I’m sitting on the top deck of a 747 after British Airways kindly decided to upgrade me to First Class. After a week in Washington DC it feels like a fitting – if not fortunate – end to a crazy and hugely productive, thought-provoking few days. The main purpose of my trip was to attend the … Continue reading Breakfast with explorers
Tag: national geographic
Like writing? Social innovation? Technology? Read on.
If you’re interested in technology – in particular the human face of technology in international development – have excellent writing and research skills, and want to develop our presence on the National Geographic website, then we might have the perfect opportunity for you. For a number of years, kiwanja.net has worked hard to take the … Continue reading Like writing? Social innovation? Technology? Read on.
Back at National Geographic
I was no different to many other children my age, taking every opportunity to get my hands on a National Geographic magazine and flicking through each colourful page in wonder and amazement. I’d get most of mine cheap from jumble sales back then – I can afford to buy them full price these days – … Continue reading Back at National Geographic
Football. Beer. Innovation?
Ever wondered where the original idea for FrontlineSMS came from? Find out in this fun 50 second video put together by National Geographic as part of their 2010 Explorers Symposium. For more information on our work with National Geographic, check out our profile page.
The FrontlineSMS trump card
This time last year I was on my way back from Washington DC where I’d spent a week at the National Geographic Explorers Symposium. It was one of those am-I-really-here? events where you randomly share a lift with the likes of Bob Ballard – who discovered the wreck of the Titanic – or Spencer Wells, … Continue reading The FrontlineSMS trump card
The Aspen Environment Forum. In tweets.
Last week I was fortunate to attend the three-day Aspen Environment Forum (#AEF2011) in Aspen, Colorado. It gave me the perfect opportunity to “leave the tech behind” and immerse myself in some of the bigger environmental issues and challenges facing the planet today. The event boasted a fantastic line-up not only of speakers, but also … Continue reading The Aspen Environment Forum. In tweets.
National Geographic: Interview
The following interview – “Solving eco challenges with grassroots messaging” – was given to the National Geographic website last autumn. It’s republished here after it turned out to be one of the most comprehensive to date – covering everything from the role of anthropology in mobiles-for-development, the environmental impact of mobile phones and the thinking behind … Continue reading National Geographic: Interview
Beyond mobile community
Tim Smit, Founder of The Eden Project, recently gave an inspiring talk at the Emerge Conference in Oxford (which I blogged about, in Tweets, here). One of the many takeaways from his talk was this: This applies just as much to topics and subject matter as it does to people. Some of the highlights for … Continue reading Beyond mobile community
Mobile as exploration
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, … Continue reading Mobile as exploration
FrontlineSMS @ National Geographic Live!
Date: Friday October 29th, 2010 Venue: National Geographic, Washington DC Moderator: Benjamin Shaw Speakers: Saleem H. Ali, Ken Banks, Jerry Glover, Kakenya Ntalya “Meet four gifted individuals recognized by National Geographic for making a difference early in their careers. This season’s Emerging Explorers Salon, moderated by Benjamin Shaw, executive producer for the weekly radio talk show National … Continue reading FrontlineSMS @ National Geographic Live!
“Living a boys adventure tale”
I was no different to many other children my age, taking every opportunity to get my hands on a National Geographic magazine and flicking through each colourful page in wonder and amazement. I’d get most of mine cheap from jumble sales back then – I can afford to buy them full price these days – … Continue reading “Living a boys adventure tale”
Celebrating the ecosystem approach
It was a cold evening last October when I heard from National Geographic that we’d won an Emerging Explorer Award for our work in mobile. Seven months is a long time to keep a secret, but now news is out it will hopefully be the ideal platform to help us spur further development of FrontlineSMS, … Continue reading Celebrating the ecosystem approach