Project Tech4Dev

One story that shaped Antony Vivek Justin's approach came from an NGO in Rajasthan helping out-of-school girls. On paper, the solution seemed obvious: bring in B.Ed-qualified volunteer teachers. But field reality told a different story. He met a local leader—physically challenged but extraordinarily committed—who was the true catalyst. He mobilized families, arranged transport, and ensured every girl’s safety. The real need wasn’t formal qualifications. It was community leadership. The strategy pivoted to recruiting passionate local volunteers, dramatically improving reach and impact. His learning? You can’t design solutions from a conference room—go to the field first. Watch the complete interaction: https://lnkd.in/gAVxH8Zj Read the detailed blog here: https://lnkd.in/gh_pwPxp If you wish to receive regular updates, sign up for our newsletter here: https://zcmp.in/3uyH #TechForGood #FractionalCxO #NGO #SocialImpact #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation #Tech4Dev

How are nonprofits using AI innovations to scale impact? Join us for a conversation that brings real, on-ground learnings from organisations already experimenting with AI in the social sector. 📅 20 February 2026 🕚 11:30 AM – 12:25 PM 📍 West Wing Room 4 B in Bharat Mandapam This panel brings together leaders and practitioners from the AI Cohort Program for NGOs, where seven Indian nonprofits spent six months piloting real AI use cases to strengthen their programs and operations. The session will explore: • Why an AI Cohort for nonprofits was needed • How NGOs were selected and supported through the program • Real NGO experiences, pilots, and lessons from implementing AI solutions • A donor perspective on enabling AI adoption in the social sector • Key takeaways for nonprofits looking to begin their AI journey 🎤 Moderated by Manohar Sreekanth, Partner & CTO, Sattva Consulting Whether you are curious about AI in the social sector or actively exploring AI solutions, this session will offer practical insights and real experiences from organisations already leading the way. 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/g2rs5tRv #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #ResponsibleAI #AIforGood #PeoplePlanetProgress #EthicalInnovation #GlobalCollaboration #DigitalTrust Ashana Shukla The Agency Fund

From Strong Foundations to Scaled Impact The past seven years have been a great ride, but in 2025, we hit our stride, and it has been a journey of growth and learning. We grew from 35 to 50 people and added two new platforms:  - Sashakt, a large-scale assessment platform  - Kaapi, our AI integration platform The Fractional CxO initiative evolved into a CxO and fractional tech team initiative, adding the Grassroots Initiative as one of its programs. Using a quote from Ashana Shukla’s blog post: “When we connect, collaborate, and stay curious, impact doesn’t just add up; it compounds.” Highlights from Oct- Dec 2025: - Our vision has always been to enable and strengthen the ecosystem, and in 2025, we hosted 16 events and engaged with 300 NGOs. Collaborating with partners like Dasra and The Agency Fund made these efforts more impactful, reinforcing our shared purpose and collective progress. - We doubled down on our AI initiatives, growing the team to 8 people. We released the first version of Kaapi, featuring integrations with Glific & Dalgo. We concluded AI Cohort v1.0 with 7 NGOs and launched AI Cohort v2.0. A focus of this cohort was expanding NGOs’ AI capacity through both funding and resources. - Our fundraising continues to grow, with a very high funder retention rate and a strong inflow of new funders. Our funders have been attending sprints to see our work in action and interact with our partner NGOs. Finally, we proud of our willingness to experiment, learn from our mistakes, and iterate towards more effective solutions. Closing 2025 with Momentum, Stepping into 2026 with Purpose! Read the full update: https://lnkd.in/gfBQ5K5m #ProjectTech4Dev #OpenTech #AIForGood #SocialImpact #EcosystemBuilding #DigitalTransformation Donald Lobo Erica Arya Vinod Rajasekaran Avni

Working in the social sector also brought up questions around data, openness, and trust for Devi A S L as a Fractional CxO. “In tech, we talk about open-source code. But in nonprofits, data—especially research or beneficiary data—is the core IP. I began asking: Can we treat program data like open-source code? Can it be reused, built upon, shared?” This often meets hesitation, rooted in fear, compliance, and the sector’s own trust deficit. But through gentle conversations and “aha” moments—like showcasing relevant open data examples—Devi A S L is planting seeds for a culture shift. Read more about Devi’s journey, here: https://lnkd.in/gQa-vByp Or catch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/gSnF2YVP If you wish to receive regular updates, sign up for our newsletter here: https://zcmp.in/3uyH #TechForGood #FractionalCxO #Glific #CareerPivot #SocialImpact #WomenInTech #DigitalNGO #NonprofitTech #DigitalTransformation #LeadershipInTech #PurposeDrivenCareers

Data maturity grows when organisations learn together—exactly what Dalgo’s Data Dialogues in Delhi enabled this week.

Erica Arya will be at #InvokED 5.0, joining the Brain Dates session to engage in meaningful dialogue around building movements and enabling system-level change. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gXUN8J8p

Our recent Project Tech4Dev sprint at Neembadi, Gujarat reminded us why coming together matters—especially in a remote-first world. Set amidst nature, the sprint was a rare pause to step away from screens and into deeper conversations. Over a few days, we learned, built, debated, played, fixed real problems, celebrated birthdays, danced Garba, watched peacocks stroll by, and most importantly—strengthened trust across teams. For some, Neembadi was a first step into the social sector. For others, it was a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come—and where we’re headed next. From intense product discussions and maker days, to leadership sessions, team retros, and even navigating a live P0 issue together, the sprint captured the essence of how we work: with openness, shared ownership, and care for each other. What stood out across stories was not just the work accomplished, but how it was done—through peer learning, access to leadership, room to ask questions, and the freedom to grow into responsibility. Growth here wasn’t loud or performative; it showed up quietly—in better conversations, clearer alignment, and stronger collaboration. We’re grateful to everyone who helped make this sprint what it was—from the organising team to every individual who brought their whole self to Neembadi. As we head into 2026, this sprint feels like a grounding start—rooted in learning, community, and purpose. If you’d like to read reflections from the team, we highly recommend these blogs: 🔗 Neembaadi: Seamless Welcome into Tech4Dev’s Vibrant Culture – Nitish Gupta: https://lnkd.in/gxbgwggZ 🔗 Neembaadi – A Sprint to Enable Teams to Grow Together – Pradeep Kaushik: https://lnkd.in/g-3gu-Wk 🔗 Brewing Kaapi Espresso – Prajna Prayas: https://lnkd.in/gzeK42Mp 🔗 Neembadi – A Sprint to Remember for All the Right Reasons – Shijith K: https://lnkd.in/gWxF9jwt 🔗 Sprint in Ahmedabad, Gujarat: An Experience to Remember – Priyanshu Singh: https://lnkd.in/guqcGqYF 🔗 Big Pond Energy and I’m Still Learning the Strokes – Sheetal Sridhar: https://lnkd.in/gZP74Fcs Here’s to building, learning, and growing—together. #ProjectTech4Dev #Glific #Neembadi #TeamCulture #PeerLearning #BuildingTogether #Sprint #RemoteFirst #Culture #TechForGood #Ahmedabad #Gujarat #Dalgo

At Project Tech4Dev, we believe that meaningful technology doesn’t begin with tools—it begins with reflection. We actively encourage our team to pause, look back at their work, and sit with the communities, contexts, and contradictions that shape it. These moments of reflection help translate lived realities into thoughtful, human-centred tech—from how we design platforms, to how we build data systems, to how we support NGOs on the ground. Writing, sharing, and learning from one another’s journeys is part of how we build empathy within the team—and turn that empathy into better decisions, better tools, and deeper impact. 📖 Read reflections and blogs from across the Project Tech4Dev team here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dEiNQShH Grateful for team members who take the time to reflect—and help us build technology that truly serves communities.

AI Cohort Program 2.0- Empowering NGOs to scale impact with AI Building on the learnings from last year’s pilot, Project Tech4Dev and The Agency Fund are launching AI Cohort Program 2.0 — a hands-on journey to help NGOs meaningfully integrate AI into their programs and drive real, scalable impact. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/gxjNF4Ty Last year, we worked with 7 NGOs through a 4-month pilot, focused on rapid experimentation, testing, and iteration to reach pilot-ready solutions. Taking those learnings forward, AI Cohort 2.0 brings together a mix of returning organisations and fresh participants to keep the momentum going. Who should apply? (Selection Criteria) Foundational technical capacity: NGOs should have some in-house technical or data capability, ideally through a dedicated resource who can anchor the AI work. This person doesn’t need to be an AI expert, but should be comfortable with: - Managing workflows - Communicating operational requirements - Collaborating with mentors and experts - Strong commitment Selected NGOs must be willing to invest one person’s 100% bandwidth throughout the program, including leadership alignment, operational adjustments, and space to test, monitor, and refine the pilot. Use-case preferences - Problems involving multi-modal inputs, especially Indic languages - AI use cases leveraging LLMs 🚀 Applications are open! We’re excited to invite NGOs to apply for AI Cohort Program 2.0.   Last date to apply: January 23, 2026 👉 Apply now and be part of a cohort experimenting with AI for real-world impact: https://lnkd.in/gSwra9sz #AICohort #AIForGood #NGOImpact #SocialImpact #ScalingImpact #ResponsibleAI #TechForNGOs #NonprofitInnovation #LLMs #DigitalTransformation #AIForIndia #IndicLanguages #ProjectTech4Dev Ashana Shukla Donald Lobo Manohar Sreekanth Sattva Consulting Digital Futures Lab Digital Green QUEST Alliance Simple Education Foundation SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) Inqui-Lab Foundation Avanti Fellows IPE Global Limited Samanvay Research and Development Foundation

Scaling with AI, without losing empathy. Hear from Donald Lobo on why the Glific AI Chatbot Accelerator matters for NGOs.