Promoting tech for good innovators creating a positive impact
Thank you for participating in Global Good’s Impact Interview series. This guide will help you craft thoughtful, compelling responses that showcase your organisation’s mission and impact in the tech-for-good space.
What is the Impact Interview series?
The Impact Interview series profiles leaders and companies innovating to overcome pressing issues around the world. Your interview will be published on Global Good’s platform, reaching an audience of social entrepreneurs, impact investors, policymakers, and tech-for-good enthusiasts.
Before you begin
This opening question establishes your credibility and helps readers connect with you personally. It humanises your organisation and sets the stage for the deeper questions that follow.
✓ Your name and job title — Be specific (Founder & CEO, Head of Impact, etc.)
✓ Your company name and what it does — One sentence summary
✓ Your day-to-day responsibilities — What does your role actually involve?
✓ A personal touch — What aspect of your work excites you most?
“I’m Chris Nutman, the Founder and CEO of Global Teacher. We’re a social enterprise that connects skilled educators with schools in underserved communities worldwide. My role spans everything from strategic partnerships to product development, but what I enjoy most is hearing directly from the teachers and students whose lives we’ve helped transform. Every success story reminds me why we started this journey.”
Origin stories are powerful. This question invites you to share the human story behind your organisation — the problem you witnessed, the moment of inspiration, or the personal experience that drove you to act.
✓ The problem you observed — What gap or injustice did you see?
✓ The catalyst moment — Was there a specific event or realisation?
✓ Personal connection — Why did this problem matter to YOU?
✓ The founding journey — Brief overview of how you went from idea to reality
“Global Teacher was born from a frustrating paradox I witnessed during my time teaching abroad. In my home country, talented educators were underemployed or burning out in oversubscribed systems. Meanwhile, schools in developing regions were desperate for qualified teachers but couldn’t attract them. I kept thinking: there must be a way to bridge this gap. In 2019, I started connecting teachers I knew with schools I’d visited. What began as informal introductions grew into a structured platform. Today, we’ve placed over 2,000 educators in 45 countries.”
This question establishes the philosophical foundation of your work. It helps readers understand not just what you do, but why you do it and how you approach your work differently from others in your space.
✓ Your mission statement — Clear, concise, memorable
✓ 3-5 core values — The principles that guide your decisions
✓ How values show up in practice — Brief examples of values in action
✓ What makes you different — Your unique approach or philosophy
“Our mission is simple: ensure every child has access to quality education, regardless of where they were born. We believe education is a fundamental right, not a privilege of geography.
Our core values:
• Dignity first — We treat teachers and schools as partners, not charity cases
• Quality over quantity — We’d rather place 10 excellent teachers than 100 unprepared ones
• Local leadership — We don’t impose solutions; we support local educators to lead
• Transparency — Our impact data is public; our salary structures are open
These values mean we sometimes grow more slowly than competitors, but our retention rates and impact metrics speak for themselves.”
This question positions your work within the broader landscape of social challenges. It demonstrates your understanding of systemic issues and shows how technology can be a force for positive change.
✓ The social problem(s) — Be specific about the issues you’re addressing
✓ Scale of the problem — Statistics or context that show why this matters
✓ Your technological approach — How does technology enable your solution?
✓ Why existing solutions fall short — What gap does your approach fill?
“We’re tackling the global teacher shortage crisis. UNESCO estimates the world needs 69 million more teachers by 2030 to achieve universal education. Sub-Saharan Africa alone faces a deficit of 15 million educators.
Traditional approaches — recruiting locally, training from scratch — simply can’t scale fast enough. Meanwhile, qualified teachers in developed countries face unemployment or unsatisfying careers.
Our platform uses technology to bridge this gap: AI-powered matching connects educators with schools based on skills, subjects, and cultural fit. Our mobile-first training modules prepare teachers for unfamiliar contexts. And our remote teaching tools let educators impact classrooms they could never physically reach.
Technology doesn’t replace teachers — it multiplies their reach and ensures no willing educator is wasted.”
Impact measurement separates genuine social enterprises from those merely using “impact” as marketing. This question demonstrates your rigour, accountability, and commitment to learning and improving.
✓ Key metrics you track — Both outputs (what you do) and outcomes (what changes)
✓ Specific numbers — Concrete data points, not vague claims
✓ Your methodology — How do you collect and verify data?
✓ Qualitative measures — Stories and feedback that numbers can’t capture
“We measure impact across three dimensions:
Output metrics: 2,147 teachers placed, 45 countries reached, 340,000 students taught
Outcome metrics: 94% teacher retention after one year (vs. 60% industry average), average student test scores improved 23% in schools with our teachers, 78% of placed teachers report higher career satisfaction
Methodology: We conduct annual surveys of teachers, schools, and students. We partner with local education authorities to access standardised testing data. And we commission independent evaluations every two years.
But numbers only tell part of the story. We also collect video testimonials, track teachers who go on to leadership roles, and measure community ripple effects like parents engaging more in children’s education.”
This question invites you to step back and share your broader vision. It positions you as a thought leader and gives readers insight into your worldview and hopes for the future.
✓ Your perspective on technology’s potential — Optimistic but realistic
✓ Specific trends or technologies — AI, mobile, blockchain, etc.
✓ Connection to your sector — How will tech transform your specific field?
✓ Acknowledgement of risks — Technology isn’t inherently good
“I’m cautiously optimistic. Technology has already democratised access to information in ways that seemed impossible a generation ago. A student in rural Kenya can now access the same Khan Academy lessons as one in California.
Looking ahead, I see three transformative shifts:
AI-powered personalisation will adapt education to individual learners at scale, something human teachers simply can’t do for 30+ students simultaneously.
Connectivity expansion means the last billion unconnected people will come online, creating unprecedented opportunities for learning and collaboration.
Translation technology will break down language barriers that have historically limited knowledge sharing.
But technology alone isn’t the answer. The same tools that educate can misinform. The same platforms that connect can isolate. The future depends on whether we design technology with human flourishing as the goal, not just engagement metrics.”
This closing question positions you as a mentor and thought leader. It’s your chance to share hard-won wisdom and inspire others entering the tech-for-good space.
✓ Lessons from your journey — What do you wish you’d known earlier?
✓ Common pitfalls to avoid — Mistakes you’ve seen others make
✓ Practical guidance — Actionable advice, not platitudes
✓ Encouragement — End on an inspiring note
“Three pieces of advice I’d offer:
Start with the problem, not the solution. I’ve seen too many “tech for good” startups build impressive technology for problems that don’t exist or communities that don’t want their help. Spend time with the people you’re trying to serve before writing a line of code.
Build a sustainable business model. Grant dependency kills more social enterprises than bad ideas. If your impact can’t survive market conditions, it’s not truly sustainable. We’re proud that 80% of our revenue comes from earned income, not donations.
Measure what matters, not what’s easy. Vanity metrics are tempting. “Downloads” and “users” look great in pitch decks but tell you nothing about actual impact. Define success in terms of lives changed, not features shipped.
The world needs more people building technology with purpose. If you’re considering this path, do it. The challenges are real, but so is the reward of knowing your work matters.”
Questions? Contact the Global Good editorial team