In this episode, Dimagi product leaders Danny Roberts, Kai Cowger, and Matthew Hayto delve into the challenges and opportunities of building SaaS products for global health. This insightful conversation explores transitioning from donor-driven funding to a product-driven model, focusing on user needs, product sustainability, and scaling for impact. The episode highlights the complexity of aligning revenue and impact in resource-constrained settings, the importance of product marketing, and the lessons learned from scaling solutions like CommCare and SureAdhere. Tune in to discover practical strategies for creating technology that drives meaningful, lasting change in global health.

In this episode, Nora Lindström, Senior Director of ICT4D at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Erin Quinn, Senior Director of Customer Success at Dimagi join the podcast to discuss the evolving role of the iNGO in the context of localization and advancing local leadership, the intersection of technology and localization in global development, and the ways that technologists in global development can center the people we serve in our work. In the conversation, we learn Nora’s  journey and insights into the transformative power of technology in global development. From empowering local communities with data to navigating the challenges of localization, Nora offers her thinking on balancing tech innovation with human-centered practices. Key topics: Tech as an Enabler, Not the Goal Nora emphasizes the importance of listening deeply to identify real problems before introducing technology. Successful ICT4D involves tailoring solutions to local contexts and needs. Different Approaches to Enabling Programs with Technology Erin shares the ways that iNGOs across the sector are equipping their teams with tech tools. Nora shares how it adapts its approach based on the partner and context.  Empowering Communities with Data Nota notes global development’s tendency towards extractive data collection practices and highlights her work making data useful for the people it’s about. For example, in Malawi, village committees use CRS-provided data to advocate for local changes. The Evolving Role of INGOs As localization gains momentum, CRS is evolving into a capacity-building and knowledge-sharing role, preparing local organizations to lead development initiatives independently. Building Diverse Teams Nora highlights the value of diversity within CRS’s ICT4D team, bringing together cross-disciplinary expertise to solve global challenges creatively and effectively. Show Notes: CRS Digital Development Guidebook  CRS | ICT4D Program Area 

In this episode of High-Impact Growth, hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro talk with Dr. Charles Elliott, Director of Data Management at Cure Violence Global (CVG), an organization using a public health approach to prevent violence. Dr. Elliott shares insights into how CVG views violence like an epidemic, applying data-driven methods to map and reduce violence in communities around the world. Dr. Elliott articulates the value of a thoughtful data strategy using a tool like  CommCare to measure and track critical indicators such as violence interruption, behavior change, and norm change. Dr. Elliott highlights that for Cure Violence, technology is not just a tool but a long-term investment that powers program funding, staffing, and programmatic decisions. The conversation covers the challenges of quantifying the impact of violence prevention, the significance of trust-building in communities, and the role of data in driving both local and national violence prevention strategies. Dr. Elliott also touches on his personal journey from military service to data management, emphasizing the importance of creating systems that empower community workers, who often play a crucial role in violence prevention programs. Dr. Elliott shares his guidance for other organizations looking to leverage data as a strategic advantage and impact accelerant: Start with Clear Goals: Define your program with specific goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to effectively measure progress. For Cure Violence, they measure metrics like violence interruption, behavior change, and norm change. Build Relationships: Foster strong relationships with data users to understand their needs and communicate the value of the data being collected. Create User-Centric Tools: Ensure that data collection tools are easy to use and enhance, rather than hinder, workflows. For example, Cure Violence uses the CommCare application to map violence, track follow-ups, and access reports. Prioritize Data Privacy and Security: Building trust with users and stakeholders is crucial, so ensure privacy and security in data collection. Invest for the Long Term: Treat your tech platform as a long-term investment to ensure lasting impact, rather than a short-term expense. For Cure Violence, this data helps drive funding decisions and program design. Related Resources: Cure Violence Global website The Interrupters - PBS Documentary featuring Cobe Williams, CVG’s National Training Director  Interrupting Violence by Cobe Williams Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends.  Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

In this episode of High Impact Growth hosts Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson, dive into one of Dimagi’s most ambitious and potentially transformative projects to date, CommCare Connect. This platform is designed to improve the jobs of community health workers (CHWs) by equipping them with digital tools to learn new skills, deliver health services, verify their work, and, crucially, get paid for additional work. By doing so, CommCare Connect seeks to address some of the biggest challenges in the global health space, such as the underpayment and disempowerment of CHWs and funding wasted on digital tools that don’t survive the project’s end, while driving better health outcomes globally. Throughout the conversation, Dimagi team members Mercy Simiyu, Sarvesh Tewari, and Dhivya Sivaramakrishnan, share insights from their direct work on CommCare Connect and with locally led organizations and CHWs across various regions, including Kenya and Malawi. They provide an in-depth look at how CommCare Connect has evolved over the past two years and reflect on early success stories, challenges, and lessons learned. During this conversation we unpack the four pillars of CommCare Connect’s technology: Learn: CHWs acquire new skills through digital learning modules. Deliver: CHWs are able to provide health services in their communities, equipped with the right job aids. Verify: Their service delivery is digitally verified in real-time. Pay: CHWs are compensated fairly for the work they opt into. Show Notes: CommCare Connect year in review 2023 CommCare Connect public overview CommCare Connect reaches 100,000 services delivered CommCare Connect Child Health Campaign RFP (now closed) For inquiries, ideas or information on how you can get involved please reach out to: [email protected] Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends.  Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

In today’s conversation, co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro are joined by Nan Chen, Co-Executive Director of Africa Frontline First. Africa Frontline First is on a mission to increase financing for community health worker programs across Africa to save and improve lives. Half of the world's population lack access to essential health services and community health workers, who expand primary health services door-to-door even in the hardest to reach communities, are an essential part of the solution. But financing remains the primary challenge to scale and sustain community health worker programs, despite a 10:1 return on investment. Today’s conversation centers on the ways that Africa Frontline First, a partnership from the Community Health Impact Coalition, the Financing Alliance for Health, and Last Mile Health, is working to make financing more available and effective for these life-saving programs, as well as the role of technology in accelerating impact. Show Notes: Africa Frontline First Website Africa CDC Community Health Reform Cycle  Reaching the Last Mile commitment that was the outcome of the process discussed of “listening to aligning to committing” US $100M Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund launch  AFF partner, Living Goods, supported the launch of new Community Health strategy in Burkina Faso Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠X, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends.  Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

Dr. Kelly Collins and Gillian Javetski join co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro for a candid conversation about the market for digital health products. Kelly returned from the World Health Assembly with a burning question: How can we teach global health to buy software as a commodity, the same way they might buy drugs or diagnostic tools? How might we peel back the influence of aid and donor funds on digital health so that we can build tech products for global health that matter? In this conversation, Gillian, Kelly and Jonathan each share their approaches to maintaining focus on solving problems and creating value for the digital health user across CommCare, SureAdhere and CommCare Connect.  Topics include:  The dual challenge of increasing security demands and increasingly limited funding The lag in procurement maturity compared to technological advancements, and the importance of creating must-have, high-value products. What it takes to shift from donor-driven to user-focused development Dimagi’s ability and strategic position to lead this shift The need for better market education to support a healthier market for tech products in global health and development Show Notes: Is Aid Killing The Startup Ecosystem In Africa? (Part 1) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aid-killing-startup-ecosystem-africa-part-1-david-chen-mgi8e Is Aid Killing the African Startup Ecosystem? (Part 2) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aid-killing-african-startup-ecosystem-part-2-david-chen-ovp4e Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Aid-Working-Better-Africa/dp/0374532125  CommCare connect year in review: https://dimagi.com/commcare-connect-2023/  CommCare Connect reaches a milestone of 100,000 service deliveries: https://dimagi.com/commcare-connect-reaches-100000-deliveries/ CommCare webpage: https://dimagi.com/commcare/  Sureadhere webpage: https://dimagi.com/sureadhere/  Steele Foundation for Hope: https://www.steelefoundationforhope.org/

Jayson Morris, Jonathan’s coach, joins the podcast for a candid dialogue on the challenges of social enterprise leadership amidst increasing uncertainty. Jayson shares his journey from investment banking to international development and eventually to coaching, highlighting his experience with burnout and neuroadrenal fatigue. He emphasizes the importance of tapping into the body’s innate wisdom and using tools like the Enneagram and self-compassion to support leadership. The discussion emphasizes how somatic awareness can help leaders manage stress, build trust and presence, and lead teams through complex challenges. Jonathan and Amie share their experiences with incorporating somatic techniques into their leadership styles, illustrating the shift from performance-driven to capacity building. This episode is packed with tools and techniques, drawing from somatics and a wide range of powerful frameworks to help each of us lead positive change. Related Resources: Jayson Morris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-morris/ Jayson Morris coaching website: www.withinsight.coach Brene Brown Amy Edmondson | Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff Locating Yourself - A Key to Conscious Leadership Tara Brach | Meditation, Emotional Healing, and Spiritual Awakening Jack Kornfield | Buddhist Monk Sharon Salzberg | Meditation Pioneer Positive Intelligence | Saboteurs Test Inside Out 2 Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends.  Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

In Part 3 in our series on AI, Brian DeRenzi, head of Dimagi's research and data team, joins Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro to discuss how advances in AI can affect global health and development. They discuss AI's rapid evolution, practical applications, and the importance of thoughtful implementation to avoid a future where only the privileged benefit. The discussion covers Dimagi's focus on equitable AI through direct-to-client work, how AI can support health workers, and Dimagi’s new bot building and testing platform, Open Chat Studio.  Discussion points: AI Evolution: Exploring the rapid advancements in AI models and technologies Dimagi's AI Projects: Insights into Dimagi's current AI initiatives and their goals Generative AI in Healthcare: Practical applications and benefits for healthcare workers and clients Equitable AI Deployment: Strategies to ensure AI technology is accessible to all Open Chat Studio: Introduction to Dimagi's platform for developing and testing chatbots  Language Accessibility: Challenges and progress in LLM’s support for low-resource language

Today we are sharing an episode from a podcast we think you'll enjoy. System Catalysts is about the incredible people who are fixing the broken systems that run the world. --- Are you an organ donor? If yes, good for you! But you should know that your organs might not reach the person who needs them. That’s because the organ donation system is a mess, leading to over a dozen preventable deaths daily. Thankfully, our guests today – Greg Segal of Organize and Jennifer Erickson of Federation of American Scientists –  tell us about how they discovered the hidden problem in organ donation and how they’re going to fix it. If you want to learn more about Organize, visit organize.org. Find more episodes at System Catalysts: https://www.systemcatalysts.com/episodes System Catalysts is produced by Hueman Group Media. --- Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends.  Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

One in 800 babies are born with clubfoot, a treatable birth impairment that left untreated prevents a child from walking, and becomes the root cause for illiteracy, abuse, malnutrition, and poverty in many parts of the world. Clubfoot is routinely treated at birth in high income countries, but historically children born in low and middle income countries have not had access to quality treatment. Today, co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro sit down with Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld, co-founder of MiracleFeet to hear about how she and her team have dedicated themselves to making a simple, cost-effective treatment for clubfoot available to every baby born with the condition. They are on track to serve 100,000 children later this year with a goal to treat 70% of clubfoot cases in the countries they operate in. We discuss: Chesca’s journey from the moment she realized she wanted to get out of the corporate world and discovered a fixable problem she could focus on, including her recent decision to step down as CEO to ensure long-term sustainability of the organization How Chesca’s business background helped her take a different approach to building the organization and investing in technology to support its mission The art of storytelling for a little known cause focused on dignity and possibility How to fundraise from cost-effectiveness focused investors   How the thoughtful implementation of a mobile data collection system (CommCare) allowed MiracleFeet’s providers to measure quality, deliver better services, and gather data to support continual fundraising How to ensure quality while scaling an intervention Pivotal moments in Chesca’s journey including breaking down in tears on a redeye to secure a $1 million grant from Google Listening to your intuition and backing it up with rigorous data and analysis Chapters: 01:26 Welcoming Chesca: The Journey Begins 01:57 Chesca's Backstory: From Global Childhood to Business World 03:55 Discovering a Treatment for Clubfoot: A Life-Changing Moment 05:16 The Birth of MiracleFeet: From Vision to Reality 05:34 Taking the Leap: Transitioning from Corporate to Social Impact 08:59 Building MiracleFeet: Challenges, Fundraising, and Growth 21:08 Reflections on Storytelling, Fundraising, and Instinct 27:19 Expanding Reach and Impact: The Future of MiracleFeet 39:11 Harnessing Technology for Global Health Impact 40:22 Innovative Solutions to Healthcare Challenges 42:57 Empowering Local Teams with Data 46:27 Navigating Founder Transition and Organizational Growth 56:53 Mentoring the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs 01:12:37 Reflections on Business Acumen in Nonprofit Success MiracleFeet: https://www.miraclefeet.org/ MiracleFeet's use of CommCare: https://www.miraclefeet.org/stories/the-tool-that-saved-us-in-2020 Impact Delivery: https://sites.dimagi.com/impact-delivery Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends. Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro