Asi Burak (Games for Change), Nick Martin (TechChange), and Craig Savel and Stan Mierzwa (Population Council). TechChange is a social enterprise that uses principles of gamification on…
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On March 31, 2015, nearly 40 participants, joined by lead discussants Robert Fabricant, Dalberg Design Team; Despina Papadopoulos, Principled Design; and Roop Pal, PicoSatellite eXploration Lab; came together for Technology Salon New York City where we discussed the future of wearables in international development. As follows is a summary of our discussion. While the future of wearables is…
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The need for light is high across the African continent, where approximately 70% of households are off-grid and 64% of its imported oil is destined for 19th century kerosene and paraffin lighting. Although the demand is high for solar powered lighting, the opportunities to convert that demand into a social business are not evenly distributed. In…
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Application of drones for development is a new area in Ghana, however it is rapidly evolving with significant potential to aid Ghana’s development agenda in the area of health, agriculture, security, road safety and traffic management; natural resource management, aerial photography, 3-D mapping; search and rescue, among others. This was the outcome of the Technology…
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Mobile payments have broken down major barriers to solar energy. High upfront capital costs can now be spread over multiple small payments. This Pay as You Go (PAYG) solar revolution is sweeping East Africa, particularly Kenya. Rural populations that are largely off grid, are keen to kick their kerosene habit and enjoy the benefits of…