Building with purpose: Stories from the Now Go Build CTO Fellows
It’s been a couple of years since the last season of Now Go Build. This time around we’re taking a slightly different approach. Instead of startups, we’re focusing on the inaugural class of the Now Go Build CTO Fellows. Nine technology leaders from social impact organizations who are tackling some of humanity’s hardest problems.
These are builders working in disaster zones, climate-affected regions, and underserved communities around the world. Proving every day that when you give smart people access to good data, the right tools, and domain expertise, they can create outsized impact using technology for good.
Today, we’re releasing the first two episodes of a five part series. The first introduces each of the Fellows and the work they’re doing. The second explores how crisis mapping technologies are helping to put under-represented communities on the map. The remaining three episodes will be released in the coming weeks, focusing on AI and open data, food security, and community empowerment. All episodes will be available on All Things Distributed and YouTube.
Let this be a call to action. If you’re a builder, your skills are needed. If you’re an organization working on global challenges, the tools exist to amplify your impact. Let’s work together to put technology in the hands of those that need it most.
Now, go build!
Episode 1: Meet the Fellows
Meet the CTO Fellows working across disaster management and climate resilience, each bringing unique perspectives on how technology can address humanity’s most pressing needs. From crisis zones to community centers, these builders show what’s possible when you combine technical expertise with deep domain knowledge of humanitarian challenges.
Episode 2: Crisis Mapping
Many mapping services only map the parts of this world that are commercially interesting. Large parts of the world remain unmapped, which in times of crisis can mean the difference between life and death. Petya from the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team and Ola from Help.NGO are changing that.
Episode 3: AI and Open Data
Behind every humanitarian crisis are people making split-second decisions with incomplete information. Alicia from Mercy Corps, Kuldeep from ACAPS, and Fermín from CRIES are giving these decision-makers the tools they need to see around corners. Using open data from satellites and remote sensors, all the way down to social media posts, to monitor, predict, and take anticipatory action before a crisis occurs.
Episode 4: Food Security
The disconnect between food scarcity and food security is a solvable problem. There’s enough food in the world to feed everyone, but it doesn’t always end up where it’s needed most. Alicia from Mercy Corps, Ameesh from 412 Food Rescue, and Ola from Help.NGO discuss local and global solutions to help prevent food scarcity, and the need for a collaborative approach.
Episode 5: Empowering Communities
Global challenges need local solutions. Carlos from Green Xpo Lab, Clemence from Code for Africa, and Vijay from Watershed Organization Trust understand this. These three Fellows are using remote sensing, AI, and data analytics to drive change in civic, agricultural and environmental contexts - with communities, not just for communities.
