Ideas worth spreading

An ingenious solution for aid in disaster zones

A. Dara Dotz • TED@BCG Toronto

A. Dara Dotz left the tech industry for the nonprofit world after realizing our widespread reliance on tech may be doing us more harm than good. In response, she founded Field Ready to work directly with communities on the ground in disaster zones and co-develop low-tech aid solutions, repurposing found materials like car mats and broken solar panels. "We aren't going to be able to throw tech at every problem," she says. "Instead of focusing on the next blockchain or AI, perhaps the things we really need to focus on are the things that make us human."

A. Dara Dotz left the tech industry for the nonprofit world after realizing our widespread reliance on tech may be doing us more harm than good. In response, she founded Field Ready to work directly with communities on the ground in disaster zones and co-develop low-tech aid solutions, repurposing found materials like car mats and broken solar panels. "We aren't going to be able to throw tech at every problem," she says. "Instead of focusing on the next blockchain or AI, perhaps the things we really need to focus on are the things that make us human."

About the speaker

A. Dara Dotz

A. Dara Dotz

Disaster hacker

A pioneer in 3D printing, A. Dara Dotz combines her expertise in design strategy and rapid assessment to empower others through technology. As the cofounder of Field Ready, an NGO focused on manufacturing humanitarian supplies, she brings 3D printers to resource-deprived sites to produce essential medical supplies, replacement parts and more while simultaneously training locals in multiple countries. Prior to Field Ready, Dotz worked as human factors lead for Made In Space, Inc., a company that builds and operates the first gravity-independent 3D printer on the International Space Station. She has lectured at the UN, World Bank and Exponential Medicine and was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change. Dotz has a BS in Industrial Design from MSCD. In her free time she flies drones, works on AI optimized cars and learns about medicine for remote environments.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

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