E15S10 A Career in Tech for Impact and Global Health as a Generalist

The Social Change Career Podcast

Introduction

Our guest, Simon Wilks, a social impact expert with expertise in health, tech, and social impact in Africa, shares his valuable insights on working at startups, the hiring process, and the importance of building personal projects and contributing to open source projects. Simon also shares his experiences working in East Africa, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the tech industry and the importance of understanding local cultures and bridging cultural barriers. We also discuss the systemic inequities that make it harder for local founders and employees to succeed and the shifting focus towards supporting local organizations with local founders. In addition, we delve into the fascinating advancements in the East African tech ecosystem, such as the widespread usage of M Pesa, a mobile money product, and the potential for leapfrogging over developed markets in areas like electronic medical records and AI. We also touch on the demand for technical skills, the value of coding and AI knowledge, and the role of coding boot camps in acquiring these skills.

📚 Timestamped overview [00:00:14] Networking, learning, and opportunities in the impact sector.

[00:08:47] Studied Business and Computer Science, found impactful job in Nairobi.

[00:15:13] Advantages of working in a startup: diverse experience, opportunity for full involvement, choice of focus, potential financial payoff. Downsides: chaos, difficulty in work-life balance, high pressure.

[00:20:19] Digitizing pharmacies for better medicine access

[00:28:36] Discovery, strategy, implementation: rewarding, fun, gratifying.

[00:31:12] "Build network, have conversations for social impact jobs"

[00:36:38] Culture shock in East Africa, cross-cultural experiences. Learn local language for full experience.

[00:43:54] M Pesa enables mobile money transfer in Kenya.

[00:50:38] Tech growth in East Africa and Canada.

[00:55:00] AI important, coding helpful, business side optional.

[01:02:13] Emerging markets require more than pure tech.

[01:06:06] Time management experiments reveal limited effectiveness.

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