Jacopo Margutti is a Data Scientist at 510, the Data branch of the Netherlands Red Cross which uses remote sensing, ground measured data and insights from social media to understand & react to humanitarian crisis. During this conversation, we touch on the the work the Red Cross does around impact forecasting of typhoons, how they have helped covid vaccine distribution, but also how to work on a tight budget to provide the maximum amount of help. Jacopo talks about the desire to move towards digital aid - sending money digitally - over physical goods and what the undesired consequences of humanitarian aid might be. 

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Sponsor of this episode: Element84

• Ep16: Conversation with Dan Pilone, CEO & co-founder of Element84
• Element84 website

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Jacopo Margutti

• LinkedIn

Time-stamps:

• 03:07 - Conversation begins, Jacopo presents himself
• 05:30 - Being in the Netherlands Red Cross Offices
• 07:55 - 510: The Data Team of the Netherlands Red Cross
• 09:50 - Example of applications: Natural Disaster Impact Forecasting
• 13:09 - Timeline of work on a Typhoon event
• 17:00 - The 4 Disaster Phases
• 19:15 - Working with satellite imagery providers
• 23:19 - Understanding what people need, not only where
• 24:45 - Insights from the ground compared to remote sensing
• 31:30 - Effective Altruism: Trying to do the most “good”
• 32:45 - Leveraging Social Media data
• 38:35 - Measuring the impact of the Red Cross interventions
• 40:05 - Challenges of working with data in help of far away locations
• 43:08 - Longer Term Impact Work: Delivering Digital Aid
• 50:20 - Financial aspect of Humanitarian Aid
• 53:30 - Deciding what to work on, who to help and who not to
• 58:15 - The Importance and Need of Volunteers
• 1:01:20 - Impact of Covid on the Red Cross
• 1:04:19 - Jacopo’s journey, from Particle Physics to the Red Cross
• 1:12:12 - Rounding off, Books & Podcasts Recommendations

Shownotes:

• 510: Data Branch of the Netherlands Red Cross
• Books & Podcast Recommendations:
  • Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems by Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo
  • Hidden Brain by NPR
• Volunteer to 510:
  • Through their website
  • Reach out directly to Jacopo

Please feel free to reach out!

• My Twitter
• For news about the podcast
• Website