Last November (2013), Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) ravaged the province of Leyte and other nearby parts of the Philippines, killing thousands. Many more were displaced, lost all of their possessions, and were stricken even further into poverty. As part of the recovery...
In 2014, when mobile phones globally outnumber toilets, it seems pretty obvious that technology will have a major impact on an international public health crisis like Ebola. But obviously, not all approaches are equal. A recent amusing example was when a United...
According to UNESCO, “Literacy is universally linked with poverty reduction, economic growth and wealth creation.” If you’re interested in development, poverty reduction, healthcare, and essentially any global social justice issue, you’re sure to agree that improving...
In late August, brilliant minds and passionate hearts from around the globe gathered in Cebu, Philippines for the second annual “Geeks on a Beach” conference. engageSPARK founder and CEO, Ravi Agarwal, hosted a panel on social enterprises. Instead of the standard...
A couple of years ago, I was chatting with a college friend who, like me, is passionate about entrepreneurship, tech, and combating social injustice. “Microfinance is the key,” he said. “You help women, you end poverty.” I think most of us have moved past that...
When I tell people about engageSPARK’s cool ability to “personalize” SMS messages – for example, automatically inserting each recipient’s first name at the beginning of each message when sending out 1,000 text messages – they generally respond with, “That’s awesome!...
When I discuss my career goals with people and talk about the things I’m interested in – namely, technology and social justice – the typical response I get is: “So you want to work for an NGO/Non-Profit?” I am a huge fan of numerous non-profits (in fact, engageSPARK...
The Philippines needs more jobs, and some people are hoping that tech can play a part in the solution. I was packing relief goods in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) when I first began to realize the extent of the problem. My fellow packers were...
Nigeria has overtaken South Africa to become Africa’s biggest economy. This has the potential to dramatically shift perceptions of the continent. The last time Nigeria calculated its GDP was in 1990 and the new report highlights the importance of new industries such...
Stories about using social media, mobile, and big data to fight crime abound these days. I started to type that “this might seem a little sci-fi to the average 70 year old grandma,” but the truth is: my septuagenarian grandma owns an iPhone, an iPad, a laptop, and...
