Ian is CEO of Development Seed, which builds impactful geospatial tools that empower our partners to track and understand a changing planet. We create, analyze and distribute massive amounts of data by leveraging machine learning to power AI in the cloud. From our work with NASA to use AI to classify hurricanes as imagery comes off the satellite–to helping the World Bank use machine learning to rapidly map national power grids, we work for the people who work on the world’s hardest problems.

Ian has a rich history of building technology teams and community over 18 years. Ian built Internet Freedom Programs at the State Department, where his stewardship of $100 million in startup Internet freedom funding helped to grow the community of organizations advancing digital rights. Ian created one of the first global development innovation units within the National Democratic Institute, where he applied technology to improve government services and accountability in 60 countries.