FUTURE SOLUTIONS PITCH CHALLENGE
ABOUT THE CONTEST
Research is key to ensuring inclusive and equitable digital transformation. To spotlight innovative ideas, the GDC 2025 Future Solutions Pitch Challenge invited young researchers and early-career professionals to pitch their work to policymakers, development practitioners, and funders.
Aligned with the theme “Inclusive Digital Transformation: Social Impacts and Technological Innovations”, participants presented ideas ranging from bridging the digital divide and ethical AI to technology for social good, youth digital activism, and inclusive policy frameworks.
After two rounds, three winners were selected and will be invited to GDC 2025 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, to showcase their work on the global stage and network with global experts on digital transformation.
WINNERS
1st Place: Emiliana Mbelenga – Project RISE: A Pitch for an AI-Powered, Community-Based Approach to Child Protection
2nd Place: Valentina Delgado Jaramillo – Scaling What Works From The Ground Up: Pathways For Digital Social Innovation In Health For Latin America
3rd Place: Ariana Alejandra Figueroa Cornejo – Kawsaymikuy : Bridging Malnutrition and Digital Gap in LMICs (Acknowledgements: Diego Arróspide and Giancarlo Solis)
MEET THE JURY
ALIÉNOR SALMON
Aliénor Salmon is a Franco-British researcher, writer, and international consultant specializing in education policy, innovation, and social well-being. With over 15 years of global experience—most notably with UNESCO—she supports governments, startups, and international organizations. Across her work, she combines data and storytelling to make complex research accessible and inspire human-centered approaches to transformation. She is passionate about inclusive digital innovation that advances well-being, equity, and future-ready learning.
CATHERINE OTAYEK
Catherine Otayek is a communication trainer, actress, and singer. She formerly managed the GlobalDev blog, and supported GDN program communications by highlighting the organisation’s work and impact. Catherine has performed in stage productions, concerts, and films in Paris, Beirut, and New York. In recent years, she has combined her communication and performance backgrounds to train researchers in effectively conveying their ideas—both in content and delivery. She studied media, communication, and political science at the American University of Beirut, and trained in acting and singing in Paris and New York, including at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
NNANNA KALU
Nnanna Kalu-Mba is a Technology for Development Expert at UNFPA, leading digital transformation through AI, blockchain, and mHealth to promote global health and gender equality. With over a decade in ICT for development, he has delivered innovative solutions—from VR training for midwives to AI-driven health tools—in humanitarian and public sectors. At IOM, he oversaw the biometric registration of over a million displaced people in South Sudan. Harvard- and MIT-certified, Nnanna holds an MSc in IT Management from Lancaster University and has published on AI in public sector innovation.