Arts
Today’s episode is the first after a long break, during which the coronavirus pandemic has upended pretty much every aspect of modern life. For the Humans, a lot of that time has been spent trying to adjust to this new reality, and to contribute what we can to a solution. So today’s episode focuses on one of those efforts — a website called FrontlineLive that uses social media and map-based sharing to connect medical personnel and other frontline workers in the UK with the Personal Protective Equipment they need to do their jobs.FrontlineLive was founded by Katz Kiely, a UK-based entrepreneur with a long track record of using open platforms to drive institutional change, and she’s one of my two guests today. The other guest is Gina Soloperto, a Group of Humans member who’s worked with Katz over the past five months to get FrontlineLive started, and growing. We talk a little bit about their own professional backgrounds, but the bulk of the conversation is the behind the scenes story of launching the website, quickly and with an all-volunteer team, and all of the ways it’s evolved and grown since then. There’s a lot of insight here for anyone looking to use technology and behavioral insights to drive positive change, and we also talk a little bit toward the end about the positive and negative potential of social platforms, and the responsibility they bring for those who set them up.