AI for Development and Impact 2025
Barcelona, October 21 & 22, 2025
Norrsken Social Hub, Barcelona
7:30AM - 8:30AM
Sunrise Paddle Board
Location: SEA YOU Paddle Surf School
9:00 – 9:45AM
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Location: Red Room
9:45– 10:00 AM
Opening Remarks
Speaker: Lindsey Moore, CEO & Founder of DevelopMetrics Location: Town Hall Venue
10:00 – 11:10AM
Morning Sessions
Plenary Session
Location: Town Hall Venue
Presentation 1: Javier Ideami, CEO Ideami, The Realities of Generative AI: Hype vs. Impact
Presentation 2: Emmanuel Lubanzadio , OpenAI , Senior Director | Head of Africa, Scaling Impact: OpenAI Tools at Work in Global Development
Presentation 3: Nasim Motalebi, Artificial Intelligence Lead, World Food Programme
11:15AM - 11:45AM Networking Break
11:45AM - 13:00PM
Panel: AI, Geopolitics, and the Digital Divide
Moderator: Aparna Bhushan
On the Panel:
Private Sector: A representative from a technology company or AI startup involved in international deployment or partnerships.
IGO / Multilateral Organization: A professional from an organization like the UN, World Bank, or OECD with experience in digital policy, development, or cooperation.
Academic or Civil Society Expert: A researcher, ethicist, or practitioner with a focus on AI and its societal impacts, particularly in underrepresented or developing contexts.
Location: Town Hall Venue
13:00PM - 14:00PM Lunch
14:00 PM - 14:45 PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 1:
Speaker: Thomas Byrnes, MarketImpact
Topic: NRC Sudan AI-Enhanced Cash Tool project
Location: Earthshot
Breakout Session 2:
Speaker: Janina Peter, Bridging Gaps, UNHCR
Topic: Co-Creating with AI: Scaling Refugee-Led Innovation for Real-World Impact
Location: Speakeasy
Breakout Session 3:
Speaker: Lucy Hall, Data & Evidence Specialist, Save the Children UK, Humanitarian Leadership Academy
Topic: 2,000 Voices: What Humanitarian AI Survey Results Mean for Our Sector
Location: Red Room
14:45PM - 15:00PM Networking Break, Red Room
15:00 PM - 15:45 PM
Breakout Sessions Continued
Breakout Session 4:
Speaker: Lucy Mills, Ready Sport Global, IOC
Topic: AI in Sport for Social Impact
Location: Speakeasy
Breakout Session 5:
Speaker: Ruth Orbach (GSMA Foundation) Grace Higdon (Revolution Impact), Linda Raftree (MERL Tech Initiative)
Topic: Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Foundations and Fund Managers - A snapshot and two tools
Location: Earthshot
Breakout Session 6:
Speaker: Robin Nowok, Specialist Data for Development, GIZ Data Lab
Topic: Negotiation Intelligence: How AI Supports Multilateral Negotiations – A Live Demo of Negotiate
Location: Red Room
15:45PM - 16:00PM Networking Break, Red Room
16.00PM - 16:45PM
Final Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 7:
Speaker: Elia Gandolfi Data and AI for Social Impact, The Agency Fund
Topic: An AI Evaluation Framework for the Development Sector
Location: Earthshot
Breakout Session 8:
Speaker: Henrietta Ridley, Chief AI, UNICEF
Topic: Child Centric AI
Location: Red Room
Breakout Session 9:
Speaker: Mara Puacz, Tech To The Rescue
Topic: What do social impact organisations really need in the AI revolution? Insights on AI strategies and transformation journeys
Location: Speakeasy
17:00PM – 18:30PM Rooftop Cocktails and Networking, Rooftop terrace
Day 2
11:00AM - 11:45AM Welcome + Networking Break
11:45PM - 12:45 PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 1:
Breakout Session 2:
Speaker: Tamon Oshimo, Weaver Birds
Topic: Opportunities for AI in Impact Measurement, Management, and Learning
Breakout Session 3:
Speaker: Ray Crick, allegory studios
Topic: AI for International Development Innovations and Systemic Reform
12:45PM - 13:45PM Lunch
13:45 PM - 14:45 PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 4:
Speaker: TBC, TBC
Topic: TBC
Breakout Session 5:
Speaker: Javier Fabra, Norad
Topic: Applied AI in Development: Insights from Norad
Breakout Session 6:
Speaker: Daniela Weber, NetHope
Topic: Bridging the Gap: AI Readiness in Nonprofits – Findings and Actionable Strategies
14:45PM - 15:00PM Networking Break, Red Room
15.00PM - 16:00PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 7:
Speaker: Sulakshana Gupta, Viamo
Topic: Voice-First Generative AI for Impact: Insights from Viamo’s Ask Viamo Anything pilot in Zambia
Breakout Session 8:
Speaker: Annabel Schiff, Caribou digital
Topic: Developing AI-enabled solutions to positively impact micro- and small enterprises
Breakout Session 9:
Speaker: Fiona Kastel Sanchi Lokhande, 3ie
Topic: AI use-cases for geospatial impact evaluation
16:00PM - 16:15PM Networking Break, Red Room
16:15PM - 17:00PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session 10:
Speaker: Ola Mohajer Barney Afako, Mission Transend AI
Topic: Orchestrating Peace in Sudan: Revolutionizing Mediation with Agentic AI
Breakout Session 11:
Speaker: Wayan Vota, Intelehealth
Topic: TrustRx: Overcoming Resistance to AI in Clinical Diagnosis and Patient Care in India
Breakout Session 12:
Speaker: TBC, TBC
Topic: TBC
17:00PM - 17:15PM Networking Break, Red Room
17:15PM - 18:15PM
Lightning Talks
Speakers: John Zoltner, teresa Cintron, Kerry Bruce, Fadema Aden, Aaron Leonard
18:15PM – 19:00PM Closing remarks and virtual drinks
We’ve added a second virtual day to the AI4D Summit to make it easier for more people to join the conversations and sessions online.
The updated agenda will be available soon. Thanks for your patience, and we’re looking forward to sharing more details shortly.