Dimagi

High-Impact Growth

#88 in Technology · 🇦🇪 #191 in Technology · 🇵🇰

About the show

A podcast for social entrepreneurs, global development funders, nonprofit leaders and anyone working out how to build technology and organizations that are deeply impactful and can scale. Dimagi CEO and co-founder Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro host the show, drawing on more than 20 years of building digital solutions for global health and development. Our guests have taken ideas from pilot to scale, or fund the people trying to. We talk about what it takes to grow, AI on the frontline, and how funding is changing. Find us at: https://dimagi.com/podcast/

Newest episodes

Coefficient Giving’s Launchpad: Seeding the Next Generation of Global Health Funds

Nov 3, 2026 50 min

Billions of dollars in new philanthropic funding are expected to come online in the next few years, and Coefficient Giving wants the ecosystem ready to absorb it. Nic Lyon, Program Officer for Global Health and Wellbeing at Coefficient Giving, joins Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro to explain Launchpad, a new effort to seed and scale outcome-oriented funds, each led by a single accountable general manager. Nic walks through why funds can make the work legible to new donors and simpler to back than dozens of separate projects, why Coefficient Giving is betting on individuals rather than institutions, and why every fund should have an off-ramp once its goal is met. He also shares what reviewing the proposals has been like: applications about 20% stronger than expected, where AI helped and where it showed, and why a credible pathway to $100 million or more mattered. Drawing on his early fieldwork at IDinsight and a PhD in political science at Stanford, Nic also talks about evidence generation and when a cause area needs more evidence before it is ready to fund. Related Resources: Request for Proposals: Launchpad Funds, Coefficient Giving's call for new and scaled outcome-oriented funds: https://coefficientgiving.org/funds/global-health-wellbeing-opportunities/request-for-proposals-launchpad-funds/ We're Scaling Our Global Health & Wellbeing Giving and We Want the Field to Scale With Us, the context for Launchpad: https://coefficientgiving.org/research/were-scaling-our-global-health-wellbeing-giving-and-we-want-the-field-to-scale-with-us/ Coefficient Giving's Largest Grant Ever: $276 million, co-funded with GiveWell, to the Against Malaria Foundation for bed net campaigns in the DRC: https://coefficientgiving.org/research/coefficient-givings-largest-grant-ever-276-million-co-funded-with-givewell-to-the-against-malaria-foundation/ Announcing the Health Aid Transition Fund: https://coefficientgiving.org/research/announcing-the-health-aid-transition-fund/ Related Hi...

Skin-to-Skin, at Scale: Ansh’s Supriya Bansal on Saving Newborns

Oct 28, 2026 51 min

Kangaroo Mother Care, prolonged skin-to-skin contact between a caregiver and a small or premature baby, is one of the most effective ways to prevent newborn deaths, and one of the hardest to deliver well. Supriya Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Ansh, joins Jonathan Jackson to share how her team is bringing it into government hospitals in India, growing from two pilot hospitals to 15 district hospitals in Rajasthan, with Madhya Pradesh next. Supriya explains why Kangaroo Care is really a behavior change intervention, why Ansh's nurses ask new mothers to try it for just one day, and why she designed her pilots to look like scale from the start. She also talks about keeping quality high as delivery shifts toward government, pairing accountability with a weekly call where nurses share what keeps them going, and adding care for critically ill newborns and follow-up at home on top of the hospital model. She closes with advice for anyone looking to have more impact: keep an open mind, and get your hands dirty. Related Resources: Ansh — Kangaroo Care Scaling Grant, Rajasthan, India (GiveWell): https://www.givewell.org/research/grants/ansh-kangaroo-care-scaling-grant-rajasthan-india-december-2024 Kangaroo Mother Care (GiveWell's review of the evidence): https://www.givewell.org/international/technical/programs/kangaroo-mother-care Immediate "Kangaroo Mother Care" and Survival of Infants with Low Birth Weight (WHO study, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021): https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2026486 Introducing Ansh (Supriya on the EA Forum): https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/hTEaKau8D4Ah3NPcu/introducing-ansh-a-charity-entrepreneurship-incubated Ambitious Impact's charity directory: https://www.ambitiousimpact.com/our-charities Ansh: https://www.ansh.health/ Related High-Impact Growth episodes: Joey Savoie: Why Grantmaking, Not Money, Is the Bottleneck: https://dimagi.com/podcast/grantmaking-bottleneck-philanthropy/ Grow the Pie with Nick Allardice: https://dima...

AI Chatbots in Humanitarian Crises: GOAL's Hard-Won Lessons

Oct 21, 2026 28 min

What does it actually take to deploy AI chatbots safely in humanitarian response? Liz Devine, Head of the Program Technical Team at GOAL Global, joins Amie Vaccaro, Jonathan Jackson, and Dimagi's Erin Quinn to share hard-won lessons from building a multichannel chatbot during an mpox outbreak in Sierra Leone — and adapting it for cholera response in South Sudan. With over a decade in the humanitarian sector, from South Sudan to the Syria and Ukraine responses, Liz brings a rare ground-level perspective on innovating with vulnerable populations. She explains why an emergency is the worst time to build new tech, why keeping a human in the loop at key decision points is non-negotiable, and how referral pathways and safeguards keep sensitive cases from slipping through the cracks. She also offers practical advice on securing donor funding for experimental pilots despite shrinking budgets — starting with clearly defining the problem you're solving. As Liz puts it, AI can do the recommending, but people must make the decisions. A candid, practical conversation for anyone wanting to cut through the AI hype. Related Resources: GOAL Global – Irish humanitarian organization working in 13+ countries on health, nutrition, food security, and climate resilience. Twilio – Communications API used to relay and anonymize chatbot messages in GOAL's deployment. monday.com for Nonprofits – Work platform GOAL uses (via free humanitarian licenses) for reporting and analysis of chatbot data. WhatsApp Business Platform – The community-facing channel for GOAL's multichannel chatbot, supporting text, voice, and images. CommCare by Dimagi – Dimagi's leading open-source platform for frontline workers, and a tool GOAL uses. 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 frien...

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All episodes

Coefficient Giving’s Launchpad: Seeding the Next Generation of Global Health Funds

Nov 3, 2026 50 min

Skin-to-Skin, at Scale: Ansh’s Supriya Bansal on Saving Newborns

Oct 28, 2026 51 min

AI Chatbots in Humanitarian Crises: GOAL's Hard-Won Lessons

Oct 21, 2026 28 min

Joey Savoie: Why Grantmaking, Not Money, Is the Bottleneck

Oct 15, 2026 59 min

Effective grantmaking is now the real bottleneck in philanthropy, says Joey Savoie, founder of Elevate Philanthropy and co-founder of Ambitious Impact, the charity incubator behind more than 65 new organizations. After years of scarcity, a wave of new tech wealth has flipped the question for many NGOs from surviving budget cuts to what they would do with double. In this one-on-one conversation with Dimagi CEO Jonathan Jackson, Joey explains why the hardest part isn't the money, but finding people who know how to give it away well. He shares why the most honest charities often get penalized for their honesty, why your fundraising ability is your comms skill multiplied by how good your organization actually is, and why, when a whole field of NGOs starts behaving strangely, you should look at the funders. Joey also makes the case for more philanthropic funds alongside foundations, a clearer path for training the next generation of grant makers, and smarter grant application processes that cut redundant work. Whether you're writing grant applications or deciding where a suddenly bigger budget should go, this episode offers practical advice from both sides of the table. Related Resources: Elevate Philanthropy: Joey's organization, which trains funders and grantmakers to deploy capital more effectively. Ambitious Impact (AIM): the charity incubator Joey co-founded, formerly Charity Entrepreneurship, which has launched 65+ high-impact charities. Top New Philanthropic Funds – Measured Life: Joey's list of 10 philanthropic funds he thinks should exis. Increasing Our 2026 Allocation to GiveWell's Recommendations to $1 Billion – Coefficient Giving: the $1B announcement discussed in the episode. Scaling Our Impact, with Support from a $1 Billion Commitment – GiveWell: GiveWell's side of the announcement. GiveWell Opens RFI for Malaria Pilots and Research: the malaria request for information Jonathan describes, which let applicants opt in to having their application shared wit...

Justin Steele on the Legibility Trap in Philanthropy

Oct 12, 2026 50 min

Justin Steele gave away nearly $700 million leading Google.org’s philanthropy across the Americas, and he watched funding flow to the nonprofits closest to power rather than those closest to the problem. Now the founder of Kindora, a public benefit corporation using AI to help nonprofits find funders who’d actually say yes, he calls this the legibility trap. In conversation with Dimagi CEO Jonathan Jackson, Justin takes listeners inside a grant maker’s head: how a seven-person team ran a $150 million annual budget, why portfolios so often follow personal networks, and why honest feedback is so rare. They debate whether an LLM tuned on community wisdom could read a grant application more fairly than a program officer, why AI works best as a “junior staff member’s first read,” and why “not a fit” and “not competitive” are very different no’s. Justin also shares his bet on democratizing ownership of Kindora itself through a community crowd raise. Whether you’re fundraising, grant making, or building something mission-driven, you’ll come away with a sharper sense of how capital actually moves, and how it could move better. Related Resources: Kindora: Justin’s public benefit corporation. It uses AI to help nonprofits find high-fit funders, map warm connections and draft grant applications Kindora’s Wefunder Campaign: Support Kindora’s active fundraising campaign and learn more about the opportunity to invest in its mission. The Legibility Trap (EA Forum): Justin’s article on how “fund the most rigorous thinkers” can quietly favor the wrong organizations. Outdoorithm Collective: the nonprofit Justin and his wife co-founded to take urban families out into nature. Kindora began as their own fundraising tool. Incorruptible by Eric Ries: Ries’s new book on why good companies go bad, which Justin and Jon discuss. The Steve Fund: a nonprofit focused on the mental health of young people of color, and one of the grantees in the Google.org teen mental health portfolio Justin desc...

AI Philanthropy Is Coming. Are You Legibly Excellent?

Sep 21, 2026 55 min

What happens when AI philanthropy actually arrives? Jack Lewars advises donors giving up to nine figures a year — and he argues the wave of wealth expected from AI company IPOs is more locked in than skeptics think, with potentially $130 billion or more committed to charity even in conservative scenarios. In this conversation with hosts Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson, Jack explains why concentration is the real risk ("two big funders beat one twice the size"), why the bottleneck to scaling global health organizations isn't money but managing directors and chiefs of staff, and why he has no patience for scaling plans that end in “…government adoption." Drawing on his experience running One for the World and building a mid-stage global health fund — the "Series A" of the sector — Jack lays out exactly what implementing organizations should do now to position themselves: be cost-effective, be evidence-backed, be visible to intermediaries like GiveWell and Coefficient Giving. And whatever you do, don't send a cold email. Jack Lewars is the founder of Ultra Philanthropy, an independent advisory that helps major donors give for maximum impact. He advises donors giving up to nine figures a year, and is Chair of Trustees at High Impact Athletes. He writes the Funding Anthropalypse newsletter, commenting on the expected wave of AI philanthropy in 2027 and beyond. He is also the Fund Manager of the Ultra Philanthropy Mid-stage Global Health Fund, which makes strategic grants and offers hands-on technical and management assistance to bring high impact global health projects to scale. Ultra Philanthropy – Jack Lewars's independent advisory helping major donors give for maximum impact, home of the mid-stage global health fund. Jack Lewars's Substack – His newsletter on AI wealth and philanthropy, referenced throughout the episode. GiveWell – Charity evaluator that recently received a $1 billion commitment from Coefficient Giving and made its largest-ever grant to the Agains...

Disability Inclusion in Global Development, with Dr. Victor Pineda

Sep 17, 2026 45 min

Disability inclusion in global development starts with a question most teams never ask: who is your technology quietly leaving out? Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda, executive director of Berkeley's Center for Independent Living, president of the global inclusion nonprofit World Enabled, and one of the youngest delegates to help draft the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, joins Amie Vaccaro and guest co-host Erin Quinn for a conversation that moves from a Caracas classroom, where his mother was told her son could never be educated, to the floor of the United Nations, to the frontier of artificial intelligence. Dr. Pineda explains why the assistive technology of today becomes the mainstream technology of tomorrow, why AI trained on averages risks erasing the people at the edges of the bell curve, and what implementers and funders can do differently starting tomorrow: hire disabled technologists, build to WCAG AA, optimize for screen readers, demand accessibility through procurement. Underneath it all is his central claim — we already have enough knowledge to unlock human potential. What's missing isn't know-how. It's the collective decision to use it. Related Resources: Podcast hosted by Dr. Victor Pineda: The Independent: Meeting the Moment for Disability Justice available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube The Center for Independent Living (CIL), Berkeley – The world's first independent living center, founded in 1972 and now led by Dr. Pineda; the origin point for many principles later written into the UN CRPD. Pineda Foundation / World Enabled – Dr. Pineda's global nonprofit advancing inclusive urban development, digital equity, and disability rights worldwide. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – The treaty Dr. Pineda helped draft, setting out the rights and dignity of over a billion people with disabilities. Being Heumann (Apple Original Films) – Siân Heder's film of Judy Heumann's memoir and the 26-day 1977 Se...

Grow the Pie: GiveDirectly's CEO on Absorbing the Third Wave

Aug 21, 2026 52 min

Five years ago, they were mid-level software engineers. Today, they hold giving accounts larger than major foundations — and the sector they want to fund may not be ready to absorb the money. Nick Allardice, CEO of GiveDirectly and former CEO of Change.org, joins Amie and Jonathan to unpack his widely discussed article "The Absorption Problem" and what the "third wave" of philanthropy means for global development. Nick explains why the biggest risk isn't money going to the wrong place, but money sitting on the sidelines for lack of credible places to put it — and why he regularly refers major donors to other organizations to "grow the pie, not divide it." The conversation digs into the voltage drop (research suggests 50–90% of programs lose substantial impact as they scale), why nonprofits rarely ask what their total addressable market is, and how GiveDirectly is winding down complexity to prepare to move much larger sums. Nick closes with candid advice for the newly wealthy: give away 10% of your net wealth in year one, learn by doing, and don't disconnect from the joy of giving. Related Resources: The Absorption Problem by Nick Allardice The Overlooked Absorptive Capacity of Locally-Led Organizations by Jonathan Jackson and Neal Lesh The Third Wave of American Philanthropy by Nan Ransohoff Increasing Our 2026 Allocation to GiveWell's Recommendations to $1 Billion by Coefficient Giving The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale by John A. List 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

From Embracing Complexity to Solving the Right Problems

Aug 18, 2026 46 min

Could a funder deploy $100 million in global health tomorrow and know where every single dollar went? Dimagi CEO and co-founder Jonathan Jackson believes verified service delivery finally makes the answer yes. In this candid mid-2026 check-in, Jon joins co-host Amie Vaccaro, VP of CommCare Growth and Strategy, to unpack a year of profound change including why Dimagi retired its longtime value "embrace complexity for impact" in favor of "solving the right problems for impact," and what that shift reveals about affordability in a post-USAID funding landscape. Jon walks step-by-step through a single Connect-enabled home visit, from opt-in push notification to real-time payment, and shares the numbers behind the platform: over 1.5 million verified visits, 200+ local organizations expressing interest, and 80 cents of every dollar reaching frontline workers, local organizations, and commodities. The conversation also explores how AI is putting program design directly into the hands of local organizations, automating roles, not people. As Jon puts it: "When you do a better job today, the system knows it and can offer you even more work tomorrow." Related Resources: Dimagi Connect – Dimagi's verified service delivery platform connecting funders with local organizations and frontline workers. CommCare by Dimagi – The open-source platform for frontline workers that Connect is built on, with a quarter million active users worldwide. GiveWell – The evidence-based charity evaluator whose request for information on post-market malaria rapid diagnostic test surveillance inspired Dimagi's AI-built Connect pilot. Steel Foundation for Hope – An early flagship funder that Amie credits with seeing Connect's potential. Kevin Starr episode of High-Impact Growth – https://dimagi.com/podcast/funders-power-to-change-the-system/ Eric Ries episode of High-Impact Growth – https://dimagi.com/podcast/podcast-eric-ries-good-companies-go-bad/ Kikapu Gardens field visit video – https://drive.goog...

Eric Ries on Why Good Companies Go Bad

Aug 7, 2026 56 min

What does it really mean to make a profit — and why do so many mission-driven companies eventually betray the very things that made them great? In this episode, Eric Ries, creator of The Lean Startup and founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange, joins Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson to discuss his new book Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great. Eric dismantles the conventional definition of profit and offers a radical replacement — profit as the maximization of human flourishing — then explains "financial gravity," the unconscious pull that bends organizations toward the values of whoever holds the money, whether investors or donors. Through the origin stories of Costco and Novo Nordisk, he shows how "mission lock" structures protected both companies — in Novo Nordisk's case, preserving the research that became Ozempic and creating over $500 billion in shareholder value. The conversation closes with practical power for everyone else: a "no-courage activism" question any job candidate can ask, and why every transaction you make transmits your values. As Eric puts it: "You're not stuck in traffic — you are traffic." Related Resources: https://theleanstartup.com/ ⁠– Eric's foundational methodology and NYT bestseller on entrepreneurship and continuous innovation. Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE) – The stock exchange Eric founded to support companies built for long-term value creation. Answer.AI – The AI R&D lab founded by Eric Ries and Jeremy Howard. B Lab / B Corp Certification – The certification body behind B Corps; Dimagi was the first B Corp/PBC in Massachusetts, referenced in the conversation. Novo Nordisk Foundation – The mission-guardian foundation whose governance structure blocked the merger that would have killed GLP-1 research. 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...

The Last Mile of Family Planning: Lessons from Lafiya in Nigeria

Jul 30, 2026 42 min

In a single program area in northern Nigeria, contraceptive use climbed from 2% to over 70%. This change wasn't caused by a new technology, but happened because of one new strategy: centering trust. In this episode, Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro sit down with Klau Pakos, CEO and co-founder of Lafiya, to unpack how their organization closes the "last mile" gap in family planning in some of the hardest-to-reach communities in Northern Nigeria. Women in these communities often already know about contraception, but too often travel hours to a clinic only to be turned away empty-handed. Lafiya's answer is the Lafiya Sisters — trusted local health workers who bring counseling and self-injectable contraceptives directly into communities. Klau shares the visceral reality of women facing extreme maternal mortality risks, walks through how Lafiya became a true partner to the government rather than a vendor with a fixed model, and explains why they resist the pull of shiny new technology until it's proven necessary. As they put it, family planning "brings the foundation for everything else", creating ripple effects across health, income, and autonomy that data alone can't fully capture. A candid, practical conversation for anyone trying to scale impact alongside government systems.Related Resources: Lafiya – Klau's organization, which trains local "Lafiya Sisters" to deliver family planning counseling and self-injectable contraceptives to underserved communities in northern Nigeria. D-Prize – A seed funding organization that awards grants to entrepreneurs testing new business or charity models that distribute proven poverty-intervention technologies Charity Entrepreneurship – An incubator program that helps founders launch high-impact, cost-effective charities. Rethink Priorities: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Lafiya Nigeria – The independent modeling Klau references, estimating Lafiya's cost per DALY averted and per maternal life saved. Sayana Press (DMPA-SC) via Pfiz...

Why Development Needs More Innovation, Not Less with DIV Fund

Jul 23, 2026 49 min

When USAID was dissolved, Sasha Gallant didn't let the work she'd spent years building disappear with it. As the former head of Development Innovation Ventures (DIV), USAID's evidence-driven innovation fund, Gallant watched stop-work orders freeze over 100 active awards overnight. Rather than let that portfolio die, she did two things: Helped mobilize more than $130 million to keep the most critical, life-saving USAID projects alive through an initiative called Project Resource Optimization, and Co-founded DIV as an independent nonprofit–the DIV Fund–to test and scale new, potentially cost-effective global development innovations. In this conversation with co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro, Gallant unpacks why innovation funding in global development is chronically underfunded, how DIV evaluates ideas on evidence, cost-effectiveness, and potential for scale, and why the biggest wins are often "supremely unshiny": pedagogical tweaks, cheaper CPAP machines, smarter delivery models. She also grapples with a strange moment of dissonance: surviving deep funding cuts just as a new wave of AI-driven wealth approaches the sector. As she puts it, believing we've already found our best solutions is "basically giving up on human progress." For funders, innovators, and development leaders navigating a rapidly changing funding landscape, this episode offers thoughtful guidance on building a future where every dollar creates greater impact. Related Resources: DIV Fund – The independent nonprofit Sasha Gallant co-founded, continuing USAID's Development Innovation Ventures model of tiered, evidence-driven innovation grants. Project Resource Optimization (PRO) – The initiative (hosted by the Center for Global Development) that Gallant helped launch to triage and match donors to the most cost-effective USAID programs left without funding. GiveWell – The charity evaluator referenced for its rigorously vetted "best buy" list of cost-effective global health and development pr...

Who Actually Owns This? Naming What's Broken with Nithya Ramanathan

Jun 26, 2026 48 min

What does it actually take for a country, government, or community to truly own a technology or an outcome? In this fast-paced and candid episode of High-Impact Growth, Dimagi CEO Jonathan Jackson and co-host Amie Vaccaro welcome back Nithya Ramanathan, CEO and co-founder of Nexleaf Analytics. Moving past polite sector rhetoric, Nithya and Jonathan break down why so many well-intentioned global health initiatives end up in "equipment graveyards" due to a broken "donor-to-hope" value chain. Grounded in her recent Stanford Social Innovation Review piece on country ownership, Nithya unpacks the three critical ingredients of true ownership—financial transaction, genuine control, and intrinsic pride—and advocates for a drastic shift: flipping the historical 80/20 investment split to focus heavily on human operational systems rather than chasing technical perfection. Featuring real-world insights from a recent cross-country ministry workshop on vaccine cold chains, this episode offers an honest look at the iterative dance between technology and policy. The conversation doesn't offer tidy answers, but it pushes the critical questions. Related Resources: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/scaling-global-health-innovations Nithya Ramanathan, Nelima Otipa, and Hosea Kintu lay out a framework for moving from government partnership to country ownership in global health innovation. Referenced directly in the episode. https://www.nexleaf.org/ A non-profit social enterprise co-founded by Nithya Ramanathan that uses data and technology to improve global health systems, particularly vaccine cold chains. https://www.gavi.org/ A global health partnership that co-supported the multi-year vaccine cold chain and operational maintenance initiatives discussed in the episode. Kevin Starr / Mulago Foundation Thought leader behind the concept of "Coke bottle philanthropy" cited by Nithya — the false notion that a single scalable solution can be handed to governments like a product off a shelf....

40,000 Health Workers, One AI-Powered Lifeline

May 15, 2026 49 min

What happens when a health extension worker in rural Ethiopia faces a complex case and there's no doctor nearby? This episode goes beyond the AI hype cycle to explore a live, working answer: HEP Assist, a generative AI-powered call center built for Ethiopia's 40,000 health extension workers by Last Mile Health, IDinsight, and the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. Abraham Zerihun, Ethiopia Country Director at Last Mile Health, and Sid Ravinutala, Chief Data Scientist at IDinsight, take us inside the real decisions — from choosing a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architecture to stay within Ministry guidelines and reduce hallucinations, to creating a virtual assistant named Hawa to make interactions feel human rather than machine. They discuss the surprisingly nuanced cost model for AI at scale, the importance of government buy-in, and why evaluation should be built in from day one, not treated as an afterthought. With 6,500+ AI-supported consultations already completed and 53% of cases resolved at the community level, this isn't a pilot on paper — it's proof that AI can work at the last mile, in local languages, on high-stakes problems, right now. Related Resources: Last Mile Health – An organization dedicated to saving lives in the world's most remote communities, by partnering with governments to equip professional community health workers. IDinsight – A global advisory, data analytics, and research organization that helps leaders maximize their social impact. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health – The government body leading the digital transformation and AI integration within Ethiopia's national health system. Data.org – A platform for partnerships to build the field of data science for social impact, which provided support for this initiative. Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) – A global health organization mentioned as a previous professional home for both guests Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work We are on social media - follow...

Closing the Gap: Scaling Mental Health Care Through Local Heroes with Pavel Reppo

Apr 15, 2026 50 min

Imagine a country of 50 million people with only 50 psychiatrists. This staggering treatment gap is the reality in Uganda, but Pavel Reppo is proving that specialized experts aren’t the only ones who can provide life-changing care. As the Executive Director of Finemind and CEO of Matchbox Fund, Pavel brings a rare dual perspective to the conversation, bridging the worlds of grassroots mental health implementation and trust-based philanthropy. In this episode, we dive into how Finemind upskills primary health workers—such as midwives and nurses—to deliver evidence-based mental health support at the point of care. Pavel explains why true impact must be measured by functional recovery—like children returning to school or improved household food security—rather than just clinical depression scores. We also explore the Matchbox Fund’s mission to rewrite the rules of funding by investing in overlooked local organizations and responding to outreach with dignity. This conversation offers a masterclass in ethical leadership, local ownership, and a radical definition of success: scale as the "reduction of the problem," not just the growth of an organization. Related Resources: High-Impact Growth episode featuring Vikram Patel - https://sites.dimagi.com/high-impact-growth-podcast/reimagining-mental-health High-Impact Growth episode featuring Kevin Starr - https://dimagi.com/podcast/funders-power-to-change-the-system/ Finemind - https://afinemind.org/about/ Matchboxfund - https://matchboxfund.org/ Sangath - https://www.sangath.in/ Spring Impact - https://www.springimpact.org/ A WHO-developed psychological intervention for people in communities affected by adversity - https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506816 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...

Thinking About Individual Giving? Start Here

Feb 20, 2026 45 min

As traditional funding sources shift, many nonprofits are asking a hard question: can individual giving become a meaningful and sustainable revenue stream? In this episode of High-Impact Growth, Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson sit down with Javan Van Gronigen, founder of Donate.ly, to unpack what it truly takes to make that transition work. Drawing from more than a decade in digital fundraising, Javan shares why storytelling—not technology—is the most critical asset nonprofits have, and why so many organizations struggle by committing “random acts of marketing.” The conversation explores how to move from one-to-one fundraising toward scalable, one-to-many models without burning limited budgets, and how testing small bets is essential before going all-in. The group also digs into the evolving role of AI in fundraising—from speeding up content creation and data analysis to raising new ethical questions about authenticity and trust. Whether you’re testing individual giving for the first time or rethinking your entire fundraising strategy, this episode offers a grounded, honest roadmap for navigating a more crowded and uncertain funding landscape. Related Resources: https://www.fiftyandfifty.org/services/engagement-os https://www.donately.com/ https://www.charitywater.org/ https://invisiblechildren.com/ 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

Beyond “AI for Good”: Building Responsible AI

Jan 22, 2026 50 min

AI is moving fast in global health and development, but good intentions alone don’t guarantee good outcomes. In this episode of High-Impact Growth, we sit down with Genevieve Smith, Founding Director of the Responsible AI Initiative at UC Berkeley’s AI Research Lab, to unpack what it really means to build and deploy AI responsibly in contexts that matter most. Drawing on a decade of experience in international development and cutting-edge research on AI bias, Genevieve explains why labeling a project “AI for good” isn’t enough. She introduces five critical lenses – fairness, privacy, security, transparency, and accountability – that program managers and product leaders must apply to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities or creating new risks. The conversation explores real-world examples, from AI-driven credit assessments that unintentionally disadvantage women, to the challenges of deploying generative AI in low-resource and multilingual settings. Genevieve also shares emerging alternatives, like data cooperatives, that give communities governance over how their data is used, shifting power toward trust, agency, and long-term impact. This episode offers practical insights for anyone navigating the hype, pressure, and promise of AI in development, and looking to get it right. Responsible AI Initiative – UC Berkeley AI Research Lab – A multidisciplinary initiative advancing research and practice around responsible, trustworthy AI. Mitigating Bias in Artificial Intelligence - A playbook for business leaders who build & use AI to unlock value responsibly & equitably UC Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) – A leading AI research lab focused on advancing the science and real-world impact of artificial intelligence. Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) Conference – A major interdisciplinary conference on ethical and responsible AI systems. UN Women – An organization referenced in Genevieve’s background, focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment globally....

[Pods Fight Poverty Re-Air] How GiveDirectly is Changing Aid

Dec 18, 2025 42 min

Today’s episode is a re-air in support of Pods Fight Poverty, a campaign from our friends at GiveDirectly. You can learn more and donate at: GiveDirectly.org/Dimagi Update: You can learn about the impact of this campaign here. —- In this episode, we’re joined by Stella Luk, Regional Director at GiveDirectly, and Erin Quinn, Dimagi’s Senior Director of Customer Success, to explore a fundamental question: What if, instead of aid programs deciding what communities need, we simply gave people cash and trusted them to make the best choices for themselves? GiveDirectly has pioneered direct, unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, challenging long-held assumptions about traditional aid. Stella shares powerful insights from the field—how cash empowers recipients with dignity, choice, and long-term impact. We also discuss the skepticism surrounding cash transfers, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and how technology is helping reach those most in need. With global development funding in flux, could direct cash transfers be the future of aid? Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation on how this model is reshaping humanitarian response and development efforts worldwide. Related Resources: GiveDirectly.org Debunking 5 myths about cash transfers Kenya study comparing lump and flow study done by Abhijit Banerjee Ugandan youths given $382 earned 38% more 4 years later Related and referenced podcast episodes: The Journey to Scale: Lessons learned from supporting the largest digitally-enabled Frontline Worker program in the world with Kriti Mehrotra, Shayoni Mazumdar and Stella Luk Improving Health Worker Jobs to Improve Outcomes with CommCare Connect 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: ⁠Jon...

What Makes a Dollar Matter? Lessons from Coefficient Giving

Dec 10, 2025 52 min

What if you could identify exactly where your philanthropic dollar would save the most lives or improve the most years of healthy living? In this episode, Deena Mousa, lead researcher at Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy), walks us through the rigorous frameworks that guide one of the world's most analytically driven funders. From evaluating causes using importance, neglectedness, and tractability, to calculating social return on investment, Deena explains how Coefficient Giving approaches everything from malaria prevention to AI's potential in low-resource settings. The conversation explores why AI hasn't replaced radiologists despite predictions a decade ago, and what that teaches us about deploying technology in complex systems. Deena also shares how improving AI performance in low-resource languages could dramatically shift the trajectory of global health equity. If you're curious about evidence-based philanthropy, the real-world challenges of AI deployment in global health, or how to learn as fast as possible when making high-stakes funding decisions, this conversation offers a masterclass in thoughtful impact maximization.

The Thinking You Can't Skip: AI for Good at a Crossroads

Nov 13, 2025 53 min

In part four of our AI for Good series, hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro reconnect with Brian DeRenzi, Dimagi's VP of AI and Research, to explore how AI is evolving—and what it still can't do. Since our last conversation, technology has made staggering leaps, but the global health sector has also been rocked by funding cuts, creating massive tension between potential and reality. Brian shares why AI accelerates human intention but can never replace critical thinking. And we dig into Dimagi's research on hidden bias in frontier models and AI’s performance in low resource languages. We explore the risks of "AI pilotitus," why you must review transcripts by hand, and Jonathan's advice: only build AI projects you're ready to leave on at scale. This conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone wondering how to responsibly apply AI right now. Essential listening for global health professionals, social entrepreneurs, funders, and tech leaders navigating the AI revolution. Related Resources: Previous AI for Good series: Part 1: Equity and AI in Global Health: Exploring Large Language Models, Building Chatbots and Embracing Discomfort Part 2 : Equity and AI in Global Health: leveraging AI to benefit underserved populations and dispel Inequitable Dystopia Part 3: What’s New in AI: Equity-enhancing use cases and Open Chat Studio 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

Funders: The Power to Change the System

Oct 27, 2025 49 min

What comes next in a world where old funding models are breaking down? Our guest, Dr. Kevin Starr, CEO of the Mulago Foundation, argues this shift isn't a crisis but a "much needed reality bath". After a personal tragedy sent him stumbling from medicine into philanthropy, Kevin built one of the most respected impact-focused foundations. In this conversation, we explore Mulago's unique model of providing unrestricted, continued funding to "irrepressible" entrepreneurs through their Rainer Arnhold Fellows Program. Kevin shares his sharp critique of "zombie organizations" and why he believes "Big Aid was never a real path to scale". We dig into his core frameworks for impact, including designing for "no additional spend" and identifying the "payer and doer at scale". He makes a powerful case that funders hold the "ultimate power" to create an effective market for impact, if they choose to use it.

A Radical Bet on Simplicity and Affordability

Oct 9, 2025 48 min

In early 2025, massive funding cuts from USAID sent shockwaves through the global development sector, leaving many to wonder what would come next. The money was gone, but the problems remained. In this follow-up conversation, Dimagi Managing Directors Gillian Javetski and Ismaïla Diene rejoin the podcast to discuss the aftermath and the unexpected "diamonds" created from the pressure. They share how the crisis forced a pivot from large, custom-built projects to a new model centered on radical simplicity, focus, and affordability. This candid discussion explores the divergence happening among digital public goods, the necessity of sustainable business models, and why the most important question is no longer "what new feature can we build?" but "can we make the existing value radically cheaper?". Discover how this shift led Dimagi to a bold new offering: a national-scale community health information system (eCHIS) for just $5,000 a month—a fraction of the historical cost. Related Resources: What’s New in CommCare Webinar recording The Next Generation Electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) Deck CommCare Provider program Big Enough. Simple Enough. Cheap Enough by Kevin Starr in the Stanford Social Innovation Review 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

Leading Through Chaos: Jayson Morris on Grief, Healing, and Emergent Leadership

Sep 22, 2025 54 min

What happens when the leadership skills that once fueled success no longer serve in today’s climate of uncertainty? In this episode of High Impact Growth, leadership coach Jayson Morris returns for a candid conversation with Dimagi CEO Jonathan Jackson and host Amie Vaccaro. Together, they explore how leaders can navigate grief, anger, and fear while still showing up with authenticity and resilience. Jayson unpacks the idea of the “leader as healer,” the power of embracing emergence over rigid strategic plans, and why slowing down can actually help teams move faster. You’ll also hear honest reflections on burnout, balancing boldness with humility, and the struggle between “going down swinging” versus pivoting to new opportunities. If you’re leading a team through turbulent times, this conversation offers practical wisdom, and much-needed reassurance, that you’re not alone.

Disrupted, Not Defeated: The Next Chapter in Global Development

Aug 27, 2025 57 min

Raj Kumar, President and Editor-in-Chief of Devex, returns to High Impact Growth for a candid and insightful conversation about the future of global development. In a world reeling from sudden aid cuts and structural overhauls, Raj joins co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro to unpack what this era of uncertainty means for NGOs, governments, and social enterprises alike. They explore:- The fallout from peak Official Development Assistance (ODA) and what it means for program funding- Why value-for-money is now a survival imperative, not a nice-to-have- How social enterprises can adapt to a world led by MDBs, DFIs, and outcome-based models.- The future of localization This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the evolving landscape of development funding — from social entrepreneurs and INGO leaders to funders and policymakers. Don’t miss Raj’s sharp insights on what needs to change and how organizations can shape the future before it hardens.

The Somatic Edge: Leading with Capacity in a Stress-Filled World with Franzi Gonder

Jul 18, 2025 50 min

In this insightful episode, hosts Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson welcome Franzi Gonder, a renowned somatic leadership coach and entrepreneur. Franzi shares her personal journey into somatic work, emphasizing how understanding our bodies can profoundly shape our leadership. The conversation delves into the pervasive "beginner's mindset" in high-performance environments and its impact on growth, as well as strategies for building resilience and expanding our capacity to handle stress. Franzi introduces the "Still Point" exercise as a practical tool for grounding during challenging times and discusses the critical role of co-regulation in leadership, particularly in an era dominated by AI. This episode offers invaluable insights for leaders, high-achievers, and anyone seeking to cultivate greater presence and sustainable performance in their professional and personal lives.

"The System's Burned Down. This Is Our Moment." With Nithya Ramanathan

Jun 13, 2025 51 min

The old paradigms of global health are shifting. Nithya Ramanathan, Co-founder & CEO of Nexleaf Analytics, joins us to discuss navigating this new reality and rebuilding for impactful futures. As Nithya powerfully states, "the system has been burned down. this is our moment" – presenting a unique opportunity to redefine how we create impact. We explore Nexleaf's strategic pivots, from for-profit to non-profit, their decision to cannibalize their device business for greater ecosystem impact, and the critical move towards owning outcomes. This episode is a deep dive for social entrepreneurs and global health professionals on reshaping business models and driving sustainable change in a resource-constrained world.

Flipping the Script on Aid: Five Talents' Journey to Participatory Impact

May 15, 2025 50 min

In this episode, we’re joined by Rachel Lindley, Hannah Wichmann, and Samantha Muli from Five Talents to explore a bold shift in how development is done: What if communities—not donors—defined success, owned their data, and led the path forward? Five Talents supports women entrepreneurs across Eastern Africa through savings groups, but their approach goes far beyond finance. It’s a story of transformation—from traditional microcredit to a savings-led model rooted in literacy, dignity, and community ownership. Along the way, they’ve reimagined monitoring and evaluation—not as a donor checkbox, but as a participatory, empowering process that drives real learning. In this conversation, we unpack how technology, like CommCare, plays a critical role—not just in digitizing data, but in strengthening trust, visibility, and inclusion at every level. We hear about the approach and impact of one specific program addressing human wildlife conflict in the Tsavo Conservation Area of Kenya. And we reflect on the evolving aid landscape, and what the future could look like if communities were at the center, and technology served as a bridge—not a barrier—to locally led change. If you’ve ever wondered what truly participatory aid looks like in action, this is the episode for you.

Cash, Choice and Dignity: How GiveDirectly is Changing Aid

Apr 23, 2025 40 min

In this episode, we’re joined by Stella Luk, Regional Director at GiveDirectly, and Erin Quinn, Dimagi’s Senior Director of Customer Success, to explore a fundamental question: What if, instead of aid programs deciding what communities need, we simply gave people cash and trusted them to make the best choices for themselves?GiveDirectly has pioneered direct, unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, challenging long-held assumptions about traditional aid. Stella shares powerful insights from the field—how cash empowers recipients with dignity, choice, and long-term impact. We also discuss the skepticism surrounding cash transfers, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and how technology is helping reach those most in need.With global development funding in flux, could direct cash transfers be the future of aid? Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation on how this model is reshaping humanitarian response and development efforts worldwide.

The People and Planet Parts of Running a “Sustainable” Company

Mar 20, 2025 34 min

In this episode, hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro are joined by two leaders on Dimagi’s People Operations team – Emily Gutman and Molly Broderick – to delve into what it takes to run Dimagi in a way that’s sustainable for its employees and the planet.. From reimagining performance management systems to demystifying the complexities of climate neutrality, they offer an unfiltered look at the challenges of navigating sustainability in the corporate world. Topics include: The role of frameworks in supporting sustainability Becoming a certified Benefit Corporation How and why Dimagi became Climate Neutral certified What it means to be employee-first When and how to redesign foundational people systems The role of carbon offsets The role of AI in a company’s operations and its impact on carbon footprint

The Future of Aid: Adapting to a Changing Funding Landscape

Mar 7, 2025 34 min

The landscape of international aid is shifting rapidly, leaving organizations and communities facing unprecedented challenges. In this episode, hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro are joined by Gillian Javetski, Managing Director of Dimagi’s Software-as-a-Service division, and Ismaïla Diene, Managing Director of Dimagi's Solutions division, to unpack the impact of massive funding cuts on global health and development efforts. What does it mean when critical aid funding disappears overnight? How are frontline organizations adapting to continue their life-saving work? And how is Dimagi stepping up to support partners in this time of uncertainty? Join us for an honest and insightful conversation about the human side of these changes, the resilience of global health partners, and the role of digital solutions in navigating this crisis. Related Resources: New Blog: Supporting Our Partners Through Change How Dimagi is supporting partners through changes in funding : https://dimagi.com/supporting-our-partners/ 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

Building SaaS Products for Global Health: Lessons from CommCare & SureAdhere

Dec 19, 2024 51 min

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.

From Extractive Data Collection to Inclusive Data Sharing: Nora Lindström on the Evolution of ICT4D

Nov 27, 2024 59 min

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

The Strategic Role of Data Management in Cure Violence Global’s Work

Oct 17, 2024 53 min

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 Dat...

Improving Health Worker Jobs to Improve Outcomes with CommCare Connect

Sep 13, 2024 1 hr 2 min

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: bgeoffroy@dimagi.com 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...

Financing Community Health Programs with Africa Frontline First

Aug 29, 2024 51 min

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

Building Tech Products that Matter in a Broken Market

Aug 15, 2024 47 min

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:...

Harnessing Somatic Intelligence: Tools and Practices for Leading in Uncertainty

Jul 23, 2024 1 hr 2 min

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

What’s New in AI: Equity-enhancing use cases and Open Chat Studio

Jun 13, 2024 43 min

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

System Catalysts: Why are Thousands of Donated Organs Thrown Away Each Year?

May 22, 2024 28 min

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

Solve One Problem: From vision to global impact with Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld, Co-Founder of MiracleFeet

May 13, 2024 1 hr 20 min

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 Treatm...

From I to We: Trust, Co-Creation and Ego in Social Innovation with Jeroo Billimoria

May 3, 2024 56 min

Co-hosts, Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro are joined by Jeroo Billimoria, a remarkable serial social entrepreneur. Starting at age 12, Jeroo has founded several impactful organizations, including Child and Youth Finance International, Aflatoun, Childline India Foundation and Catalyst 2030. In this candid conversation we learn about her journey and discuss: Solving for root cause problems Creating impactful outcomes through co-creation and collaboration Building collective ownership and trust Letting go of ego and planning for organizational transition Managing the relational and management aspects of scaling an organization and a movement The art of listening How to stay optimistic The journey of Catalyst 2030 in creating a social innovation sector Advocacy and changing funder mindsets Increasing representation from the Global South Resources: Join Catalyzing Change Week May 6-10, 2024: http://catalyst2030.info/RegisterCCW Catalyst 2030: https://catalyst2030.net/ Jeroo Billimoria on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeroo_Billimoria 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

Glasswing International: Empowering Communities through Mental Health Care and Leveraging Technology for Lasting Impact

Mar 12, 2024 40 min

Glasswing International is a NGO with a remarkable journey, having impacted more than 2.2 million lives through their education and health initiatives throughout Latin America and New York City. Co-founder and President Celina de Sola shares her insights on the organization's evolution and growth to 600 employees, and their community-driven approach that led to the organization's non-clinical model for mental health care. The podcast explores scalability, sustainability, and the role of technology and data in highlighting growth as well as the gaps, to enable organizations to achieve greater impact.

Empowering Healthcare Access: How the US Digital Service at CMS is shaping policies and creating an equitable digital future

Jan 22, 2024 47 min

In this insightful podcast episode, we feature guests Andrea Fletcher, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, and Remy DeCausemaker, Open Source Lead at the Digital Service at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), discussing the critical role of digital technology in shaping healthcare strategies within the U.S. government. The discussion delves into the intersections of technology, healthcare, and government strategies, emphasizing the significance of open source collaboration, addressing challenges, and preparing for the future of healthcare systems. Hear fresh perspectives on AI, privacy-enhancing technologies, and the importance of AI transparency in policies.

Equity and AI in Global Health: leveraging AI to benefit underserved populations and dispel Inequitable Dystopia

Dec 18, 2023 36 min

In part 2 of this series on Artificial Intelligence, Jonathan Jackson and Brian DeRenzi, Dimagi’s Research and Data team lead, openly talk about the rapid evolution of AI, its vast potential, and what Dimagi has been up to over the last few months since winning the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges grant to build a frontline worker coaching chatbot. In this candid conversation, they discuss the value of collaboration, the ethical and philosophical considerations of AI as a tool to empower, rather than replace human services, the looming threat of inequitable dystopia and ways that we are partnering with other organizations to ensure that the benefits of this new technology are spread equitably.

Category Design and why it matters for Global Health and Development Organizations engaged in Breakthrough Work

Nov 20, 2023 54 min

Our co-hosts are joined by thirteen-time #1 bestselling co-author and pioneer in Category Design, Chris Lochead, to discuss Category Design, and how it's relevant for NGOs and social impact organizations. He delves into the fundamentals while offering insights on how to shift from the current competitive state to a new, transformative future. This episode is brimming with compelling story examples such as the women's labor movement and its powerful tagline of “equal pay for equal work”. He also shares a personal anecdote about a home-based climate change response in Santa Cruz, where he employed out-of-the-box thinking to get multiple stakeholders to buy-in for a bigger change. If you are a NGO or social impact organization engaged in breakthrough work, then this episode is for you. Topics include: Why Category Design matters for NGOs and social impact organizations Reframing problems in a way that captures attention and makes people feel invested in your cause How to think beyond the present to envision a different future The importance of language and framing for creating category buy-in Manifestos that bring to life the different future an organization aims to create Warning: This podcast contains explicit language and unfiltered conversations – listener discretion is advised.

Reimagining Tuberculosis Treatment and Care: Putting People at the Center of Tech Innovation with Jackie Huh

Oct 23, 2023 46 min

STOP TB has an ambitious objective driving the RTC initiative: ending global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. In this episode, we talk about the innovative efforts taken by STOP TB's Reimagining TB Care initiative, addressing the intricate challenges of combating tuberculosis through comprehensive 360-degree, people-centered approach. Our guest speaker, Jackie Huh from Stop TB, will share insights on her initiative "Reminagining TB Care" and discuss the importance of putting people at the center of technology innovations. Within this context, we explore the core objectives of RTC, gaining valuable insight into the notable advancements achieved thus far, obstacles faced & strategies RTC employs to overcome these challenges, all while keeping their focus on what matters most – the people. Exploring the world of healthcare driven by technology, our conversation also features Kelly Collins of SureAdhere who has brilliantly recognized the potential of technology while keeping the essence of people-centered care, with SureAdhere’s VDOT. We will explore how Kelly's endeavors seamlessly align with the evolving landscape of global healthcare, particularly in TB. Moreover, we'll discuss the possibilities of collaboration among organizers, governments, and providers, all converging with a shared vision.

Enabling and Elevating Community Health Workers across the US: Insights from MHP Salud’s Impact Delivery Approach to Technology

Sep 18, 2023 56 min

Co-hosts Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro are joined by MHP Salud’s CEO, Dr. Maggie Dante and Data and Evaluation Analyst, Rachel Udow. MHP Salud is championing Community Health Workers across the US both within their organization and through training and consulting on how to best integrate CHW programs. Over the last decade, MHP Salud has been on a digital transformation journey - leveraging technology to improve service delivery. The conversation unpacks many of the best practices the organization has developed to leverage digital to deliver impact at scale. Topics discussed:How MHP Salud has used one technology platform to deepen and improve impact over timeMHP Salud’s digitization journey, including expanding use cases of CommCare across programsHow the organization has developed the human capacity and processes to support a long term Impact Delivery approachThe role of user-centered design and training in successful technology implementation.The significance of buy-in from CHWs and creating a culture of validationThe integration of technology, including CommCare and Tableau, to improve efficiency and save costsInsights on strategic thinking, recruitment challenges, and long-term sustainability in community health programsRelated Resources: Learn more about MHP Salud: ⁠https://mhpsalud.co/about⁠ Access MHP Salud resources and social media: https://bit.ly/m/mhpsalud CHW Core Consensus Project: https://www.c3project.org/ 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

Introducing Impact Delivery: Raising the Bar for Digital In Global Health & Development

Sep 4, 2023 36 min

Social impact organizations and governments worldwide are under immense pressure to do more with less. We are confronting an array of complex, constantly-evolving pressures ranging from economic uncertainty, humanitarian crises, inflation, pandemics, and climate change. All of this means we need to deliver more services to more people. And, we often need to do it with flat or decreasing levels of funding. Digital solutions have the potential to help us do more with less, to create more value for every dollar invested. But most digital transformations either fail outright, or fail to create this sustained value. In today’s episode, Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro explore a new approach called Impact Delivery designed to address the challenges we are facing in global health in development and the ways technology can and must step up to better deliver on its potential in creating a world where everyone has access to the services they need to thrive. Topics discussed: How technology is failing global health and development Why a new approach is needed The three pillars of Impact Delivery: Better Impact, More Impact and Sustained Impact Tangible examples of what each pillar looks like in practice What this approach means for social impact organizations and governments

From Skepticism to Scale: Lessons from Friendship Bench with Dr. Dixon Chibanda

Aug 21, 2023 40 min

Dr. Dixon Chibanda started Friendship Bench after losing a patient to suicide who could not afford to travel to the hospital in Zimbabwe where he worked. There had to be a way to make mental health care more accessible. Today, Friendship Bench has a team of grandmothers across Zimbabwe who are trained to deliver evidence-based high-impact therapy on park benches, making mental health support readily available. In this episode, Jonathan Jackson learns about the incredible journey of the Friendship Bench intervention in conversation with its Founder and CEO, Dr. Dixon Chibanda. Get a behind the scenes look at how this incredible program and intervention has achieved resonance and scale by offering community-based psychological interventions to people in need. You’ll learn how Friendship Bench has trained grandmothers to deliver high-impact therapy, discover the tremendous healing power of storytelling and vulnerability, explore the role CommCare plays in enabling digital data collection and analysis, and dig into the three-part formula for creating a scaled intervention that applies beyond mental health. This episode is a great listen for anyone wanting to learn about the foundational role of digitization in enabling programs to scale and inform data-driven decision-making. Topics include: How the Friendship Bench intervention started Leading randomized controlled trials (RCT) to provide evidence for the effectiveness of the Friendship Bench intervention Scaling up the Friendship Bench to reach 100,000 people last year Engaging government stakeholders and building referral pathways for long-term sustainability Focusing on improving overall health outcomes, not just mental health The power of effective storytelling and vulnerability The role digitization plays in scaling and sustaining the program Partnering with Dimagi and using CommCare to become fully digital The importance of addressing mental health at the community level Related Resources: Friend...

Ethiopia’s Digitization Journey: The Path to Paperless with Dr. Girma Tadesse

Aug 9, 2023 1 hr 10 min

Discover the key ingredients to Ethiopia's incredible progress in digital health as Ali Flaming and Amie Vaccaro speak with Dr. Girma Tadesse, electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) Project Manager with JSI. Stemming from a clear vision for improving health outcomes and data use, the Ethiopian government has been on a digital health transformation journey starting in 1991. As Project Manager for this effort, Dr. Girma shares Ethiopia’s journey moving towards a fully paperless system. You’ll hear how with government ownership and strategic resource allocation, they're establishing a strong foundation for long-term success, while also investing in the people and skills needed to create meaningful change. This is a must-listen for anyone working in and with governments and Ministries of Health wanting to learn how to leverage technology to support higher quality services. Ethiopia has been leading the charge of enabling healthcare workers by building scalable platforms and ecosystems for sustained impact and this conversation provides an inside look at how. Topics include: The impact of a clear government vision focused on improving health outcomes and service delivery Exploring a data-driven approach to inform improvements and achieve universal health coverage The importance of government ownership and buy-in The need for clear communication of goals and resource allocation Investment in talent and expertise through university programs Moving beyond digitizing paper processes to creating real impact in healthcare delivery Utilizing digital platforms for multiple use cases and digitizing various health services Building scalable platforms and ecosystems for sustained impact Embracing an iterative approach to digital health transformation Related Resources: JSI: ⁠https://www.jsi.com ⁠ Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: ⁠https://www.gatesfoundation.org⁠ USAID: ⁠https://www.usaid.gov⁠ Children’s’ Investment Fund Foundation: ⁠https:/...

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Podcast details

Created by: Dimagi
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 3, 2026
Episodes: 96
Release period: Weekly
Avg. episode length: 41 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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