IDEMS International - Podcast Details

Shows

The IDEMS Podcast175 – The PhD to IDEMS Postdoctoral Fellow JourneyIn this episode, Lily and George discuss their journeys from their PhD to IDEMS’ Postdoctoral Impact Activation Fellowship. Lily also describes her transition to a permanent role while George describes what he imagines his transition might be like. An informal chat that reveals two different enough yet similar experiences joining IDEMS.2025-07-1524 min

The IDEMS Podcast170 – Marketing IDEMS: From R&D to ProductsIn this episode, George and Kate discuss the challenge of transforming deep R&D into tangible products. They explore the balance between simplicity and complexity, the need for early market validation, and the difficulty of securing private investment for ambitious long-term goals. The conversation touches on the unique product and funding strategies for social enterprises and highlights how IDEMS navigates these challenges while emphasizing the importance of impact over profit.2025-06-2730 min

The IDEMS Podcast169 – Marketing IDEMS: The Website RedesignIn this episode Johnny and Kate discuss the intricacies of marketing IDEMS, emphasizing the challenges of presenting its diverse and impactful work. They highlight the importance of a well-structured website, balancing in-depth technical information with user-friendly content, and the need to showcase successes without overshadowing their collaborative nature. They also touch on the evolution of IDEMS’ marketing strategy, the role of design, and the aim to create a cohesive narrative that resonates with both experts and laypersons.2025-06-2428 min

The IDEMS Podcast135 – Resource Constraints and Technological InnovationIn this episode, co-founding director David Stern is joined by Johnny McQuade, a software developer at IDEMS, for his first discussion on the show. Prompted by recent advancements in AI technology from Chinese company DeepSeek, they consider the impact of resource limitations on technological development, within the field of AI and more generally. They consider how IDEMS’ approach of building technology for low-resource environments has the potential for global benefits in terms of innovation, efficiency, and sustainability in technology, linking this to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.2025-02-2537 min

The IDEMS Podcast120 – Reflections on Past and Future New YearsIn this New Year special of the IDEMS podcast, David and Santiago reflect on their journey with IDEMS, starting from Santiago's official employment in early 2020. They discuss their initial projects and the disruptions caused by COVID-19, which led to shifts in their work approach. They share insights on the growth of the IDEMS team, the challenges faced, and Santiago’s personal experiences transitioning between roles within the organisation and as a school teacher. The conversation highlights adaptability, and the ongoing mission to foster positive social impact through local innovation.2025-01-0319 min

The IDEMS Podcast119 – The New Year’s SpecialIn this special New Year's edition of the IDEMS podcast, David, Lucie, Lily, and Santiago reflect on a year of episodes. They discuss the challenges and rewards of recording, their focus on complex and transparent discussions, and the podcast's role within IDEMS’ broader work. Looking ahead, they explore ideas for involving more team members and creating in-depth mini-series. The episode concludes with gratitude and appreciation for the collaboration and behind-the-scenes support, highlighting the podcast's multifaceted benefits.2024-12-3122 min

The IDEMS Podcast114 – International Impact Award 2024In this episode, Lily and David celebrate and reflect on IDEMS International's recent International Impact Award 2024 win at the Social Enterprise UK Awards. They highlight the organisation's significant achievements, including the digitalisation of a parenting program trialled in Tanzania, demonstrating the potential for high impact at scale. The conversation underscores IDEMS' innovative approach to building technology for social impact, their collaborative work with local partners, and plans for future developments in regions like West Africa.2024-12-1324 min

The IDEMS Podcast111 – Sustainability, Scalability, and Systemic Change: IDEMS’ Approach to Impacting Grand ChallengesIn this episode, co-founding directors David Stern and Danny Parsons discuss the organization's approach to tackling grand challenges. They consider three core principles guiding their decision-making: sustainability through capacity building, scalability via community development, and systemic change by collaborating with institutions. Would it be a failure if IDEMS was no longer valuable?2024-12-0321 min

The IDEMS Podcast101 – Introducing Sue Johnson: Corporate Insights into Communicating the Value of Technology for Social ImpactDavid sits down with Sue Johnson, one of IDEMS’ non-executive directors (NEDs). They discuss Sue's transition from the corporate world to her role at IDEMS, motivated by the organisation's focus on social impact, and their recent in-person team meeting. Considering R-Instat in particular, Sue provides some insights into the challenges of effectively communicating IDEMS’ projects to external stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of balancing technical depth with a broader business perspective to achieve the company's goals. For more information on R-Instat, search the podcast backlog or visit r-instat.org.2024-10-2928 min

The IDEMS Podcast095 – How to Tell the IDEMS StoryIn this episode David and Kate discuss the difficulties they faced telling the IDEMS Story and how Kate has helped in doing so. They discuss the challenges of telling any story of tech interventions for social issues, touching on the objective of not doing harm and producing impactful, thoughtful interventions. They consider the complexities within IDEMS and how its diverse projects converge through commonalities, and different mechanisms explored, including The IDEMS Podcast.2024-10-0818 min

The IDEMS Principle16 – The Systems Thinking PrincipleDavid and Lily discuss the principle Systems Thinking: “This principle affects how the company tackles problems. It encourages building an understanding of how any company activity relates to and fits into the bigger picture.”. They highlight how the principle describes how company activities fit into the bigger picture. David explains that at IDEMS, this involves looking at broader contexts rather than focusing solely on individual components, contrasting with component research. He highlights the difficulties of adopting systems thinking in business due to its complexity and conflict with simpler, growth-driven approaches. However, for IDEMS, systems thinking is essential for creating lasting and...2024-06-2626 min

The IDEMS Principle01 – The IDEMS Principle Podcast SeriesIDEMS directors Kate, David and Danny introduce the podcast series and how it came about.2024-06-1210 min

The IDEMS Podcast059 – Inception Meetings: IDEMS’ Pathways to Supporting Project BeginningsHow do you get a project off to a good start? In IDEMS’ Research Methods Support work for the Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems (CRFS) in West Africa, we facilitate Inception Meetings to support projects make the right decisions. David and Lucie reflect on 9 CRFS projects’ joint Inception Meetings held in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.2024-06-0432 min

The IDEMS Podcast055 – Scalability vs Sustainability in IDEMS InternshipsSantiago Borio and David Stern delve into the distinctions between scalability and sustainability within IDEMS’s internship models. They debate the potential for internships to drive significant societal and economic changes, particularly in rural African settings, by fostering economic growth through digital opportunities. The conversation also examines how these scalable initiatives could profoundly influence both local and global economies across various resource environments, presenting a unique model to create opportunities for future generations.2024-05-2130 min

The IDEMS Podcast050 – The Role of Observation in Shaping IDEMSIn this 50th episode of the IDEMS podcast, co-founders David Stern and Danny Parsons celebrate the milestone by reflecting on the crucial role of observation in their professional journeys and its impact on IDEMS' development. They discuss the transition from observers to leaders, emphasizing the importance of taking a step back to gain a deeper understanding and insight, which has enabled thoughtful action and leadership within the organization. They also recognise the importance of allowing their team members the opportunity to observe and gain experience, while acknowledging the challenges of doing so in a dynamic business environment.2024-05-0322 min

The IDEMS Podcast047 – Kate Fleming: IDEMS’ StrategyDavid and Kate, two of the three IDEMS directors, explore how to productively think about IDEMS’ multiple work streams as an overarching strategy. In doing so, they reflect on IDEMS’ role, and by extension technology’s role, in promoting “human flourishing”, as an enabler of human activities and interests.2024-04-2318 min

The IDEMS Podcast044 – An Interview with our Incoming Director, Kate FlemingDavid Stern introduces Kate Fleming, IDEMS' incoming director, discussing her alignment with IDEMS' values and their shared focus on complex data and community problems. They touch on the challenges of merging technology with social impact, the importance of community-based tech initiatives, and the goal of scalable solutions within a social enterprise framework. The episode highlights their mutual vision for addressing global issues through collaborative efforts.2024-04-1229 min

The IDEMS Podcast043 – The Journey to IDEMS InternshipsIn this episode, Santiago Borio and David Stern delve into the evolution of IDEMS internships, tracing their roots from the African Maths Initiative in Kenya to their expansion across Africa. They discuss the inspiration from university attachments at Maseno University, and lay the path towards potential structured programs that bolster capacity building and foster local innovation, emphasizing the significant impact on individual interns and broader community development. 2024-04-0933 min

The IDEMS Podcast036 – Response to “IDEMS’ Vision and Mission”This episode is a follow-up to episodes 033 and 034, which were a conversation between Santiago and David on IDEMS’ vision and mission. Here, Danny and David respond to that discussion, further explicating how they view the vision and mission and taking a critical look at their current formulations.2024-03-1521 min

The IDEMS Podcast034 – IDEMS’ Vision and Mission in practiceFollowing a more theoretical assessment of IDEMS’ vision and mission in the previous episode, Santiago challenges David to explicitly analyse how these apply to three IDEMS projects. These are explained and contextualised before exposing how the vision relates to them. The mission is revealed to be explicitly relevant to each project once the vision analysis is carried out.2024-03-0834 min

The IDEMS Podcast033 – IDEMS’ Vision and MissionDescription David and Santiago delve deeply into IDEMS’ vision and mission. David explains how these guide most of what IDEMS does and engages in, while going into detail about their meaning and implications. Transcript [00:00:00] Santiago: Hi, and welcome to the IDEMS podcast. I am Santiago Borio, an Impact Activation Fellow, and I’m here with […]2024-03-0540 min

The IDEMS Podcast032 – Impact Activation Postdoctoral FellowLily and David discuss the "Impact Activation Postdoctoral Fellow" role at IDEMS. They discuss the objectives and experiences of the fellowship program, and its impact on both individuals and the broader organisation. They explore the flexibility and opportunities provided by the fellowship to engage in diverse projects, the transition to more permanent roles within IDEMS, and the overall aim of making meaningful social impacts through their work. 2024-03-0137 min

The IDEMS Podcast027 – Why doesn’t IDEMS simply focus?While many organisations seem to focus on a small area of expertise, IDEMS is involved in a wide range of projects and activities, in a wide variety of roles. In this episode, David talks to Santiago about the thinking behind, and advantages of, embracing diversity in how IDEMS can have impact and add value.2024-02-1331 min

The IDEMS Podcast020 – Research and Impact in Challenging ContextsIDEMS supports researchers at a number of research institutions in low resource environments, and in this episode David and Lucie discuss some challenges that these researchers are up against. In challenging contexts such as these, unique opportunities can arise.2024-01-1933 min

The IDEMS Podcast018 – Is Nepotism always harmful? Part 1Santiago Borio interviews David Stern on the issue of nepotism. They analyse a common definition of the term, look into examples where it’s harmful and examples where it may even be necessary. They consider how IDEMS is a nepotic organisation and what that means in a wider context. This is the first part of a two part episode on a complex issue that can sometimes have deep social consequences.2024-01-1234 min

The IDEMS Podcast015 – New Year’s ResolutionsIn this festive episode, Lucie and David reflect on the idea of New Year’s resolutions through the lenses of IDEMS’ three mechanisms for monitoring and evaluations: guiding principles, pathways of change and value creation stories.2024-01-0217 min

The IDEMS Podcast014 – IDEMS Blunders of the Year 2023In the spirit of celebrating failures as learning opportunities, and in accordance with a burgeoning festive tradition, David and Santiago discuss various self-defined “blunders” that members of IDEMS staff have made over the last 12 months. There can be only one winner of the IDEMS Blunder of the Year 2023!2023-12-2928 min

The IDEMS Podcast012 – Fundamentally ProfitableSantiago Borio interviews David Stern on the concept of being “fundamentally profitable” and how and why IDEMS prioritises this over maximising profit. They explain how this idea evolved through the years in its implementations and present some challenges IDEMS faced recently to remain fundamentally profitable.2023-12-2224 min

The IDEMS Podcast011 – Response to “Reluctant Entrepreneurs”The IDEMS team enjoyed listening to how Danny and David were reluctant entrepreneurs and hearing about how social impact became an important goal for IDEMS in Episode 010, but they had some concerns. In this podcast, in accordance with IDEMS’ principle of being “critically assessed”, David responds to the team’s critiques.2023-12-1940 min

The IDEMS Podcast010 – Reluctant EntrepreneursA discussion between David and Danny, IDEMS directors, on how they became co-founders – despite originally considering themselves to be “reluctant entrepreneurs”.2023-12-1523 min

The IDEMS Podcast008 – The IDEMS Business ModelDavid Stern, co-founder of IDEMS, is interviewed by Santiago Borio on the business model IDEMS has developed. The discussion presents a qualitative analysis of a three part model based around the creation of public goods, and the offer of human and digital services. It draws on successful examples and case studies combining two of the three areas.2023-12-0827 min

The IDEMS Podcast007 – IDEMS’ views on agricultureDr Lucie Hazelgrove Planel interviews David Stern, co-founder of IDEMS, on IDEMS’ views on agriculture. They delve into why IDEMS supports a diverse range of projects related to agriculture based on innovations that lead to sustainable development, and what this development might look like: is the future urban or rural?2023-12-0533 min

The IDEMS Podcast005 – IDEMS as a Community Interest CompanyIn this episode, we delve deeper into the legal structures behind IDEMS as a social enterprise. Santiago Borio interviews David Stern, a co-founder of IDEMS, and questions him on the technicalities behind IDEMS the business, the somewhat challenging decisions made when setting it up, and the potential to demonstrate an alternative way to make sound business decisions while maintaining a thoughtfully ethical mindset.2023-11-2823 min

The IDEMS Podcast004 – Zach Mbasu and INNODEMS, The Follow-UpZach Mbasu, Director of INNODEMS, introduced some of his work and his shared passion for education with David in the first IDEMS Interviews Podcast episode. This follow up explores who Zach is, how and why he created INNODEMS, and how IDEMS actually exists thanks to Zach!2023-11-2728 min

The IDEMS Podcast003 – Interviews 01: Zach Mbasu and INNODEMSThe first in the IDEMS interviews series. David interviews Zach Mbasu, a long term collaborator and the founding director of INNODEMS, an exciting Kenyan social enterprise. Zach tells his story from high school teacher to social entrepreneur, through his search to support Kenyan youth to gain access to the education they deserve. Zach’s story also explains why, founded in the challenges of African education and development, IDEMS is committed to enabling future generations to write their own stories through African-led enterprise rather than ‘international aid.’ 2023-11-2128 min

The IDEMS Podcast002 – What is IDEMS?In this episode, we break down and discuss the acronym “IDEMS”, which stands for “Innovations in Development, Education and the Mathematical Sciences”. Santiago Borio interviews David Stern, a co-founder of IDEMS, to delve deeper into the organisation’s overarching objectives, some of the motivations for its establishment, and its positive but challenging future outlook.2023-11-1724 min

The IDEMS Podcast001 – Maths Minds: Thinking Hard About Supporting a Collaborative SocietyThe first episode of The IDEMS Podcasts. Its title, “Maths Minds: Thinking hard about supporting a collaborative society”, represents some of what IDEMS does and how we intend to tell our stories. Dr Lily Clements interviews David Stern, a co-founder of IDEMS, to delve deep into elements of why IDEMS exists.2023-11-1425 min