For the final 5 years, I’ve spent plenty of time listening to and documenting the tales of builders which can be utilizing AWS applied sciences to resolve onerous human issues for my collection Now Go Construct. Whether or not it’s offering an id to beforehand unbanked rice farmers in Indonesia, utilizing laptop imaginative and prescient and machine studying to responsibly farm fish in Norway, or discovering methods to pair cloud expertise with human instinct to reforest components of Hawaii, modern of us world wide are displaying that not everybody needs to be the subsequent unicorn, and proving that it’s attainable to do good and run a worthwhile enterprise.
Nonetheless, realizing the complete potential that expertise affords to resolve these urgent points, equivalent to catastrophe aid and local weather change, takes extra than simply monetary funding. It requires a devoted concentrate on nurturing and growing the technical experience and innovation capabilities of the leaders in these areas. That’s why earlier this yr at VivaTech, I introduced the Now Go Construct CTO Fellowship in collaboration with AI for Changemakers led by Tech To The Rescue.
This fellowship is tailor-made for aspiring tech leaders in nonprofits and social influence organizations. It supplies fellows with coaching, mentorship, and entry to AWS consultants to speed up their development and the event of tech options that may make a profound distinction in areas equivalent to catastrophe administration, local weather, well being and past.
Right this moment, I’d prefer to announce the primary two cohorts of the Now Go Construct CTO Fellowship: Catastrophe Administration, and Local weather Resilience. These people and their organizations are taking up a few of humanity’s hardest issues — and I’d prefer to introduce them to you (in their very own phrases).
Aleksandra (Ola) Bilicka, Assist.NGO
Based mostly in: Poznań, Poland
From a younger age, I acknowledged the numerous potential of expertise to do good, from flying ultralight plane to witnessing drones determine at-risk penguin colonies. Hybrid edge computing and its skill to handle among the world’s most difficult humanitarian and growth points has been a driving drive for me. In my present function, I’m lucky to leverage these applied sciences as our crew responds to crises and sophisticated emergencies, starting from hurricanes in Mexico and tornadoes in Kentucky to earthquakes in Turkey and battle in Ukraine. Our crew makes use of open-source AWS workloads to allow multinational organizations, native leaders, and first responders to know area challenges, visualize information, make knowledgeable selections, and talk on the transfer. I hope the Fellowship will equip me with management abilities and supply a deeper understanding of rising applied sciences and their purposes in emergency settings.
Based mostly in: Saint Paul, MN, USA
Mercy Corps is a worldwide group serving communities in over 40 international locations, serving to them rebuild after disasters, break cycles of poverty, and forge paths to prosperity within the face of injustice, instability, and local weather change. We leverage digital applied sciences, distant sensing, AI, and cloud computing to develop and scale modern options that improve the effectiveness and effectivity of humanitarian support. As Senior Director of Expertise for Improvement, I spearhead efforts to determine new purposes for expertise and information, develop methods for tech integration, and construct inner technical capability. The CTO Fellowship presents a rare alternative to study from one of many world’s most modern executives and elevate our skill to harness expertise for social good.
Based mostly in: Pittsburgh, PA
With twenty years of expertise expertise spanning various industries together with gaming, finance, and now meals restoration, I’ve been serving because the Head of Engineering at 412 Meals Rescue/Meals Rescue Hero for the previous 5 years. Throughout this time, I’ve helped increase the Meals Rescue Hero (FRH) platform to have interaction over 50,000 volunteers throughout 20 North American areas. The FRH platform affords Meals Restoration Organizations a complete resolution for environment friendly operations and volunteer administration, aiming to streamline the meals restoration course of and make it as intuitive, equitable, and accessible as attainable for all stakeholders. This Fellowship presents a novel alternative to realize insights into the challenges confronted by different modern organizations in our area. Furthermore, it should amplify our nationwide attain and pave the best way for our international enlargement efforts.
Based mostly in: Heredia, Costa Rica
I’m deeply captivated with leveraging modern applied sciences, distant sensing, picture and information processing to create optimistic influence. Because the CTO of qAIRa in Lima, Peru, and the CEO of Inexperienced Xpo Lab in San José, Costa Rica, I lead groups that harness distant sensing expertise, information analytics, and AI fashions to develop options that empower our shoppers to make knowledgeable selections. Our focus is on creating the perfect platform to current these outcomes, making certain our shoppers not solely entry the information they want but in addition acquire priceless insights that drive steady enchancment of our choices. The Fellowship represents an thrilling alternative for me to chart a transparent path in direction of turning into an distinctive mission and product supervisor, in addition to a more practical expertise chief. As I attempt to guide my groups to success, I’m keen to accumulate the instruments and techniques essential to information our efforts and obtain our bold targets extra successfully.
Based mostly in: Ubungo, Tanzania
Because the CTO at Code for Africa, I lead groups that construct civic tech options to empower communities and drive social change throughout the continent by way of data-driven initiatives. My ardour lies in utilizing expertise to handle social points, specializing in growing accessible instruments for citizen engagement, information evaluation, and public service supply. As an open-source advocate and seasoned technical chief, I’m dedicated to creating expertise that serves those that want it most.
Based mostly in: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rising up in Latin America, I witnessed firsthand the challenges our area faces. This expertise fueled my want to make a distinction, main me to a profession in public affairs the place I honed my abilities in driving impactful change. Nonetheless, I sought a approach to apply these abilities with higher precision and scale – like a surgeon needing a scalpel, not only a hammer. This pursuit led me to CRIES, the place we leverage AI and OSINT to handle important points equivalent to arms trafficking, defending indigenous group rights, combating disinformation, and stopping climate-driven conflicts. I imagine the Now Go Construct Fellowship shall be instrumental in scaling our influence and growing an bold early warning system for the area.
Based mostly in: Bangladesh and Nepal
With practically a decade of expertise in innovation administration inside the humanitarian and growth sectors, I concentrate on selling open-source improvements and whole-of-community approaches to reinforce resilience in resource-constrained environments. My experience lies in leveraging social innovation, human-centered design, and the considered utility of frontier applied sciences to handle challenges confronted throughout humanitarian crises. As Chair of the UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub’s Advisory Group and a Fellow on the Ethereum Basis, I carry a various perspective to the sphere. At present, I’m spearheading efforts in exploration, technique growth, and fast experimentation round Generative AI at ACAPS and BRAC.
Based mostly in: Bristol, UK
I’m Petya Kangalova, Expertise Partnership and Engagement Lead on the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Staff (HOT). At HOT, we offer map information that revolutionizes catastrophe administration, mitigates dangers, and contributes to attaining the Sustainable Improvement Objectives. We develop a set of open-source instruments for collaborative mapping and geospatial information assortment, together with an AI-assisted mapping service that enhances effectivity for humanitarian mappers.
As an open tech fanatic, group builder, innovator, and advocate for variety and inclusion within the tech business, this Fellowship will empower me to strengthen my management abilities and speed up innovation within the open mapping and geospatial area. It is going to additionally facilitate connections and collaborations with different leaders within the tech and humanitarian sectors, enabling us to refine our applied sciences and create extra sustainable influence in addressing right now’s most urgent challenges.
Based mostly in: Pune, India
At WOTR, I spearhead initiatives that harness expertise to reinforce rural resilience and empowerment, addressing challenges in sustainable agriculture, meals safety, drought resilience, and local weather adaptation. By integrating AI, satellite tv for pc imagery, and cell instruments, we allow communities to make data-driven selections and enhance operational effectivity. The CTO Fellowship affords invaluable insights and connections that can assist us scale our influence on rural livelihoods and environmental conservation.
A name for future fellows
Whereas our inaugural Fellows has been chosen, we’re nonetheless recruiting fellows with a spotlight in these important areas:
- Well being
- Schooling
- Financial Improvement
Go to Tech to the Rescue to study extra concerning the Now Go Construct CTO Fellowship and to apply.
Now, Go Construct!
