TOR115: Zipline with Ryan Oksenhorn

We have spent a fair amount of time on the Terms of Reference Podcast talking about data - big data, data collection, using (and not using) data. While I'm sure that we will continue to talk about data a lot in the future, and hopefully (and more importantly?) the useful information that data creates, today's episode focuses on the portion of the innovation spectrum in development and aid where the truly tangible, potentially game changing product or service that someone (or group of people) who has poured blood, sweat and tears into making a reality... is actually becoming a reality.

For the 115th episode of the Terms of Reference Podcast, I speak with Ryan Oksenhorn of the company Zipline. A member of the founding team, he is the company's Software Team lead and and also runs the flight testing program. Zipline is a complete rethinking of the delivery of critical and emergency health care products, like blood or vaccines, for hard-to-deliver-to places. They fly them there. On demand. Within minutes of receiving a request.

While this seems like a no-brainer, as you'll hear in the podcast, the Zipline team has had to solve massive amounts of problems to achieve the safety, reliability and quality necessary for this service - the solutions to which have only become possible in the last few years. They are kicking off the launch of the Zipline service in Rwanda this summer. I was inspired and I hope you will be as well.