Fix This

Fix This is back with a second installment of the Mission Critical Cloud series. To kick things off, the team checked in with Max Peterson, vice president of worldwide public sector international sales at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Max recounts educational institutions who successfully transformed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and shares his thoughts on how education will continue to evolve in the months ahead. Next up, the team learned about the Oxford X-Reality Hub, where researchers are collaborating with the Oxfordshire County Council to apply virtual reality and machine learning to English literature. Dr. Mattia Montanari, postdoctoral researcher at the engineering department of the University of Oxford, shares how Oxford has brought English literature to life through virtual reality and gamification with the goal of bridging access to education and classic literature among children. Rounding out the episode is Charles Lavigne, cofounder and president of LlamaZOO, a Canadian-based tech company that specializes in 3D visualizations. Charles explains how their app, EasyAnatomy, was developed to create detailed, medically accurate 3D models of canine anatomy for virtual dissection to keep students learning anywhere they are.

Designed to help drive experimentation and accelerate innovation in the public sector, Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched the Cloud Innovation Centers (CIC) Program. To learn more, the Fix This team chatted with Ben Butler, senior manager of the global CIC program, and Jason Whittet, digital innovation business development manager of the Arizona State University (ASU) CIC. Ben and Jason explain how CICs work from challenge to solution. Collaborating directly with universities and students, the AWS CIC program can help students prepare for future jobs, foster public and private collaboration, and create replicable solutions. To better understand how students and cities benefit from the CIC program, the team spoke with current ASU student and CIC intern, Maria Fassinger. From chatbots to future goals, Maria explains how working at the CIC has helped her develop her skillset.

The Fix This team chatted with the nonprofit Childnet International and educational technology (EdTech) company 2Simple about Safer Internet Day. Kate Jones, deputy chief executive officer at Childnet, explains how the organization creates content to empower educators, parents, and youth to have conversations about online safety. Next, Jacob Doran, head of technology at 2Simple, shares how the organization uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to scale and store their educational resources for their learning platform Purple Mash. With Purple Mash, students can play games and watch videos to learn how to remain safe while online.

The Fix This team chatted with Ashish Anand, founder and chief executive officer of India-based startup, Whrrl. Ashish shares how Whrrl uses blockchain and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help farmers maximize profits on their crops. Next, the team is joined by Matthew Davie, chief strategy officer of Kiva, an AWS Imagine Grant program winner. By providing access to banks and microloans, Kiva hopes to create financial opportunities. With a cloud-powered platform, Kiva provides financial on-ramps people all around the world.

The team returns for season two of Fix This to explore how tech ideas and solutions are changing the world. Stay tuned for bi-weekly episodes on financial inclusion, bridging the digital divide, and more. Subscribe to hear the latest from Fix This.

From COVID-19 research to fighting climate change, the Fix This team spent the year chatting with inspirational Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers who use the cloud to solve some of today’s largest challenges. Tune in for a recap of 2020.

The Fix This team chatted with retired General Clint Crosier, the director of aerospace and satellite business at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Clint shares his thoughts on how the AWS Cloud will help customers approach challenges differently in order to deliver on their missions. From being customer obsessed to discovering more about life on Earth through space exploration, Clint discusses how AWS will help customers explore the new frontier. Next, the team talked to Payam Banazadeh, founder and chief executive officer of Capella Space. Payam explains how Capella’s Earth observation satellites use AWS Ground Station to speed up the process of downlinking data and delivering it to decision makers.

In honor of Giving Tuesday, the team sat down with an Amazon Web Services (AWS) subject matter expert and Copalana, a Switzerland-based startup, to learn how nonprofits can streamline fundraising efforts with the cloud. Mike George, an AWS senior solutions architect for nonprofits shares how organizations use AWS to reduce the burden associated with fundraising activities, so they can focus more on their mission. Next, the team chatted with Paul Ryatt, founder at Copalana. Paul discusses how Copalana uses AWS to deliver its online crowdfunding and volunteering platform.

From high school students to US Veterans, AWS Educate is a global initiative by Amazon to provide students and educators resources to learn about the cloud. In honor of Veterans Day, the Fix This team sat down with two Amazon Web Services (AWS) employees to learn how AWS Educate can help transitioning Veterans learn cloud-based skills. First, the team talked to Hannah Buffington, AWS Educate marketing manager, to learn about the basics of the program. Next, the team heard from Caleb Jarrett, a Veteran and current AWS lead development representative for the Department of Defense (DoD). Caleb shared how he used the program to jumpstart his career at AWS, and how it shaped his current role.

Organizations are building new ways to engage and reach underserved learners around the world with Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this episode of Fix This, the team sat down with two education technology (EdTech) organizations to hear how they use AWS to make learning more accessible. First, we chatted with Tariq Fancy, founder of the Rumie Initiative. Tariq shares how he envisioned a learning experience that could fit in the palm of anyone’s hand, virtually anywhere in the world. Rumie’s library of bite-sized lessons is geared toward learners from underserved communities and is designed to fit into anyone’s schedule. Next, the team talked to Pallavi Khandelwal, vice president, and Sriram Shankar, chief technology officer from EnglishHelper. EnglishHelper uses artificial intelligence and AWS to reach students across India and beyond. With their RightToRead initiative, the EdTech teaches students to read and write in English—a skill that can help close the educational gap.