Our Lives + Tech

In the final episode of this series Adah Parris is joined by Vicki Hearn, the Director of Nominet Trust, to discuss the future of socially motivated tech. Together they explore key themes of collaboration, innovation and infrastructure in propelling the success of social tech ventures across the world. Vicki also shares details of a brand new grant funding programme opening in July – ‘Tech to Unite Us’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Adah Parris is joined by two entrepreneurs using seemingly low-tech solutions to solve big global challenges. Wefarm founder and CEO Kenny Ewan explains how he’s built a groundbreaking peer-to-peer network for small scale farmers across the world, helping them share knowledge using the humble SMS text message. Plus, we meet Joanne Peter (Global Community Impact, Johnson & Johnson), who introduces Momconnect – a project in partnership with the South African Department of Health providing vital healthcare information to mothers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Adah Parris meets Lucy Yu from Five.ai to explore the future of autonomous travel. She explains how the business – that has raised over $35 million investment in a bid become Europe’s leading provider of safe, shared, self-driving cars – aims to change the way we travel. Plus we meet Keenan Wyrobek to find out how his company, Zipline, is reinventing the courier network to deliver lifesaving healthcare to some of the world’s hardest-to-reach areas using drones.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Adah Parris is joined by Oliver Armitage from Cambridge Bio-Augmentation Systems (CBAS) to discuss the cutting edge tech being developed for amputees – from skeletal implants to advanced robotics. Oliver explains why he’s on a mission to create an 'open standard' connection to the body, and what's needed to help the industry advance faster. Plus, we meet James Young aka ‘Metal Gear Man’ – a committed techie using his own body as a canvas for bionic research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus edition, Adah Parris introduces a series of inspiring talks from Nominet Trust’s recent #NT100is5 celebration, marking 5 years of the NT100 campaign. We hear from people and projects using tech to effect meaningful social change, including Kate Wolfenden from Project X, Bunmi Durowoju from Microsoft and ElsaMarie D’Silva of Safecity – who discuss routes of acceleration, learning from mistakes, and reaching new ground.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cryptocurrency and the blockchain has somewhat of a murky reputation, clouded in hype and fear of dodgy dealings – but looking past the negatives, could Bitcoin's underlying technology actually be a new secret weapon for the charity and social impact sector? In this episode Adah Parris is joined by Raphaël Mazet to explore the potential of the blockchain for social good. He explains how his company, Alice.si, is harnessing the tech to build trust, transparency and impact into projects with partners such as St Mungos. Plus we meet Niall Dennehy, whose company AID:Tech is on a mission to bring digital identity to the underserved and underrepresented communities across the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Adah Parris explores virtual and augmented reality alongside producer Catherine Allen, of Liminia Immersive. Together they discuss the pros and cons of this emerging new medium – plus strategies for building a diverse industry from the ground up. We also hear from Dom Raban whose project, Patient's Virtual Guide, showcases the positive potential of augmented reality as a powerful tool in healthcare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial intelligence is one of the hottest topics in the tech sphere today, and its application is increasingly playing a part of our everyday lives – from customer service to healthcare, crime and beyond. But how can we ensure the algorithms are fair and built with human purpose at the core? In this episode Adah Parris is joined by Sherif Elsayed-Ali, the founder of Amnesty International’s 'Tech and Human Rights' programme to share his thoughts. Plus we hear from Jen Hyatt, the founder of Troo.ai – a Nominet Trust funded project using AI to improve people’s lives through conversation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode one Adah Parris explores the ethical principles of big data alongside Emma Prest, Executive Director of DataKind UK. They discuss why you should care about the way your information is used, how data can be used for social good and why the industry needs to change its ethics. Plus we hear the compelling story of peace activist Bjorn Ihler, whose life-changing escape from a terror attack led him to join the fight against violent radicalism, through tech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Series launches on Thursday 22nd February – subscribe now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.