Episode 6: Blockchain for Social Impact with Mehran Hydary, UNICEF

How is blockchain redefining the social impact space?

In this episode, Mehran discusses how UNICEF is leveraging blockchain to alleviate some of the world's social issues. Learn more about UNICEF's blockchain initiatives both internally and externally to optimize efficiency and improve tranparency and accountability across multi-stakeholder environments. He goes indepth to talk about the vavious usecases for blockchain within the social impact space using examples of projects from the UNICEF Venture Fund and the UNICEF Crypto fund (supported by the Ethereum Foundation), and shares some of the implementation challenges faced.

Why is it valuable to look at how we design for communities that have remained largely underserved in tech? Learn how and why UNICEF is playing such a big role in advocating for blockchain-powered future, and why we need to bring the user back to the center of design in blockchain.

Check out the graduate startups from the first cohort of the UNICEF Innovation Fund:

Coinsence: Utopixar developed a platform that enables collaborations amongst communities and organisations to facilitate participative decision making and value transfer.
Prescrypto: Prescrypto is providing a digital solution to the lack of electronic prescriptions in developing countries with a platform that allows medical service providers to view one common history of a patient, and improve the level of care.
Statwig: Statwig is using a blockchain-based solution to ensure the efficient logistics delivery of vaccines through an enhanced supply-chain management system.
W3 Engineers: W3 Engineers built a mobile connectivity platform. It allows users within the network to give connectivity access to other users directly between smartphones, instead of relying on internet and cell networks.
Atix Labs: Atix Labs developed the Circle of Angels platform for small to medium-sized enterprises to gain access to funding, while creating traceability in where the funds are used and measuring impact.
OS City: OS City is a company that uses blockchain and artificial intelligence to help city authorities provide digital services. Its purpose is to improve governments’ efficiency and trust, aiming to build a more sustainable future.

About Mehran Hydary
Mehran is currently a designing and building blockchain software for global issues at UNICEF. He started his blockchain career at Deloitte where he was scaling their technology delivery team while working closely with clients to understand how blockchain can be used in various industries. His previous experience also includes TD Bank, Hydro One, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Mehran studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto in Canada.

About UNICEF Innovation
UNICEF Innovation is an interdisciplinary team of individuals around the world tasked with identifying, prototyping, and scaling technologies and practices that strengthen UNICEF's work. We build and scale innovations that improve children's lives around the world. For more information about UNICEF's work in innovation, visit: www.unicef.org/innovation and www.unicefstories.org.