For the final 5 years, I’ve spent a whole lot of time listening to and documenting the tales of builders which can be utilizing AWS applied sciences to resolve laborious human issues for my collection Now Go Construct. Whether or not it’s offering an identification 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 know-how with human instinct to reforest elements of Hawaii, modern people all over the world are exhibiting that not everybody needs to be the subsequent unicorn, and proving that it’s potential to do good and run a worthwhile enterprise.
Nevertheless, realizing the total potential that know-how presents to resolve these urgent points, reminiscent of catastrophe reduction and local weather change, takes extra than simply monetary funding. It requires a devoted concentrate on nurturing and creating 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 offers 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 this time, 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 over 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
Primarily based 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 determine 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 power for me. In my present function, I’m lucky to leverage these applied sciences as our workforce responds to crises and sophisticated 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 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 functions in emergency settings.
Primarily based in: Saint Paul, MN, USA
Mercy Corps is a worldwide group serving communities in over 40 nations, 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 help. As Senior Director of Know-how for Improvement, I spearhead efforts to determine new functions 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 modern executives and elevate our means to harness know-how for social good.
Primarily based in: Pittsburgh, PA
With 20 years of know-how 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 broaden the Meals Rescue Hero (FRH) platform to have interaction over 50,000 volunteers throughout 20 North American areas. The FRH platform presents 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 potential 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 can amplify our nationwide attain and pave the best way for our international enlargement efforts.
Primarily based in: Heredia, Costa Rica
I’m deeply obsessed with leveraging modern applied sciences, distant sensing, picture and information processing to create constructive 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 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 precious 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 undertaking 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 accumulate the instruments and techniques essential to information our efforts and obtain our formidable objectives extra successfully.
Primarily based 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 know-how to handle social points, specializing in creating 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.
Primarily based 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. 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 important points reminiscent of arms trafficking, defending indigenous neighborhood rights, combating disinformation, and stopping climate-driven conflicts. I imagine the Now Go Construct Fellowship will probably be instrumental in scaling our influence and creating an formidable early warning system for the area.
Primarily based in: Bangladesh and Nepal
With almost a decade of expertise in innovation administration throughout the humanitarian and growth sectors, I concentrate on 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 even handed software 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 convey a various perspective to the sphere. At the moment, I’m spearheading efforts in exploration, technique growth, and speedy experimentation round Generative AI at ACAPS and BRAC.
Primarily based in: Bristol, UK
I’m Petya Kangalova, Know-how 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 reaching the Sustainable Improvement Objectives. We develop a collection 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 business, this Fellowship will empower me to strengthen my management abilities and speed up innovation within the open mapping and geospatial area. It can 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 at the moment’s most urgent challenges.
Primarily based 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 cellular instruments, we allow communities to make data-driven selections and enhance operational effectivity. The CTO Fellowship presents 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!
