ICTworks

San Francisco Tech Salon: RSVP Now

In the US we take detailed Google Maps for granted. Walk, bicycle, bus, or car, we are presented with options at the touch of a phone screen. In many cities, we can also pay for bus trips by smart cards, and in a few, even book and pay for taxis by phone.

This seems magical, but we know this and more is possible with data and mobile phones. So how can we apply our expertise to the developing world, where mobile usage is exploding and yet transportation options are still very analog?

Already, a few efforts are reshaping the way we move from one place to another:

• You can download matatu maps for Nairobi to your phone,
• New disruptive ridesharing and taxi services are everywhere from Denver to Delhi.
• And governments are reshaping bus routes based on mobile phone location data.

These efforts are just touching the surface of what’s possible, and we should be thinking big and bold for billions of people.  Please RSVP now to join these thought leaders for the next Technology Salon San Francisco:

• Makaika Judd, formerly of Mobius Motors, building a new kind of transportation platform in Africa.
• Jeremy Gordon of FlashCast, a network of location-aware, dynamically refreshing text displays installed in public transit vehicles.
• Mbwana Ally of the Savannah Fund and Usizame, and SMS-based ferry alert system.

We will be looking at both the new ways in which we supercharge transportation using technology today, and where we see the next big leaps tomorrow. Remember, you need to RSVP now to attend.

We’ll have hot coffee and catered breakfast for a morning rush, but seating is limited. So RSVP ASAP to be confirmed for attendance: once we reach our 30-person capacity there will be a waiting list!