During my travels around the world I noticed a surprising lack of organised opportunities to meet other ICT4D or ‘tech for social good’ practitioners and researchers.
I thought it might help others if I collate those groups that I am aware of in one place, and hopefully this can evolve to become a more definitive list.
ICT4D Meets, Meetups and Networking Opportunities
United Kingdom
- London ICT4D Meetup
Vibrant and well-attended monthly meetup – alternates between facilitated sessions with speakers, and general networking in a central London bar.
- Brighton Technology for Social Change Meetup
Broader than just ICT4D, focusing on domestic and international tech.
- BOND NGOs group on Technology for Development
Bond is the UK’s network for NGOs – this group meets quarterly and brings together NGO staff with an interested in technology.
- Digital Charities
Group of people working in UK charities with digital technologies – not just International Development charities but lots of overlap. Monthly meets.
- Tech for Good meetup
Bringing together both domestic and international ‘social tech’ types regularly in London
Republic of Ireland
- TechForGood Dublin
New digital tech for good group in Dublin, looks interesting!
- Nairobi ICT4D Group
Relatively new group seeking to bring together the vibrant tech and NGO communities in Nairobi.
Zambia
- Zambia ICT4D Meetup
Facebook group – need to join to find out more.
United States of America
- Washington ICT4D Learning Network
Seems to have stopped (last meet 2014), but maybe someone could revive it, or there is a new alternative somwhere?
- ICT4D Boston
Also has an email discussion list at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/ict4d-boston
Global / Virtual Meets
- Technology Salon
Invite-only events with extremely interesting small groups of attendees – take place regularly in Accra, Amman, Bangkok, Brooklyn, Denver, Helsinki, London, Lusaka, Nairobi, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington DC.
Conferences relevant to ICT4D
- ICT4D Conference
The other big annual conference for the sector – typically more practitioner, NGO and private-sector focused (with some academia). In 2026 it will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in May.
- Participatory Design Conference
Broader than just development but of significant interest to anyone developing technology for or with local communities. Bi-annual, next is 2018 in Belgium.
- TICTeC
Annual conference from mySociety exploring the impacts of civic technology – 2017 sees it in Italy in April.
- WSIS Forum
World Summit on the Information Society forum organised by the major multi-lateral donors. In 2017 it will focus on the SDGs, in Switzerland in June.
Please contact me using the form below if there are other ICT4D groups, meets or networking opportunities you are aware of, and I will include them in this list:
Matt Haikin 