About this webinar
This webinar reveals how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can viably provide access to education, healthcare, agro-services or financial services to the billions of people living with less than a few dollars per day, also called the Base of the Pyramid. The webinar is based on a review of more than 280 initiatives found in developing countries worldwide. The webinar will provide insights to the 15 of the most ground breaking market-based business models with a proven scale and results on the ground, showing that ICT can be a lever improving the living standards of the BoP. The session will, however, also show that ICT is no silver bullet to development.
Presenter:
Marc van den Homberg is the co-founder and leader of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) market team at TNO. Together with strategic Western and Southern partners, we develop and apply pro-poor ICT innovations in developing countries following a market based approach. This approach enables stakeholders to empower beneficiaries as resilient and creative entrepreneurs as well as value-demanding consumers who can contribute to sustainable social and economical development. TNO has unique expertise in the area of: Open data (in combination with earth observation data) and User empowerment, Business models for the BoP, Inclusive Innovation and Co-creation, and Cross-boundary cooperation.
Marc holds an MBA degree from Rotterdam School of Management and a Ph.D. in physics from Delft University of Technology. Marc started his career at the R&D department of the largest operator in the Netherlands, KPN, and at BASE, the Belgian daughter of KPN. Later on he joined TNO and gained experience as a line manager of professionals and as manager of an account team before leading the ICT4D team. Apart from his duties within TNO, Marc is actively involved in and passionate about voluntary board level work for children who have it difficult and being a reserve officer in the Integrated Development of Entrepreneurial Activities network of the Dutch civil-military battalion (who are sent on mission to fragile states for economic reconstruction tasks by -for example- teaching the UN/ILO Start and Improve Your Business method to local entrepreneurs).
