Stanford Digital Vision Program

Stuart Gannes, DirectorStanford UniversityAugust 30, 2004

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

The contribution of IT • Solutions that scale: ICT-Based

projects:– Effective delivery of public

services• Government, education, health

care, commerce

– Efficient infrastructure for commerce

• Agriculture, manufacturing, trade

– Personal communication on low cost networks

• Mobility is essential

– Actionable information on easy-to-operate devices

• Beyond personal computers, video games and TVs

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Successes – and failures - of market forces• Enterprise Computing:

perfect model for 1990s– High value add– Customer driven– Availability of capital– Entrepreneurial

• Gaps in commercial model– Single bottom line– No concept of

depreciation– “Customer base” not

organized to respond to innovation

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Universities: the “fourth estate” for ICT and development1. Governments2. NGOs 3. Corporations –

1990s WEF4. Universities – 21st

Century

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Universities as incubation platforms • Research/define user

needs• Explore

product/service solutions

• Develop sustainability models

• Practice entrepreneurship

• Project mentoring• Collaboration• Innovation• Idealism

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Stanford Digital Vision Program• Nine month fellowship: 12-15 fellows

– Full sabbatical from organizations– Research needs and requirements– Identify and make technology choices– Develop proof-of-concept applications – Create sustainability, aka business models

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Founding concepts • Leverage academic

environment– Structured curriculum– Collaborate with

Stanford faculty and students

• Connects with Silicon Valley resources– Absorb new trends in

technology– Interact with technology

providers

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

DV today: A “boot camp” for social entrepreneurs

• The key components– Technologists– Activists– Developing World– Corporate World

• The philosophical approach– Prototypes, proofs of

concept• Take risks, reduce risks

– Engage resources of Stanford and Silicon Valley

– Build personal networks of contacts

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Core activities, curriculum– Weekly course on

technology and social enterprise.

– Weekly seminar series with Stanford faculty, Silicon Valley executives, authors, public leaders

– Weekly review of project status

– 1-2 day workshops on key ICT implementation issues

– Ad hoc associations around a common theme.

• Ex: Health care and PDAs

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Academic/corporate mentors• Sounding board and

networking guide for DV fellows

• Improve DV prototypes, help on specific project issues

• Provide feedback to DVP on specific project issues

• Advisory role on general DVP-related activities and interactions

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Digital Vision Fellows’ projects• E-commerce for handicraft

workers (India, PayPal)• Low cost voice messaging

devices (Brazil, Philips Electronics)

• Health information services (Mexico, Cisco)

• Imaging analysis of drought prone areas (Moore Foundation)

• Community radio service (Sierra Leone, United Nations)

• 802.11 Wi-fi Networks for rural areas (Hewlett-Packard)

• New communications technologies for humanitarian networks (2 projects)

• E-government best practices database (India)

• Rural Communications infrastructure (Brazil)

• Mapping services for relief workers Digital agricultural extension job matching services (India)

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Prototype •Whipsaw Inc, San Jose •Greenstar Corporation

Content

•Stanford University•CSLI•Computer Science

•Digital Partners•I.kisan.com•Livizi.com•Cybergram.org •Discovery school.com

Human resources•Stanford University

•Medical School•Villages in Partnership, NGO•Indian Institute of Technology•Institute of English, Hyderabad

Partnerships - COW “Computers on Wheels”

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

DV Tomorrow: “Leapfrog” OpportunitiesRe-invent expensive and

inefficient infrastructure– Low cost information

appliances– Wireless communication

networks– Network-based municipal and

credit records– Eliminate middlemen in

commerce– Revitalize energy, water

systems, agricultural practices

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

DV Supporters

• Reuters• Microsoft• Cisco Systems• Hewlett-Packard• Sun Microsystems• Google• Ricoh• Nokia

• Govt. of Andhra Pradesh India

• Govt. of Iran• UN World Food

Programme• Net Hope (NGO)

Stanford Digital Vision Fellowship Program

Thank you