Frontier Futures for Children: A UNICEF Office of Innovation Podcast

Frontier Futures for Children is a six-part podcast series from the UNICEF Office of Innovation which explores what it takes to turn a promising idea into impact at scale. Hosted by freelance tech journalist Maddy Savage and UNICEF’s Yemi Lufadeju, the podcast brings together 29 thought leaders, innovators and decision makers from 17 countries, working at the intersections of frontier technology, equity and social impact. 

From promising idea to real impact 

In rural India, CareNX’s portable monitor helps health workers check a baby’s heartbeat far from the nearest hospital. In Lao PDR, AirGradient’s sensors help schools decide when it is safe for children to learn and play outside. In Timor-Leste, Similie’s early warning systems give communities time to prepare for flooding. The founders behind these solutions join the series to discuss what it took to put them to work, and what it will take to reach more people.

The conversations go beyond the technology itself to examine the decisions that determine whether it succeeds in the real world. Who pays for a solution after the pilot ends? What makes investors take a chance on technology built for underserved markets? How do communities shape the tools intended for them? And what happens when a promising idea meets the realities of infrastructure, regulation, funding and scale?

Across the series, guests explore scaling the hardest places, the health of women and girls, blockchain in vaccine and food supply chains, crisis preparedness, AI in education, and classrooms built to withstand heatwaves and air pollution. Guests draw on what they have built, backed, researched and observed to explore where innovation succeeds, where it stalls, and what can help good ideas go further.

UNICEF-supported projects or partners featured are clearly highlighted in each episode. 
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service. 
All episodes were recorded in summer of 2026.

Episode 1: Scaling where it’s hardest: High-tech dreams in low-resource realities

What does it take to move from a ten-person pilot to a scaled tech solution that improves the lives of thousands? In this debut episode of Frontier Futures for Children, we deconstruct the “scaling wall” for social impact innovations that help children and their communities. The focus is on frontier technologies—advanced solutions including AI and blockchain. Which startups are truly breaking boundaries, what are the biggest challenges for scale-ups, and which trends are shaping the work of innovators, investors, and public institutions? Guests from impact tech ecosystems in Europe, Africa and Asia discuss the hard truths and opportunities of building ventures that improve children’s lives at scale. 

Guests 
Lina Ng'inja – Head of Partnerships, East Africa, Norrsken 
Helen Samuelsson – Innovation Advisor, The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) 
Divya Gupta – Former Chief Business Officer, Global Health, Qure.ai 
Paul Miller – Managing Partner and CEO, Bethnal Green Ventures 
Mimi Billing – Europe Editor, Sifted 
 

Episode 2 | Femtech: Is 50 per cent of the population still a venture "niche"?

Femtech is one of health innovation's most promising frontiers. The Boston Consulting Group sees a major market opportunity in meeting the health needs of women and girls, yet those needs receive only 6% of global investment, according to the World Economic Forum. In this episode, the founders behind CareNX, which brings pregnancy monitoring to remote communities, and Oky, a period tracker co-created with girls, join an investor and an author to unpack what it takes to build, fund and scale femtech that reaches women and girls everywhere. 

GUESTS 
Aditya Kulkarni – Founder and CEO, CareNX 
Gerda Binder – Senior Advisor to UNICEF Office of Innovation and founder of Oky 
Marina Gerner – Author of The Vagina Business 
Malin Frithiofsson – CEO of Daya Ventures 
 

Episode 3 | Beyond Crypto: Making blockchain work where it matters most

What is blockchain—and how can it improve the lives of children, young people and their communities? The technology is best known for powering digital currencies, which can enable faster cross-border payments, reduce reliance on unstable currencies, and expand access to financial services for people without bank accounts. 

But blockchain’s applications go beyond finance. In the humanitarian sector, it’s already being used to track vaccine and medicine deliveries and strengthen agricultural supply chains. In this episode, we hear from leading businesses and experts exploring its potential, while also examining challenges—from regulation to energy use. We also ask whether it truly delivers on its promise of decentralisation—and what it will take for social impact organisations to use it effectively at scale. StaTwig featured in this episode was supported by the UNICEF Venture Fund. Bitget, the GSR Foundation and the Ethereum Foundation are UNICEF partners. 

GUESTS 
Gracy Chen – CEO, Bitget 
Sid Chakravarthy - Founder and CEO, StaTwig 
Dr Katina Michael - Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Technology, University of Sydney 
Ebba Theding - CEO, 4+Ventures and founding board member, Blockchain Sweden 
James Newell – Executive Director, GSR Foundation 
Aya Miyaguchi – President, Ethereum Foundation