Insights From the Edge
Big Ideas for Big Problems: Addressing Connectivity
This episode of Big Ideas for Big Problems: Addressing Connectivity podcast explores the critical challenge of connectivity among displaced and underserved communities. Guests include telecom-inclusion pioneer Troy Etulain and digital access advocate Mea Thompson, who dive into:
Why connectivity matters for refugees, students and women in host communities.
The systemic barriers — infrastructure, policy, affordability — that keep communities offline.
Real-world solutions: partnerships, community models and tech-enabled strategies making a difference.
Big ideas for bold change: moving from access to meaningful use, ethical considerations of powering vulnerable contexts, and what a moon-shot to bridge the digital divide might look like.
Tune in for insight-driven talk that connects global policy, grassroots action and technology for inclusion.
Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative
In this evaluation-report co-written by Troy Etulain, the focus is squarely on bridging the “governance gap” in AI: how to translate lofty ethics-statements into operational frameworks, oversight functions and long-term institutions. The report identifies critical levers: co-creating governance frameworks with practitioners, layering monitoring-and-evaluation (M&E) measures tied to adoption and behavior change, and deploying adaptive governance that evolves with fast-moving AI systems. Etulain and co-authors highlight that success means building an ecosystem in which governance isn’t an add-on, but embedded in AI development, deployment and regulation. The message resonates: for AI systems to be trustworthy and inclusive, ethics must be built into the architecture of organizational and societal decision-making—mirroring Etulain’s focus on scalable, measurable impact in tech for development.
Collaboration for Connectivity: A Digital Access, Inclusion and Participation
In “Collaboration for Connectivity: A Digital Access, Inclusion and Participation” (author: Troy Etulain), the focus is on how inclusive, co-designed broadband partnerships unlock access to education, health, livelihoods and civic voice for displaced and host communities. It calls for community-led models, measurable outcomes (e.g., hours learning, income change, participation), and risk mitigation (privacy, safety) to ensure connectivity drives social impact—not just infrastructure.
Terms Of Reference Podcast: Building Digital Inclusion, One Practical Experiment at a Time
In his Aidpreneur interview, Troy Etulain, Director of USAID’s mSTAR project at FHI 360, explores how digital development succeeds when it starts with real-world problems, not technology hype. From long-range Wi-Fi pilots and mobile money innovations to mapping connectivity gaps across underserved regions, he highlights practical ways to bridge the digital divide. Etulain’s message is simple yet powerful: treat technology as a catalyst for social impact—building sustainable, inclusive systems that connect people, empower communities, and expand opportunity.