Rachel Firestone

Background

About Rachel Firestone

I work at the touch point between digital technologies and social, political, and economic change. Bringing 15 years of experience driving the design, strategy, and rollout of digital solutions and social change programs, I advise and strategize on cross-sectoral system approaches and digital transformation for high risk demographics. I look at how digital solutions, data, and last-mile digital access and literacy can both improve and challenge communities' ability to make smart decisions, avoid harm, and plan for better futures. I leverage operational, strategic, and technical expertise in my work with end-user communities, country governments, telecom providers, traditional product and development teams to enable digital access and local content and tool customization at the last mile. From civilian protection solutions to point-of-care patient services and largescale data systems, I have led the co-design, training and rollout, and strategic assessments of data-backed, AI-supported tools across 5 continents and in diverse contexts such as the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Over the last two years in particular, my work has focused on the sustainable use and stewardship of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and national health system strengthening, last mile patient case management, disease forecasting for pandemic prevention and response, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and the use and cultivation of AI in health in and for the Global South.