About the event

From nonprofits embracing cryptocurrency for fundraising to the use of drones for delivery, 2019 has seen a number of promising innovations for powering work across the development, humanitarian, and philanthropic sectors. With the year coming to a close, we're hosting a webinar highlighting the emerging tech trends that global development professionals should be paying close attention to — and what might be next for 'tech for dev' in the new year.

Senior reporter Catherine Cheney is joined by a range of experts — from funding, education, global health, and governance fields — for a comprehensive view of advancements in tech across the sector.

The panel will also take audience questions. We invite you to share them during the event or in advance by submitting to [email protected].
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The Speakers

Moderator

Catherine Cheney

Senior Reporter
Devex
Catherine Cheney is a Senior Reporter for Devex. She covers the West Coast of the U.S., focusing on the role of technology and innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. And she frequently represents Devex as a speaker and moderator. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, worked as a web producer for POLITICO and reporter for World Politics Review, and helped to launch NationSwell. Catherine has reported from all over the world, and freelanced for outlets including the Atlantic and the Washington Post. She is also the West Coast ambassador for the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that trains and connects journalists to cover responses to problems.

Nick Martin

Founder and CEO
TechChange
Nick Martin is an educator, technologist, and social entrepreneur with over 15 years experience working in international development. He is the founder and CEO of TechChange, a Washington DC-based social enterprise that provides online training on a variety of technology and global development topics. In the last ten years, TechChange has worked with hundreds of leading social sector organizations to design over 800 engaging and community focused online courses for audiences all over the world. Nick is also a faculty member at Columbia and Georgetown Universities and sits on the board of PopTech.


Nixon Mageka Gecheo

Governance and ICT4D Consultant
Nixon Mageka Gecheo is governance and ICT4D consultant and currently a Member of the Universal Service Advisory Council of the Communication Authority of Kenya, Advising on the use of Universal Service Fund in Spreading ICTs to the Underserved and un-served areas of the Republic of Kenya. Nixon is also a lead consultant with UNITU/FAO developing the National E-agricuture Strategy for Benin. Nixon also serves as a council member of the Turkana University College. He also worked as an ICT and Media Advisor to the Cabinet Secretary of Agriculture. Prior to being a consultant, Mageka worked for 10 years in Public Sector mainly in Public sector reforms and the role of Information Technology in organizations. Mageka worked as a Chief ICT officer for the Commission on Administrative Justice also known as the Ombudsman.

Benjamin Kumpf

Head of Innovation
UK Department for International Development
Benjamin Kumpf works as Head of Innovation at the UK Department for International Development. Prior to this engagement, he led the Innovation Facility of the United Nations Development Programme, managing a flexible fund to support experimentation, exploration and the scaling-up of development innovations. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in social change initiatives with grassroots organizations, as well as bilateral and multilateral institutions and for the last decade on programmes and policy design at the intersection of digital technologies, innovation and global development. Benjamin’s past experience includes work with UN Volunteers, with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the International Agricultural Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and others in India, Jordan, Nepal and Rwanda as well as multiple years of journalism on human rights, development and social activism.

Bobby Jefferson

Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
DAI Global Health
Bobby Jefferson, Chief Technology Officer for DAI Global Health, has a relentless entrepreneurial passion for combing social entrepreneurship and digital solutions to address health needs of the poor and most vulnerable. Bobby also serves as board advisor for health technology startups THINKMD, ClickMedix and MobileODT. He has enjoyed his role as competition judge, technology reviewer and judge on early stage funding,  including the Innovation to Action Challenge, Global Health Innovation Prize, and InnovateHealth@Yale Prize. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and implementing innovative health technology while performing due diligence on early stage social venture health startups to support LMIC.

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