TechChange Openings, HealthxAI Accelerator, Systems Change Course, GDHF Abstracts and Lists of AI Leaders to Follow!
Newsletter #66
Hello Friends,
Welcome to the 66th edition of NickatNoon, where I share opportunities, ideas, and people shaping the future of tech and social impact.
This issue is packed with new openings at TechChange, a standout course for systems-minded leaders, a high-value accelerator for those building in AI and health, and an open call for abstracts for GDHF 2025 in Nairobi. I also put together a fresh list of 30 people doing thoughtful work at the intersection of AI, ethics, health, and justice.
As always, if you’re working on something aligned or have an idea for collaboration, fill out this form or just reply to this note. I’d love to hear from you.
Onward,
Nick
Roles at TechChange
We’re hiring some contractor roles at TechChange this month!
1. Events Marketing Lead: Perfect for someone who is super efficient (early adopter of AI tools), execution-focused (think: project manager extraordinaire) and loves promoting events that focus on social impact. https://lnkd.in/gpyqn64s
2. Sponsorship Operations Lead: This one’s for the spreadsheet lovers, the air traffic controllers, the ops folks Ideal for someone who has exceptional client services skills, is manically well-organized (i.e. life can't exist without spreadsheets), and is obsessed with making sure sponsors squeeze every ounce of value they can out of their investment. https://lnkd.in/gNQf7VXU
Both roles are part-time. Both are contractor roles at $40/hr to start. Both run July–December 2025 with a chance of extension.
And both are a chance to work closely with our small but mighty team... and shape some really cool work across digital health, AI, global development, and beyond.
Systems Change Course for Tech & Society Leaders
Friends, I don’t think it has ever been more challenging for tech & society leaders to effect meaningful change in their system:
The pace of technological change is disorienting, and the future feels more uncertain than ever.
Technology — and the hype around it — is obscuring the power dynamics that you’re trying to change.
You want to craft adaptive strategies that align technology to your organization’s vision of the future, not the other way around — but you need frameworks to guide your decisions and a community of tech & society leaders to support your ongoing work.
My very dear friend and one of my favorite humans Charley Johnson has led change at the intersection of technology and complex social systems for fifteen years. His fast, interactive, live course — Systems Change for Tech & Society Leaders — offers you the strategies and skills to see your system clearly, anticipate its behavior, and ensure technology works for (not against!) it.
With his course, you’ll also get access to a 100-pg workbook full of exercises and tools, and a private community of tech & society leaders from organizations like New_Public, Center for Tech & Civic Life, Siegel Family Endowment, Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab, LAist to support your learning and networking.
🚨 New Accelerator Alert: Chat for Health & AI
Want to 10x your impact in digital health this year?
My good friends at Turn.io just launched the Chat for Health & AI Accelerator — a global, 24-week program for organizations using chat and AI to expand access to healthcare in low-resource settings. Seriously great opportunity friends!
Who should apply?
– You're already serving thousands—or ready to.
– You're thinking big and building to last.
– You're committed, people-first, and ready to go.
What you’ll get:
– Full access to Turn.io’s platform (including multi-modal voice and AI agents, Health Desk + Journeys)
– Expert mentorship across AI, behavior change, and product strategy
– $320,000+ in value including tooling, support, and exposure
– Connections to funders + scale pathways
– An investment-ready solution backed by data and global validation
If you’re building AI-powered health tools that actually work for real people, this is your moment.
🔗 Apply now: https://www.turn.io/accelerators/chat-for-health-ai-accelerator
🕒 Deadline coming up—31 July.
Nick’s Take:
Been a huge fan of Turn.io. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with their team on everything from digital health training to chat-for-impact initiatives and GDHF—and they always deliver. They understand what it takes to build tools that actually scale in low-resource settings. If I were building a health tech startup today, I’d apply to this in a heartbeat.
Submit your GDHF Abstract Now.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS is now OPEN... For the The Global Digital Health Forum 2025.
GDHF is happening in Nairobi, Kenya and online from December 3–5.
And while it’s been a hard year—especially for those impacted by USAID cuts, we’re still here. Still building. Still sharing.
Because that’s what this community does, gosh darnit! GDHF is where cross-sector collaboration thrives. Implementers, technologists, donors, researchers—all advancing health outcomes together.
This year’s themes include:
🤖 AI
🌱 Climate & Health
🔄 Health Information Exchange
📊 Interoperability, Open Standards & Frameworks
💰 Digital Health Financing
⚖️ GESI (Gender Equity & Social Inclusion)
⛑️ Pandemic & Disaster Response
🌐 Resilient & Local by Design — NEW!
We welcome all types of sessions:
✔️ Solution Demos
✔️ Individual Talks
✔️ Interactive Workshops
✔️ Panel Discussions
✔️ Poster Presentations
Whether you’re joining us online (via TechChange Platform) or in-person in Nairobi—we want your boldest, most meaningful ideas.
Let’s co-create the future of digital health—together.
👉 Submit your abstract here: https://bit.ly/3ZWtFPp
Questions? Email us at: support@techchange.org
Interested in sponsoring? Contact: Sheerin Vesin
AI and Ethics LinkedIn List
Two weeks ago met and reconnected with a lot of great folks at AI Shared Futures Forum hosted by the McGovern Foundation and Aspen Digital. Really enjoyed it.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of 30 people doing work at intersection of AI x Ethics, Health, Climate, Humanities and more. Follow them!!!
1. Vilas Dhar – CEO @ McGovern Foundation. Great content on all things AI. And our illustrious co-host for the forum.
2. Vivian Schiller – Aspen Digital. Amazing Co-Host of Shared futures.
3. Mathilde Barge – McGovern Foundation, Led a great session on leading in an AI-powered world as Gen Z.
4. Jim Fruchterman – Tech Matters, one of my OG social entrepreneur heroes.
5. Ivana Feldfeber – Data Género (Argentina). Long time friend. Great to meet her in person.
6. Roberta Braga – Digital Democracy Institute. Great LI content!!
7. Laura Maher – Chief of Staff @ Segal Family Foundation. New friend!!
8. Dan Hammer – Clay + LGND and maps for the future. Great friend from Swarthmore. We volunteered at the fire station together!
9. Alex Dehgan – Conservation X Labs. Most interesting human alive.
10. Adam Fivenson – Freelance (formerly at NED). My go-to source for mis and disinformation.
11. Sam Gregory – WITNESS. longtime amazing org, check them out.
12. Kevin O'Neil – Rockefeller Foundation. Also a Swat grad.
13. Mona Hamdy – Harvard / Global Governance of AI. Stole the show in ai x divinity session with Kira Swisher.
14. Ayan Kishore – CEO @ Benetech. Great leader.
15. Afua Bruce – Author, technologist, gov’t/impact. Always up to amazing things.
16. Baratunde Thurston – Writer, host, thinker on tech and democracy. Great emcee!
17. Anil Dash – VP @ Fastly, long-time tech & ethics voice.
18. Priyanka P – Independent design strategist. taught our first TC AI course!!
19. Nithya Ramanathan – CEO @ Nexleaf Analytics. love what she's doing!
20. Travis Hoppe – AI researcher + policy advocate now at CDC.
21. Antonio Zappulla, OMRI – CEO @ Thomson Reuters Foundation
22. Elizabeth Kelly – Head of Beneficial Deplyoments @ Anthropic
23. Michele Lawrence Jawando – President @ Omidyar Network
24. Salome Agbaroji – U.S. Youth Poet Laureate. Amazing performance.
25. Tomicah Tillemann – Chief Executive Officer @ Project Liberty
26. Anna Lerner Nesbitt – Climate Collective. Great CEO doing great things on climate.
27. Bilal A Mateen – Chief AI Officer @ PATH. One of the smartest AIxhealth minds I know.
28. Leetha Filderman, FRSA – President @ PopTech. Longtime mentor and friend.
29. Christopher Neu - CEO at exchange design. leading our applied AI course
30. ??? Know someone else who should be on this list? Add them in the comments. Always up for expanding the circle.
And if you're working at this intersection of AI ethics, policy, health, justice, climate, governance — drop a line. Let’s connect.
Thats all folks, stay tuned next week! - Nick
Loooove! Perfect. Can't wait!
Thank you for sharing! I see most sectors mentioned in your various updates, but no education? How come? Best, Sonia.