We’ve made a lot of progress in the past 30 years, but if we are to end global poverty, we need to start thinking bigger, says USAID Chief Innovation Officer Ann Mei Chang. One-off projects and solutions aren’t enough, we need scale like that seen in Silicon Valley. Aid needs to work like venture capital, placing lots of small bets and be willing to fail, in order to have successes that reach millions or even billions of people.
Ann Mei Chang is the Chief Innovation Officer and the Executive Director of the U.S. Global Development Lab at USAID. The Lab is the newest bureau at USAID and aims to transform global development through science, technology, innovation, and partnerships. Prior to USAID, Ann Mei was the Chief Innovation Officer at Mercy Corps, an international NGO. She also served as the Senior Advisor for Women and Technology in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State.