Olly Parsons

Key Strengths: humanitarian innovation, emergency communications, telecoms, communicating with communities, scaling, strategy development, partnership

Olly is a specialist in digital innovation and has extensive experience in supporting the implementation of technology solutions globally. He advises and supports social enterprises, startups, private sector companies, NGOs, INGOs, government bodies, and donors, with a focus on the role of innovation, mobile, and communication technologies in development and humanitarian contexts. Olly has supported organisations working to address challenges associated with sudden-onset and climate change-induced disasters, forced displacement and fragile contexts, the Covid-19 pandemic, food insecurity, social cohesion, and global health challenges. He co-designed a global charter for enhanced collaboration between the telecom industry and humanitarian sector during crises, and led the GSMA's Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Fund for 5 years. Olly holds a BSc in Geography and an MSc in Practicing Sustainable Development with ICT4D specialism, from Royal Holloway, University of London.