The Makers for Global Good Summit will take place on May 19, 2017 at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA. This event will bring makers developing innovative solutions together with social, humanitarian, non-profit, and other organizations and companies who could both support and benefit from this work.

Featured Speakers 

Sam Bloch, Founder & Executive Director, Communitere International

Sam is the Founder and Executive Director of Communitere International. Sam began his career of post disaster relief in 2004 in response to the Asian Tsunami and since then has worked in Haiti, the Philippines and Nepal to empower individuals to develop their own solutions to the problems in their communities. In September 2016, Sam co-organized the first humanitarian focused Maker Faire in Kathmandu in collaboration with several local organizations and with support from the American Embassy and World Vision International.

Shashi Buluswar, CEO, Institute for Transformative Technologies

Shashi is the CEO of the Institute for Transformative Technologies and the founder of the LIGTT Institute at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He is the lead author of the recently released groundbreaking study to identify the “The 50 most critical scientific & technological breakthroughs required for sustainable global development”. Prior to creating ITT and LIGTT, Shashi was a Partner at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, a mission-driven strategy consulting firm which serves a broad spectrum of clients in international development such as NGOs, corporations, foundations, governments, social entrepreneurs, and international agencies like the UN. At Dalberg, Shashi helped the UN Peacekeeping Department in restructuring its global operations, the Gates Foundation on several large-scale agricultural development programs in Africa and Asia, the US government’s efforts in post-conflict development in Afghanistan, several multinational corporations in their social responsibility agendas, and dozens of NGOs in fighting for human rights, health, education, and economic empowerment. Before joining Dalberg, he was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, and a Visiting Professor at Northwestern University.

David Coronado, K-12 U.S. and International Education Program Officer, Lemelson Foundation

David Coronado is the K-12 U.S. and international education program officer with The Lemelson Foundation. He works to support student growth by promoting equal access to Invention Education, STEM coursework, and learning in K-12 schools in both the U.S. and internationally. Before joining The Lemelson Foundation, David spent over a decade as executive director of the Oregon MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) program at Portland State University. He co-created new education approaches and managed all aspects of Oregon MESA’s work to help students from underserved communities gain access to STEM, Invention Education, and a post-secondary education. During his tenure at Portland State University, he also served as a diversity and equity leader for the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science designing programs aimed at retaining women, ethnically diverse and low-income students. Nationally, he served as the President of the MESA USA organization. In addition, David served as an academic coordinator at Harvey Mudd College Math and Science Center, President of the Oregon College Access Network, and has served on several STEM related boards.

Alex Dehgan, Co-Founder, Conservation X Labs

Alex Dehgan is the co-founder of a new startup, Conservation X Labs, focused on harnessing exponential technologies, open innovation, and entrepreneurship for conservation, including launching the first Grand Challenge for Conservation on Aquaculture. He is also The Chanler Innovator in Residence at Duke University (and previously served as the Inaugural Rubenstein Fellow at Duke), where he researches and lectures on technology and innovation for conservation and development, including through a MOOC with Coursera, Innovation and Design for Global Grand Challenges.

Dr. Alex Dehgan recently served as the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Agency for International Development, with rank of Assistant Administrator, and founded and headed the Office of Science and Technology, and provided the vision and helped create the Global Development Lab. Prior to coming to USAID, Alex worked in multiple positions within the Office of the Secretary, and with the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, at the U.S. Department of State. At State, Alex developed political and science diplomacy strategies towards addressing our most challenging foreign policy issues in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and the greater Islamic world, including initiating the Obama Administration’s diplomatic efforts with Iran through science diplomacy working with Amb. Dennis Ross, and serving as a liaison to the late Amb. Richard Holbrooke. You can follow Alex on twitter at “lemurwrangler”.

Dara Dotz, Co-Founder, Field Ready

Dara holds a BS in Industrial Design with a minor in International Business from MSU Denver. Dara combines her design strategy experience and rapid ethnographic assessment to empower others through technology. With a focus on disrupting supply chains and “making” in austere environments she has co-founded Field Ready, focusing in on-demand manufacturing in post Disaster Zones. Recently in Haiti, Field Ready brought 3D printers to teach locals how to make needed medical supplies and replacement parts for rural clinics.

Kate Gage, Co-Organizer, Makers for Global Good Summit

Kate was formerly a Senior Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before joining the White House, Kate was Senior Advisor at USAID in the Global Development Lab during the Obama administration. At USAID, she led much of the Agency’s engagement with the Maker Movement and access to early stage manufacturing tools in the developing world. Kate has also worked on a number of Grand Challenges to engage innovators in solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including Fighting Ebola and Saving Lives At Birth.

Kamau Gachigi, Executive Director, Gearbox

Dr. Kamau Gachigi is the Founding Executive Director of Gearbox, a non-profit organization that provides members with access to modern machines for prototyping and low volume manufacturing, specialising in electronics PCB fabrication. Gearbox also avails training, and incubation/acceleration services in order to broaden access to manufacturing in Kenya. Dr. Kamau was a key consultant in the creation of a science curriculum for the Faculty of Arts and Science at the planned Aga Khan University in Arusha, and the principal consultant in the creation of an engineering curriculum for the planned Kiambu University of Technology and Innovation. He also holds two government appointments, one as Chairman of the Board of the National Industrial Training Authority and another on the Board of the Numerical Machining Complex, a State Corporation. Dr. Kamau is also a member of the Global Council on the Future of Production under the World Economic Forum, and of the Consultative Advisory Group of the Partnership on Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (World Bank and select African Governments).

He previously served as the Director of the University of Nairobi Science and Technology Park and founded the Fab Lab at the University of Nairobi, another in a low income area in Nairobi and is setting up a third in a Kisumu. These digital fabrication centres are part of a global network founded at MIT that numbers over 1,000 Fab Labs worldwide, and represent a unique window into Industry 4.0 capabilities. Dr. Kamau holds a Ph.D. in Solid State Science from the Pennsylvania State University (USA) and worked in Japan for TDK in R&D for over two years after earning his doctorate.  He holds a US patent for an invention and has around 10 academic and non-technical publications.

Michal Kabatznik, Acting Director, Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) Global

Michal is TOM’s Creator of Opportunities, in charge of developing and expanding TOM’s global network of makeathons and communities. Prior to joining TOM, she helped manage an aid project with IsraAID in Northern Japan post-tsunami 2011. She has also worked in resource development and community engagement for a variety of non-profit organizations including: the Reut Institute, Peace Now, Greenpeace. She holds an MA in Diplomacy Studies from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Maryland.

Rajiv Mongia, Director of Experience and Outreach and Director of Maker Outreach, Intel Corporation

Dr. Rajiv Mongia is Director of Experience and Outreach in the Modular Innovation Group (MIG) and Director of Maker Outreach in the Corporate Affairs Group (CAG) at Intel Corporation.  In his MIG role, he leads a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, designers and other experts in assessing and demonstrating the use cases, prototypes and end-products that can be created using MIG hardware and software products.  In his CAG role, he is the lead architect and strategist of CAG’s outreach activities around Making skills around the world.

Before assuming his current roles, Dr. Mongia has had several positions at Intel including Director of SW Product Management and User Centered Design for Intel® RealSense™ products; serving as a Program Director for the Social Computing Intel Science and Technology Center and the Sustainable and Connected Cities Intel Collaborative Research Institute; and leading an international technology development team focused on pathfinding (research and development) to product transition in the PC Client Group.  Prior to joining Intel, Dr. Mongia was an engineering consultant where he led fire and explosion investigations and was the lead engineer of a start-up developing gas turbine engines for distributed power generation.

Dr. Mongia has been awarded 39 United States patents in the areas of combustion, thermals, mechanicals, platform engineering and human-computer interface design.

Emily Pilloton, Founder, Project H & Girls Garage

Emily Pilloton is a designer, builder, educator, and founder of the nonprofit design agency Project H Design / Girls Garage. Using architecture and design as a vehicle for social justice, she works alongside youth ages 9-18 to bring to life public architecture projects that transform lives and communities. She and her students have designed and built a farmers market with high school students, a playhouse with and for the daughters of abused mothers, a school library by the hands of its own middle school students, and microhomes for a transitional housing agency. Her work seeks to change the authorship of our built environment and give power to the underestimated and marginalized, specifically young girls and communities of color. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California Berkeley, and a Master of Fine Arts in Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Lecturer in the College of Environmental Design at the University of California Berkeley, and is the author of two books, Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People, and Tell Them I Built This: Transforming Schools, Communities, and Lives With Design-Based Education. Her work is documented in the full-length film If You Build It.

Dave Rauchwerk, Founder & CEO, NextThing

Dave Rauchwerk is a builder of hardware and software. He is a HAXLR8R ’14 Alum. Dave is a founder of @NextThingCo, makers of OTTO and C.H.I.P., the world’s first $9 computer.

Natalie Relich, Executive Director, OHorizons

Natalie Relich is the Executive Director of OHorizons, a nonprofit using affordable, local, low-tech solutions to end the water crisis. She is passionate about issues at the intersection of poverty and the environment and holds a BA in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a MPA from New York University. She is a politics junkie, an avid U of M sports fan, a yogi and a big fan of the great outdoors. She’s also dabbles in brewing kombucha and beer on occasion.

Stephanie Santoso, Co-Organizer, Makers for Global Good Summit

Steph was formerly the first Senior Advisor for Making at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Obama administration. In this role, she helped develop President Obama’s Nation of Makers initiative to support and broaden access to the Maker Movement. Through her current work with the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and Infosys Foundation USA, she continues to work closely with federal agencies, mayors, maker spaces, libraries, museums, companies foundations and others to develop activities and programs that: facilitate local, community-based problem solving, create more opportunities for students to engage in STEM and the arts through making and support Makers who want to become entrepreneurs.

Leslie Zane, Director, The Tech for Global Good, The Tech Museum of Innovation

Leslie is the Director of The Tech for Global Good, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation. The core mission of the program is to honor innovators who are using technology to benefit humanity and to bring their stories into the museum through exhibits, labs, workshops and summits. The Tech for Global Good will help create the next generation of innovators ready to tackle the toughest challenges facing our planet.

Prior to working at The Tech, Leslie was Director of Public Programs at Montalvo Arts Center for nine years where she engaged the public in conversations with authors and cultural icons. She also led annual trips for donors to Hay-on-Wye; New York City and Santa Fe, NM. Leslie has served as a judge for Echoing Green, is a library commissioner for an East Bay advisory board, a published poet and an avid student of improv.