Mobile as exploration

by kiwanja

It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I’d just received the email completely out of the blue. I’d had a long day in London, and was staying over for an early start the following morning. The email was from National Geographic, and it carried news that I’d been named an “Emerging Explorer“. Of course, I thought it was spam.

Because the nomination and selection process for these Awards are entirely confidential, I still don’t know to this day who nominated me. Not only that, but I also had to get my head around what on earth my work had to do with exploration. The email wasn’t spam, after all.

On reflection, it was a very bold move by the Selection Committee. Almost all of the other Emerging Explorers are either climbing, diving, scaling, digging or building, and what I do hardly fits into your typical adventurer job description. But in a way it does. As mobile technology continues its global advance, figuring out ways of applying the technology in socially and environmentally meaningful ways is a kind of 21st century exploring. The public reaction to the Award has been incredible, and once people see the connection they tend to think differently about tools like FrontlineSMS and their place in the world.

The Awards were made during “Explorers Week” in Washington DC in June. You can watch my 15 minute presentation (above), or read a short blog post of thoughts from the start of the week. We’ve also recently begun a new series on the National Geographic website – “Mobile Message” – designed to help spread the word on what mobile technology means for the developing world.

It was a huge honour to be the first mobile innovator to be named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. With the incredible progress being made by many other friends and colleagues, I’m confident I won’t be the last…

35 comments

1 Ken Banks { 12.22.10 at 8:21 pm }: Rethinking innovation, and mobile's place in the world. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
2 kasia { 12.22.10 at 8:26 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Rethinking innovation, and mobile's place in the world. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
3 FrontlineSMS o/ { 12.22.10 at 8:36 pm }: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #frontlinesms #m4d #mobile #innovation
4 changefeed { 12.22.10 at 8:40 pm }: ->@kiwanja: Mobile as exploration http://bit.ly/eyeh9X
5 Lewis Parker { 12.22.10 at 8:41 pm }: Mobile as exploration: It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I’d just received the email complete… http://tinyurl.com/28arx8g
6 AK2= A.KarriemA.K { 12.22.10 at 8:48 pm }: RT @FrontlineSMS: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #frontlinesms #m4d #mobile #innovation
7 Fr@nthro { 12.22.10 at 8:49 pm }: #anthro blog post: Mobile as exploration: It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I’d just received the e… http://clct.me/yZxIg
8 Tom Marentette { 12.22.10 at 9:14 pm }: RT @FrontlineSMS: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #frontlinesms #m4d #mobile #innovation
9 Carina van Rooyen { 12.22.10 at 9:41 pm }: RT @tmarente RT @FrontlineSMS: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
10 Jordan { 12.22.10 at 9:41 pm }: Wonderful speech. I think you really hit the nail on the head by emphasizing the importance of Frontline as a tool that can be repurposed to respond to any problem.
11 kiwanja { 12.22.10 at 9:50 pm }: @Jordan – Thanks! Appreciate it, and glad you enjoyed the talk. It was a great event and an honour to talk to such an amazing audience.
12 Mobile as exploration | Global Health Hub { 12.23.10 at 1:09 am }: [...] the article here: Mobile as exploration AKPC_IDS += “8119,”;Popularity: 50% [...]
13 JoyRM { 12.23.10 at 5:20 am }: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration
14 Mathias Lin | 林马 { 12.23.10 at 10:16 am }: RT @FrontlineSMS: Rethinking innovation. "Mobile as exploration". http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #frontlinesms #m4d #mobile #innovation
15 Ken Banks { 12.23.10 at 11:09 am }: On the kiwanja Blog: Rethinking innovation, aka "Mobile as exploration" [with video]. http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
16 Stephen { 12.23.10 at 11:16 am }: Don’t watch many of these kinds of video but loved this. And great how at Frontline SMS you see yourselves as enablers and message bearers rather than those actually doing the work. Inspiring stuff — do keep it up!!
17 Ho Nam { 12.23.10 at 11:49 am }: Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come…: It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I'… http://bit.ly/hOqkQg
18 TechPentagon dot com { 12.23.10 at 11:49 am }: Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come… http://bit.ly/eFETwl
19 Joey Wong { 12.23.10 at 11:49 am }: http://bit.ly/19ZhaT Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come… http://bit.ly/ictz4K
20 Dominic Victor { 12.23.10 at 11:49 am }: Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come…: It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I'… http://bit.ly/gCG9zz
21 Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come… | Technology News { 12.23.10 at 11:51 am }: [...] reading here: Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come… Related PostsDecember 15, 2010 — Transport For London moves Tube data to Microsoft's Cloud [...]
22 iPayStation { 12.23.10 at 11:51 am }: RT @kiwanja: On the kiwanja Blog: Rethinking innovation, aka "Mobile as exploration" [with video]. http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
23 jorge as { 12.23.10 at 3:35 pm }: RT @kiwanja: On the kiwanja Blog: Rethinking innovation, aka "Mobile as exploration" [with video]. http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
24 Tweets that mention Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come... -- Topsy.com { 12.23.10 at 4:00 pm }: [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ken Banks, Ken Banks, changefeed, FrontlineSMS o/, Dominic Victor and others. Dominic Victor said: Mobile as exploration | Build it Kenny, and they will come…: It was early evening, 14th October, last year. I’… http://bit.ly/gCG9zz [...]
25 kiwanja { 12.23.10 at 4:32 pm }: @Stephen – Glad you resonate with the focus and the message. I’ve written quite a bit about our approach over the past two or three years. You might want to check this post out:

http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2009/01/a-glimpse-into-social-mobiles-long-tail/
26 Ken Banks { 12.28.10 at 2:34 pm }: Is exploration the new innovation? Rethinking the #m4d landscape. http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #mobile #innovation
27 Ken Banks { 12.28.10 at 2:35 pm }: Is exploration the new innovation? Rethinking the #m4d landscape at http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #mobile #innovation
28 Pratik Mandrekar { 12.28.10 at 3:46 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Is exploration the new innovation? Rethinking the #m4d landscape at http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #mobile #innovation
29 Paul Jones { 12.28.10 at 4:03 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Is exploration the new innovation? Rethinking the #m4d landscape at http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #mobile #innovation
30 Judith Orland { 01.03.11 at 11:32 am }: worthwhile > an inspiring talk by @kiwanja "Mobile as exploration" http://bit.ly/mobile_exploration #m4d
31 National Geographic: Interview | Build it Kenny, and they will come... { 02.13.11 at 2:29 pm }: [...] information Watch a 15 minute video of a presentation made at National Geographic in Washington DC (June [...]
32 Aid 2.0 { 04.10.11 at 9:17 pm }: [...] by NationalGeographic. Ken’s blogpost: Mobile as exploration Follow Ken on [...]
33 Rethinking socially responsible design in a mobile world | Build it Kenny, and they will come... { 10.05.11 at 4:36 pm }: [...] Explorer is a case in point, and last summer while I was in Washington DC collecting the prize I wrote down my thoughts in a blog post: On reflection, it was a very bold move by the Selection Committee. Almost all of [...]
34 Rethinking socially responsible design in a mobile world : FrontlineSMS { 10.06.11 at 8:27 am }: [...] Explorer is a case in point, and last summer while I was in Washington DC collecting the prize I wrote down my thoughts in a blog post: On reflection, it was a very bold move by the Selection Committee. Almost all of [...]
35 How socially responsible mobile tech is evolving { 11.15.11 at 1:03 pm }: [...] Explorer is a case in point, and last summer while I was in Washington DC collecting the prize I wrote down my thoughts in a blog post: On reflection, it was a very bold move by the Selection Committee. Almost all of [...]