Tech for Impact – Details, episodes & analysis

What if anyone, anywhere, could access the resources to create real social change? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren speak with Seira Yun, founder of Socious Fund, about breaking down the barriers that keep changemakers from getting the funding and people they need. From his years in humanitarian work with the UN and Red Cross to building a tech-driven impact ecosystem, Seira shares how visibility, trust, and community can level the playing field for underrepresented founders. 

From designing the Tech for Impact Summit to creating a quadratic voting system that gives voice to those without deep pockets, Seira’s journey reveals how thoughtful technology can unite people across sectors—and make impact work more equitable. 

This episode is powered by Freedom World, a platform that helps organisations build, engage, and grow purpose-driven communities through technology. 

What you'll hear: 

• Why funding in the impact sector often follows attention, not need 

• How quadratic voting can democratise decision-making in funding 

• The vision behind the Tech for Impact Summit’s “bonfire” connection ritual 

• Ways to lower the barriers for anyone to make a difference 

• How technology can scale trust and impact without becoming the focus 

Follow Craig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seirayun/ 

Follow Socious Fund: https://socious.org/ 

Follow Ben on LinkedIn / Instagram 

Follow Darren on LinkedIn / Instagram 

This Podcast is brought to you by Freedom World 

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for the latest updates. 

Or you can Join our Community on our platform. 

Produced By: thesurge.online 

What if a former footballer could move governments, spark global movements, and rescue people the world forgot? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren sit down with Craig Foster, who shares the inside story of two high-stakes rescue missions: a detained refugee footballer and Afghanistan’s women’s national team under Taliban threat. Drawing from the power of sport, Craig reveals how solidarity, storytelling, and social pressure became tools for real-world change. 

From launching a global campaign to coordinating evacuations in 24 hours, Craig’s journey shows that technology, community, and moral clarity can combine to save lives—and change policy. 

This episode is powered by Freedom World, a platform that helps organisations build, engage, and grow purpose-driven communities through technology. 

What you'll hear: 

• How sport became a tool for diplomacy, activism, and justice 

• The story behind #SaveHakeem and the network that mobilised overnight 

• The evacuation of 15 Afghan women footballers at the brink of crisis 

• The role of public figures in leveraging platforms for impact 

• Why storytelling, community, and urgency can force systems to act 

Follow Craig: craigfoster.net 

Follow Ben on LinkedIn / Instagram 

Follow Darren on LinkedIn / Instagram 

This Podcast is brought to you by Freedom World

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for the latest updates. 

Or you can Join our Community on our platform. 

Produced By: thesurge.online 

What happens when one person decides to take on an entire criminal network—with nothing but a backpack, a drone, and an unshakable belief that something had to change? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren sit down with Buddy, whose early anti-trafficking efforts in Southeast Asia involved everything from drone surveillance to hacked tech and quiet collaboration with law enforcement. Buddy shares raw stories from the field—busts that almost failed, missions that barely held together, and one operation that led to Thailand’s largest human trafficking arrest. 

But this isn’t just about stings and rescues. It’s a reflection on what sustainable impact really means. And why sometimes, stepping back is part of moving forward. 

What you'll hear: 

• How drone tech, surveillance tools, and donated software powered early rescue missions 

• Why grassroots innovation was critical to uncovering trafficking routes 

• The emotional toll of doing this work without formal systems or support 

• Why stepping away from frontline work became part of the long-term impact 

• What Buddy sees as the next frontier for protecting people in vulnerable situations 

This conversation is part of Freedom World—a podcast hosted by Ben and Darren exploring how technology and purpose come together to build lasting impact. Powered by a platform that helps organisations activate purpose-led communities, Freedom World is where tech meets transformation. 

Follow Buddy on LinkedIn

Follow Ben on LinkedIn / Instagram 

Follow Darren on LinkedIn / Instagram 

This Podcast is brought to you by Freedom World

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for the latest updates. 

Or you can Join our Community on our platform. 

Produced By: thesurge.online 

What if trust didn’t have to be earned—just built into the system? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren speak with Kevin Heng, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Bitazza and Freedom World, about how blockchain can rewire the way we think about trust, transparency, and giving. Kevin breaks down what decentralisation really means for nonprofits, why trustless systems are actually more reliable, and how technology can empower the people on the ground—not just the platforms that serve them. 

What you'll hear: 

• Why blockchain is more than crypto—it’s about credibility 

• How smart contracts and transparency can restore faith in nonprofits 

• The potential of social tokens to recognise and reward impact 

• How Freedom World is helping NGOs build communities without middlemen 

• What it takes to design a truly accessible, equitable Web3 platform 

This conversation is part of Freedom World—a podcast hosted by Ben and Darren exploring how technology and purpose come together to build lasting impact. Powered by a platform that helps organisations activate purpose-led communities, Freedom World is where tech meets transformation. 

Follow Davis on ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Explore Freedom World ⁠Here⁠

Follow Ben on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ 

Follow Darren on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ 

This Podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠Freedom World⁠⁠

Follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ for the latest updates. 

Or you can ⁠⁠Join our Community ⁠⁠on our platform. 

Produced by ⁠⁠thesurge.online 

What does CSR look like when it’s more than a checkbox? When it’s woven into the DNA of a global tech powerhouse? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren sit down with Davis John Abraham, Head of Global Social Impact at Cognizant, to explore how corporate responsibility evolves when backed by serious scale, strategy, and technology. From driving digital inclusion to supporting grassroots changemakers, Davis reveals how Cognizant navigates the complexities of impact work—across cultures, causes, and continents. 

What you'll hear: 

• How CSR is reshaped by technology and global reach 

• The inner workings of leading large-scale social initiatives 

• What success looks like when businesses solve for more than profit 

• Davis’s personal lens on where CSR is heading next 

This conversation is part of Freedom World—a podcast hosted by Ben and Darren that explores how technology and purpose come together to build lasting impact. Powered by a platform that helps organisations activate purpose-led communities, Freedom World is where tech meets transformation. 

Tune in to hear how one company is rewriting the playbook on corporate impact. 

Follow Davis on LinkedIn

Explore Cognizant’s Initiative Here

Follow Ben on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ 

Follow Darren on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ 

This Podcast is brought to you by ⁠Freedom World⁠

Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠ for the latest updates. 

Or you can ⁠Join our Community ⁠on our platform. 

Produced by ⁠thesurge.online 

What happens when someone doesn’t just travel to “find themselves”—but finds a mission that reshapes entire communities? 

In this episode, Ben and Darren talk to Adam Newman, the Founder and CEO of Favela Inc, about his extraordinary journey from the US to the favelas of Brazil—and how that led to a grassroots movement built on entrepreneurship, community, and technology. 

We explore: 

• How the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in Brazil’s favelas despite systemic barriers 

• Why traditional aid models fail to deliver long-term change 

• How Favela Inc is blending co-working spaces, education, and tech—including blockchain—to build real equity 

• The role of trust, culture, and hyper-local context in creating sustainable impact 

Adam’s story is a powerful look at what it means to invest in people—not just through charity, but through tools, access, and long-term belief in their potential. 

This conversation is part of Freedom World—a podcast hosted by Ben and Darren exploring how technology and purpose come together to build lasting impact. Powered by a platform that helps organisations activate purpose-led communities, Freedom World is where tech meets transformation. 

Follow Adam: http://www.adamnewman.me 

Explore Favela Inc: https://favelainc.org/ 

Follow Ben on LinkedIn / Instagram 

Follow Darren on LinkedIn / Instagram 

This Podcast is brought to you by Freedom World

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for the latest updates. 

Or you can Join our Community on our platform. 

Produced by thesurge.online 

Welcome to Tech for Impact, hosted by Ben and Darren.

This podcast dives into the bold, inspiring, and sometimes a little crazy world of social impact through technology.

From blockchain for nonprofits to AI for good, we sit down with tech founders, nonprofit leaders, and change-makers who are using innovation to reimagine what’s possible for people and the planet.

In each episode, expect honest conversations, unexpected laughs, and stories that go beyond buzzwords—highlighting the real people behind the impact.

Whether you're building tech, backing causes, or just wondering how to do good in a digital world, Tech for Impact is your front-row seat to the movement.

Follow Ben on LinkedIn / Instagram

Follow Darren on LinkedIn / Instagram
This Podcast is brought to you by Freedom World

Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram for the latest updates.

Or you can Join our Community on our platform.