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.
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
Big Enough. Simple Enough. Cheap Enough by Kevin Starr in the Stanford Social Innovation Review
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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:
How Dimagi is supporting partners through changes in funding : https://dimagi.com/supporting-our-partners/
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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.
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:
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 Data Privacy and Security: Building trust with users and stakeholders is crucial, so ensure privacy and security in data collection.
Invest for the Long Term: Treat your tech platform as a long-term investment to ensure lasting impact, rather than a short-term expense. For Cure Violence, this data helps drive funding decisions and program design.
Related Resources:
Cure Violence Global website
The Interrupters - PBS Documentary featuring Cobe Williams, CVG’s National Training Director
Interrupting Violence by Cobe Williams
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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:
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
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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:
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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:
Show Notes:
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
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
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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
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.
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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.
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro
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 Treatment for Clubfoot: A Life-Changing Moment
05:16 The Birth of MiracleFeet: From Vision to Reality
05:34 Taking the Leap: Transitioning from Corporate to Social Impact
08:59 Building MiracleFeet: Challenges, Fundraising, and Growth
21:08 Reflections on Storytelling, Fundraising, and Instinct
27:19 Expanding Reach and Impact: The Future of MiracleFeet
39:11 Harnessing Technology for Global Health Impact
40:22 Innovative Solutions to Healthcare Challenges
42:57 Empowering Local Teams with Data
46:27 Navigating Founder Transition and Organizational Growth
56:53 Mentoring the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs
01:12:37 Reflections on Business Acumen in Nonprofit Success
MiracleFeet: https://www.miraclefeet.org/
MiracleFeet's use of CommCare: https://www.miraclefeet.org/stories/the-tool-that-saved-us-in-2020
Impact Delivery: https://sites.dimagi.com/impact-delivery
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Hosts: Jonathan Jackson and Amie Vaccaro