For the final 5 years, I’ve spent plenty of time listening to and documenting the tales of builders which are utilizing AWS applied sciences to unravel 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 pc imaginative and prescient and machine studying to responsibly farm fish in Norway, or discovering methods to pair cloud know-how with human instinct to reforest elements of Hawaii, revolutionary people around the globe 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.
Nevertheless, realizing the total potential that know-how affords to unravel these urgent points, reminiscent of catastrophe reduction and local weather change, takes extra than simply monetary funding. It requires a devoted give attention to nurturing and growing the technical experience and innovation capabilities of the leaders in these areas. That’s why earlier this 12 months 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 gives 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 reminiscent of catastrophe administration, local weather, well being and past.
At present, I’d wish 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 over a few of humanity’s hardest issues — and I’d wish 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 know-how to do good, from flying ultralight plane to witnessing drones establish at-risk penguin colonies. Hybrid edge computing and its means to handle a few of the world’s most difficult humanitarian and growth points has been a driving pressure for me. In my present function, I’m lucky to leverage these applied sciences as our workforce responds to crises and complicated emergencies, starting from hurricanes in Mexico and tornadoes in Kentucky to earthquakes in Turkey and battle in Ukraine. Our workforce makes use of open-source AWS workloads to allow multinational organizations, native leaders, and first responders to know subject challenges, visualize information, make knowledgeable choices, 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 world 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 revolutionary options that improve the effectiveness and effectivity of humanitarian assist. As Senior Director of Know-how for Improvement, I spearhead efforts to establish new purposes for know-how and information, develop methods for tech integration, and construct inner technical capability. The CTO Fellowship presents a unprecedented alternative to study from one of many world’s most revolutionary executives and elevate our means to harness know-how for social good.
Based mostly in: Pittsburgh, PA
With twenty years of know-how expertise spanning numerous 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 broaden the Meals Rescue Hero (FRH) platform to interact over 50,000 volunteers throughout 20 North American areas. The FRH platform affords Meals Restoration Organizations a complete answer 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 achieve insights into the challenges confronted by different revolutionary organizations in our subject. Furthermore, it can amplify our nationwide attain and pave the best way for our international enlargement efforts.
Based mostly in: Heredia, Costa Rica
I’m deeply enthusiastic about leveraging revolutionary 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 know-how, information analytics, and AI fashions to develop options that empower our purchasers to make knowledgeable choices. Our focus is on creating the perfect platform to current these outcomes, making certain our purchasers not solely entry the info they want but additionally achieve helpful insights that drive steady enchancment of our choices. The Fellowship represents an thrilling alternative for me to chart a transparent path in direction of changing into an distinctive challenge and product supervisor, in addition to a more practical know-how chief. As I attempt to steer my groups to success, I’m keen to amass the instruments and methods essential to information our efforts and obtain our formidable objectives 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 data-driven initiatives. My ardour lies in utilizing know-how 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 know-how 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 need to make a distinction, main me to a profession in public affairs the place I honed my abilities in driving impactful change. Nevertheless, I sought a strategy 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 essential points reminiscent of arms trafficking, defending indigenous neighborhood rights, combating disinformation, and stopping climate-driven conflicts. I consider the Now Go Construct Fellowship might be instrumental in scaling our influence and growing an formidable early warning system for the area.
Based mostly in: Bangladesh and Nepal
With almost a decade of expertise in innovation administration inside the humanitarian and growth sectors, I give attention to selling open-source improvements and whole-of-community approaches to boost 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 deliver a various perspective to the sphere. At present, I’m spearheading efforts in exploration, technique growth, and speedy experimentation round Generative AI at ACAPS and BRAC.
Based mostly in: Bristol, UK
I’m Petya Kangalova, Know-how Partnership and Engagement Lead on the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Group (HOT). At HOT, we offer map information that revolutionizes catastrophe administration, mitigates dangers, and contributes to attaining the Sustainable Improvement Targets. 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, neighborhood builder, innovator, and advocate for range and inclusion within the tech trade, this Fellowship will empower me to strengthen my management abilities and speed up innovation within the open mapping and geospatial subject. It’s 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 this moment’s most urgent challenges.
Based mostly in: Pune, India
At WOTR, I spearhead initiatives that harness know-how to boost 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 choices and enhance operational effectivity. The CTO Fellowship affords invaluable insights and connections that may 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 essential 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!