Heather Leson is a technologist strengthening community collaboration via humanitarian technologies and social entrepreneurship. She builds partnerships, curates digital spaces, fosters volunteer engagement and delivers training while inspiring systems for co-creation with maps, code and data.

At the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent, Heather coordinates global Data Literacy programs. She is a Board Member at the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team and an Advisor for MapSwipe - using gamification systems to crowdsource disaster-based satellite imagery.

Imagine this world if we all lent a digital hand. Heather is a frequent public speaker having presented at Crowdsourcing Week, European Space Agency Summer School, Impact Startup Europe, Understanding Risk, IEEE Humanitarian Technology Conference, Google Big Tent, OSCON, and TedxSilkRoad. Recently, she wrote articles on the power of data and digital literacy for the World Economic Forum and Civicus Datashift. 

Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Combined Political Science and History from Carleton University, as well as a Library and Information Technician diploma from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology

ITU: Committed to connecting the world
www.itu.int.

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of some 900 private sector entities and academic institutions. Established over 150 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.

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Humanitarian AI Today is the leading AI for Good podcast series focusing on humanitarian applications of artificial intelligence. We interview leaders, developers and innovators advancing humanitarian applications of AI from across the tech and humanitarian communities. The series is produced by the Humanitarian AI meetup.com community, linking local groups in Cambridge, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Toronto, Montreal, London, Paris, Berlin, Oslo, Geneva, Zurich, Bangalore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.

A podcast about the intersection of technology, society, and internet culture – with a dash of philosophy and art for good measure. Hosts: Laura Hilliger & Doug Belshaw (We Are Open Co-op)

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