The Reluctant Innovator

An image of white men in white coats in Western laboratories is what many people conjure up when they’re asked to think of “innovation”. From biotechnology to space exploration, from nanotech to electronics engineering, innovation is perceived by many to be more of a corporate exercise than anything else.

In many cases, they’re right. Much of the innovation around us is the result of years of investment in time, resources and big ideas from some of the largest and most successful companies out there.

But framing innovation in this light doesn’t give us the entire picture.

The story of innovation is not complete without an appreciation of "real world" innovation, much of which is grassroots-driven and much of which goes unnoticed. It’s this “real world” innovation that I’d like to discuss.

Check Out: More from the "Global Innovation Showcase" created by the New America Foundation and the Global Public Square.

My work focuses on the application of technology to social and environmental challenges in the developing world - a field more widely known as “Information and Communication Technologies for Development” (ICT4D). The rise of the Internet – followed more recently by the mobile phone – presents us with opportunities to solve human problems like never before.