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Frontier Futures for Children

UNICEF Innovation

Frontier Futures for Children is a UNICEF Office of Innovation podcast exploring how advanced technologies are being used to tackle challenges affecting children, young people and their communities. From AI to blockchain, the series focuses on the practical realities of deploying frontier technology solutions, especially in emerging and low-resource settings.

Hosted by tech and business journalist Maddy Savage and UNICEF’s Yemi Lufadeju, the podcast is designed as a global public square for the tech and social impact ecosystems.

Across the series, businesses, investors, non-profit organisations, journalists and academics share hard-won learnings, examining both the opportunities and the challenges of using frontier technologies to create real-world impact.

UNICEF-supported projects or partners featured are clearly highlighted.

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

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  • 4 episodes
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 4

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  • S1 · E3
    Yesterday · 40 min· Video

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

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  • S1 · E2
    October 22 · 43 min· Video

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

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  • S1 · E1
    October 8 · 43 min· Video

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

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  • September 29 · 1 min· Video

    Trailer | Frontier Futures for Children: A UNICEF Office of Innovation Podcast

    Frontier Futures for Children is a UNICEF Office of Innovation podcast exploring how advanced technologies are being used to tackle challenges affecting children, young people and their communities. From AI to blockchain, the series focuses on the practical realities of deploying frontier technology solutions, especially in emerging and low-resource settings. Hosted by tech and business journalist Maddy Savage and UNICEF’s Yemi Lufadeju, the podcast is designed as a global public square for the tech and social impact ecosystems. Across the series, businesses, investors, non-profit organisations, journalists and academics share hard-won learnings, examining both the opportunities and the challenges of using frontier technologies to create real-world impact. UNICEF-supported projects or partners featured are clearly highlighted. UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service. This podcast was recorded in the summer of 2026.

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