Tech Matters

Author: Jim Fruchterman

In a landscape where the tech industry's reputation often precedes it, veteran social entrepreneur and Tech for Good pioneer Jim Fruchterman, along with many extraordinary change-makers, have been rewriting the narrative by using their tech skills to build a better world and drive positive social change. Through in-depth interviews unveiling the workings of some of the most transformative social impact organizations, you'll discover how individuals have harnessed the power of technology to confront the world's most pressing challenges. Prepare for a wealth of insights about how to enter the Tech for Good field, best ideation practices, effective exit strategies, ethical use of data, funding wisdom, and more. Whether you're part of a nonprofit, the tech sphere, government sector, or at the helm of social change, our podcast is your compass to ensure that, when designing software, you're putting people first. -- Hosted by Jim Fruchterman. Production: Gabriele Sha. Sound Engineering: Phil Kadet.
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: Business, Non-Profit, Technology

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Trailer:

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

The Farmer-to-Farmer Playbook, with Rikin Gandhi of Digital Green
Episode 5
Tuesday, 6 January, 2026

Inspired by astronauts and grounded in the realities of rural India, the founder of Digital Green shares a 15-year journey of using technology to support smallholder farmers. In this episode, we hear how a Microsoft Research project grew into a global nonprofit working with governments and NGOs, first by using low-cost farmer-to-farmer videos, and now by building AI-powered advisory tools in local languages. We dig into what actually works in the field, how costs dropped for farmers using Digital Green's tools, and why partnership, farmer agency, and careful tuning of AI models matter more than flashy tech. Full transcript: https://techmatters.org/the-farmer-to-farmer-playbook-with-rikin-gandhi-of-digital-green RIKIN GANDHI [Co-Founder & CEO] Rikin was trianed in computer science and aerospace engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and MIT. After working for Oracle and Microsoft Research, he co-founded the non-profit Digital Green in 2008, using digital technology for agricultural extension in South Asia and Africa. RATE, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE If you like what you hear, leave us a 5 star rating on your favorite platform. STAY IN TOUCH Write us a note at podcast@techmatters.org or follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-matters/