Humanitarian Frontiers

In Episode 7, Chris Hoffman is joined by Paula Gil Baizan (Principal, Something Meaningful) and Ben Holt (Principal, New and Useful) for a candid conversation on what the humanitarian sector needs next after a brutal 2025: is this a “reset” — or a complete redo? Paula argues we’re running on an outdated operating system built for predictable funding, stable access, and clear mandates — and those a...

In Episode 6, Chris Hoffman is joined by Kenneth Kou (Head of Venture Lab / Crypto for Good Fund, Mercy Corps Ventures) and Simon Meldrum (Innovative Finance, IFRC; Executive Director, Humanitarian Finance Forum) to unpack what “ innovative humanitarian finance ” actually means—beyond the buzzwords.  This is a wide-ranging, practical conversation about where capital can (and can’t) move the needle...

In Episode 5, Chris Hoffman is joined by Fran Baker (Director of Sustainability, Social Impact, and Innovation at Arm) , Shane O’Connor (Innovation Manager, Emerging Tech, UNICEF Office of Innovation) , and Hovig Etyemezian (Head of Innovation, UNHCR) to unpack what makes public–private partnerships actually work in humanitarian innovation. This isn’t a “pilot story.” It’s a practical conversation...

In Episode 5, Chris Hoffman is joined by Abhi Kumar (Thunes) and John Reynolds (Aleo) to make “blockchain” practical for the humanitarian world—focusing on trust, traceability, and cross-border transfers that can reduce (not replace) the need to move physical cash. Abhi explains how modern payment infrastructure is now bridging fiat rails + stablecoins through a single API, and why stablecoins lik...

In Episode 3, Chris Hoffman sits down with Kate H. Wilson (Managing Director, Impact Futures Global) and Sean Burke (Strategy Lead – Nonprofit Practice, Accenture Health & Public Service) for a straight talk on what HR has to become in humanitarian and development organisations—especially in an era of AI , tighter budgets, and rising operational complexity.  This episode goes beyond “HR polici...

In Episode 2, Chris Hoffman is joined by Sandra Uwantege Hart (Mercy Corps Ventures) and Doug Smith (Acting CEO, Data Friendly Space) for a clear-eyed conversation about open source , Digital Public Goods (DPGs) , and what sustainability really looks like once the pilot funding runs out. This episode cuts through the buzzwords and gets into the hard parts: why “everything must be open source” can...

When connectivity drops, power is limited, and the stakes are life-and-death, “cool tech” isn’t enough. In Episode 1, Chris Hoffman is joined by Camille Crittenden (Executive Director, CITRIS & the Banatao Institute at UC Berkeley) and Carlos Pignataro (former CTO at Cisco, Founder/Principal, Blue Fern Consulting; tech-for-good inventor) to talk about what it really takes to build resilient, o...

Get Ready!  New Season Launches in 2026!

During the tenth and final episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, we discuss how the changes we have seen in the past year might influence the year to come. This broad conversation covers tech advancements and adoptions in the humanitarian sector, what is fuelling the need for partnerships, and how context-specific work can support the effective use of community-driven technologies. We also get...

What happens when the worlds of policy, product development, and pragmatic decision-making collide in the race to create responsible AI? In this episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, we are joined by a panel of experts, Sabrina Shih, Hadassah Drukarch, Gayatri Jayal, and Jigyasa Grover, for an in-depth discussion of responsible AI development in humanitarian contexts. Together, they unpack the...

Who sets the rules for AI and who gets left behind? In this episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, we’re joined by Gabrielle Tran, Senior Analyst at the Institute for Security and Technology (IST), and Richard Mathenge, Co-founder of Techworker Community Africa (TCA), to explore the global landscape of AI regulation and its humanitarian impact. From the hidden labor behind AI models to the ethic...

How do donors balance risk, responsibility, and innovation in the evolving humanitarian sector? In this episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, we welcome leading voices from the donor landscape Therese Marie Uppstrøm Pankratov , Special advisor at Innovation Norway, Sian White, Director of UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub, and Zainah Alsamman, Senior Progam Manager at Grand Challenges, to discuss...

As the humanitarian sector navigates significant transformation, AI is emerging as an essential tool, but how do we ensure it is used effectively, ethically, and at scale? In this episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, we welcome Nana Gamkrelidze, Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Delegate at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Karin Maa...

What does it actually take to use LLMs? We may see the prompt center and receive a beautiful answer or use a WhatsApp chatbot and have an informative conversation, but the reality is that there’s a lot that goes on in the background. There are also a lot of things that NGOs will need to consider as they move forward in a changing world. AWS AI specialist David Master and Tech Tavern founder Scott...

How can humanitarian organizations harness the power of AI while safeguarding data and ensuring ethical use? In this episode, hosts Nasim Motalebi and Chris Hoffman are joined by experts Jeff Wagg and Matthew Harris to demystify the complexities of AI and data management in the humanitarian space. Jeff is an AI consultant for Relief International, where he focuses on deploying innovative AI soluti...

Are we ready to let AI drive humanitarian solutions or are we rushing toward an ethical disaster? In this episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, host Chris Hoffman is joined by AI experts Emily Springer, Mala Kumar, and Suzy Madigan to tackle the pressing question of accountability when AI systems cause harm and how to ensure that AI truly serves those who need it most. Together, they discuss th...

Implementing a successful AI strategy for your social enterprise may seem overwhelming, but with the right support, the results can be transformative. In today’s conversation, hosts Nasim Motalebi and Chris Hoffman sit down with Juriaan Lahr and Lindsey Moore to discuss how humanitarian organizations can implement and build a successful AI strategy. Juriaan is the Director of Digital Transformatio...

How should we think strategically about AI, address its emerging challenges, and approach solutions with realistic expectations? In the inaugural episode of Humanitarian Frontiers in AI, hosts Nasim Motalebi and Chris Hoffman are joined by Michael Tjalve from Humanitarian AI Advisory, Hovig Etyemezian from UNHCR, and Nick Thompson of The Atlantic . Together, they delve into the efficiencies and co...