Over the previous 5 years, I’ve spent a number of time listening to and documenting the tales of builders utilizing AWS applied sciences to unravel tough human issues for my collection. Now go construct. Whether or not it is offering an id to beforehand unbanked Indonesian rice farmers, utilizing laptop imaginative and prescient and machine studying to responsibly farm fish in Norway, or discovering methods to mix cloud know-how with human instinct to reforest elements of Hawaii, progressive folks around the globe are proving that Not everybody needs to be the following unicorn and show that it’s potential to do good and run a worthwhile enterprise.
Nevertheless, realizing the complete potential that know-how gives to unravel these urgent issues, equivalent to catastrophe aid and local weather change, requires greater than only a monetary funding. It requires a devoted give attention to fostering and creating the technical experience and innovation capabilities of leaders in these areas. That is why earlier this 12 months at VivaTech, I introduced the Now Go Construct CTO Scholarship in collaboration with AI for change brokers led by Know-how to the rescue.
This scholarship is designed for aspiring know-how leaders in nonprofit and social influence organizations. It gives fellows with coaching, mentoring, and entry to AWS consultants to speed up their development and the event of know-how options that may make a profound distinction in areas equivalent to catastrophe administration, local weather, well being, and extra.
At this time I want 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 want to introduce them to you (in their very own phrases).
Aleksandra (Ola) Bilicka, Assist.NGO
Primarily based in: Poznan, 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 skill to deal with a few of the world’s most difficult humanitarian and growth issues has been a driving pressure for me. In my present position, I’m lucky to leverage these applied sciences as our staff responds to advanced crises and emergencies, starting from hurricanes in Mexico and tornadoes in Kentucky to earthquakes in Turkey and conflicts in Ukraine. Our staff makes use of open supply AWS workloads to allow multinational organizations, native leaders, and first responders to grasp discipline challenges, visualize information, make knowledgeable choices, and talk on the transfer. I hope the scholarship will equip me with management expertise and supply me with a deeper understanding of rising applied sciences and their purposes in emergency settings.
Primarily based in: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Mercy Corps is a world group serving communities in additional than 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, synthetic intelligence and cloud computing to develop and scale progressive options that enhance the effectiveness and effectivity of humanitarian support. As Senior Director of Growth Know-how, I lead efforts to establish new know-how and information purposes, develop methods for know-how integration, and construct inner technical functionality. The CTO Fellowship presents a rare alternative to study from one of many world’s most progressive executives and elevate our skill to leverage know-how for social good.
Primarily based in: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
With 20 years of know-how expertise spanning varied industries together with gaming, finance, and now meals restoration, I’ve served as Head of Engineering at 412 Meals Rescue/Meals Rescue Hero for the previous 5 years. Throughout this time, I helped increase the Meals Rescue Hero (FRH) platform to have interaction over 50,000 volunteers throughout 20 areas in North America. The FRH platform gives Meals Restoration Organizations a complete resolution for environment friendly operations and volunteer administration, with the objective of streamlining the meals restoration course of and making it as intuitive, equitable and accessible as potential for all stakeholders. This fellowship presents a singular alternative to achieve perception into the challenges going through different progressive organizations in our discipline. Moreover, it’s going to amplify our nationwide attain and pave the way in which for our world growth efforts.
Primarily based in: Heredia, Costa Rica
I’m deeply captivated with leveraging progressive applied sciences, distant sensing, and picture and information processing to create constructive influence. As CTO of qAIRa in Lima, Peru, and CEO of Inexperienced Xpo Lab in San José, Costa Rica, I lead groups that leverage distant sensing know-how, information analytics, and synthetic intelligence fashions to develop options that allow our clients make knowledgeable choices. . Our objective is to create the perfect platform to current these outcomes, making certain that our shoppers not solely entry the information they want, but in addition acquire helpful insights that drive steady enchancment of our choices. The fellowship represents an thrilling alternative for me to chart a transparent path to turning into an distinctive challenge and product supervisor, in addition to a simpler know-how chief. As I try to guide my groups to success, I’m keen to amass the instruments and techniques essential to information our efforts and obtain our bold objectives extra successfully.
Primarily based in: Ubungo, Tanzania
As CTO of Code for Africa, I lead groups that create civic know-how 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 deal with social issues, specializing in the event of accessible instruments for citizen participation, information evaluation and public service supply. As an open supply advocate and skilled 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 need to make a distinction, main me to a profession in public affairs the place I honed my expertise in driving impactful change. Nevertheless, I sought a approach to apply these expertise with higher precision and scale, like a surgeon who wants a scalpel, not only a hammer. This search led me to CRIES, the place we leverage AI and OSINT to deal with crucial points equivalent to arms trafficking, defending the rights of indigenous communities, combating disinformation, and stopping climate-driven conflicts. I imagine the Now Go Construct grant shall be instrumental in increasing our influence and creating an bold early warning system for the area.
Primarily based in: Bangladesh and Nepal
With nearly a decade of expertise in innovation administration throughout the humanitarian and growth sectors, I give attention to selling open supply improvements and community-wide approaches to enhance resilience in resource-limited settings. My experience lies in leveraging social innovation, human-centered design, and the considered software of cutting-edge applied sciences to deal with challenges confronted throughout humanitarian crises. As Chair of the UK Humanitarian Innovation Heart Advisory Group and a Fellow of the Ethereum Basis, I convey a various perspective to the sphere. At present, I lead exploration, technique growth, and speedy experimentation efforts round generative AI at ACAPS and BRAC.
Primarily based in: Bristol, United Kingdom
I am Petya Kangalova, Know-how Engagement and Partnership Lead on the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOT) staff. At HOT, we offer mapping information that revolutionizes catastrophe administration, mitigates dangers and contributes to attaining the Sustainable Growth Targets. We develop a set of open supply instruments for collaborative mapping and geospatial information assortment, together with an AI-assisted mapping service that improves the effectivity of humanitarian cartographers.
As an open know-how fanatic, group builder, innovator, and advocate for variety and inclusion within the tech business, this scholarship will permit me to strengthen my management expertise and speed up innovation within the geospatial and open mapping discipline. It can additionally facilitate connections and collaborations with different leaders within the know-how and humanitarian sectors, permitting us to refine our applied sciences and create a extra sustainable influence by addressing at this time’s most urgent challenges.
Primarily based in: Pune, India
At WOTR, I spearhead initiatives that leverage know-how to enhance rural resilience and empowerment, addressing challenges in sustainable agriculture, meals safety, drought resilience and local weather adaptation. By integrating synthetic intelligence, satellite tv for pc imagery and cell instruments, we allow communities to make data-driven choices and enhance operational effectivity. The CTO Fellowship gives invaluable information and connections that can assist us scale our influence on rural livelihoods and environmental conservation.
A name for future scholarship holders
Whereas our inaugural fellows have been chosen, we’re nonetheless recruiting fellows targeted on these crucial areas:
- Well being
- Schooling
- Financial growth
Go to Tech to the Rescue to study extra about Now go construct a CTO fellowship already apply.
Now, go construct!
