IDC 2010 - Panel speaker bios

SAT, 4/10, 4:20 - 5:40 PM. Location: TBD

Mobile technologies are an important driver of social and economic development in developing countries and are fast transforming the landscape of communications and access to services. This panel will focus on the impact of mobile solutions in areas such as Financial Services, Health, and Access to information in field operations such as crisis intervention and vulnerability mapping. Moderated discussion with the panelists will be followed by a question and answer session.

Biographies

Joost is an innovation ecologist studying global transformations at the level of invention in research labs, action in entrepreneurial ventures, and the orchestration of innovation ecosystems generally. He co-founded and has taught the 15.971 / MAS.665 Development Ventures since 2001. He is co-founder of the Howtoons Project which distributes educational cartoons which show kids everywhere "How To" build things. He finished the Management of Technology program at the MIT Sloan school with his thesis "The Innovation Institute: From Creative Inquiry Through Real-World Impact" at MIT. Prior to MIT Sloan, Bonsen ran the MIT Founders Project which quantified the economic impact of MIT-related entrepreneurs. Joost did his Bachelor's in Bio-Electrical Engineering also at MIT.

Neil runs the Mobile Money Transfer project at the GSMA, the global trade association of more than 800 operators based in London. Since joining the GSMA in 2007 he has been involved with encouraging cross-industry collaboration for emerging products, specifically working with mobile operators, financial institutions and technology providers to develop of mobile money solutions. Neil has also developed a mobile money consulting service within the GSMA to further accelerate the deployment of mobile money services in emerging markets. He has a BSc in Physics and Mathematical Sciences from the University of Western Australia.

Katherine Maher is a partnerships and projects coordinator for technology-supported development and services for UNICEF's Innovation Team in New York. Her work includes improving access to information in low-bandwidth environments, mobile solutions for improved service delivery, and capacity building for sustainable community practice. Her most recent work has focused on the role of mobile technology for the health of mothers and children in high HIV-burden settings in rural Malawi and Zambia. Prior to joining UNICEF, Katherine worked an International Manager for HSBC Bank in the UK, Germany, and Canada, and as an intern on the Middle East for Eurasia Group and the Council on Foreign Relations. She studied at the American University in Cairo and New York University, where she earned her B.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Additionally, Katherine is a co-founder of Sharek961.org, Ushahidi-based platform for the promotion of transparency and accountability in Lebanon, and is involved in issues of governance and economic opportunity in the MENA region.

Don has founded and served as engineering director in a series of high tech startups in the fields of semiconductor inspection, fiber network monitoring, and biometrics and medical devices. Most recently, he is involved in optical systems development in the areas of iris and retina imaging, skin cancer imaging, micro fiber optics imaging of the eye for precision tracking. In the last three years he has consulted in the field of economic development with Hartwell Associates. Projects have been in Bangladesh and with Corporacion Andina Fomento, a development bank for the Andean countries in South Asian and recently Ghana. Don has a B.S. in Electro-Optics from MIT and graduate education in physics and electrical engineering with a specialization in optics and lasers.