DevTech Unconference | old website

DevTech

Unconference

December 20-24

Virtual Networking Event. Real International Development Impact.

The DevTech Unconference

Viirtual doesn't have to be a compromise

What do you miss the most in conventional networking events?

Meeting new people and having the opportunity to share your work
“Accidentally” bumping into valuable professionals
Reconnecting with longtime contacts

In December of 2020, we held the very first DevTech Unconference in Israel, a virtual gathering for the leading voices in Israel’s technology for international development ecosystem! Over the three days, we took part in interactive workshops, brainstorming sessions for participants’ challenges, themed networking rooms for different sectors and geographies, UnTed talks, expert office hours, and booths for our partner organizations. It was a great success for our first community unconference. We look forward to seeing you at next year's event!

For more background on the Unconference and to catch the highlights that you may have missed, read our latest blog post!

Highlights of the DevTech Unconference 2020

Dec 29, 2020

The DevTech Unconference 2020

In 2012, the Israeli DevTech community came together for the first time at the ID2 conference to share ideas and best practices and to...

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The Pears Challenge

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Unleash community impact, even in times of social distancing

Are you working in an Israeli DevTech startup, are you an ecosystem player, an impact investor, or a consultant interested in contributing your expertise and experience to the broader DevTech community?

The term DevTech represents all those players that utilize technological tools to solve international development and humanitarian challenges.

The DevTech community in Israel has grown and matured over the past ten years. Today, more than ever, entrepreneurs and ecosystem players are committed to contributing to the SDGs, solving development challenges through innovation. The Unconference harnesses the knowledge and experience gained by various players, to promote cooperation and the exchange of ideas, and to foster collaborations and partnerships.

Our purpose is to bring together startups, companies, and experts in the Israeli DevTech ecosystem in order to:

-Develop informal networks for collaboration and support

-Enhance expertise in the DevTech sector

-Help DevTech startups address challenges that they are currently facing

The program is composed of interactive webinars (unwebinars) including participant-led discussions, practical sessions, mentored brainstorming, pitching feedback sessions, and much more. The sessions are spread over a week, a few hours each day, giving the participants the ability to attend only the sessions which are relevant for them without disrupting their day-to-day activities. The Pears Program together with community partners convenes and facilitates to make sure the sessions are utilized in an optimal way. The content is defined according to the participants' requests, based on the information provided in the application process.

The focus is on exchange, mutual learning, and interactions between the participants with limited frontal lectures and panels. The content is based on the exchange of information between the participants, thus everyone is encouraged to come in a sharing state of mind.

The Program

Themed networking breakout rooms

Participants meet in networking rooms around specific fields (Energy, FinTech, Healthcare, WASH, Agriculture, and Education) and geographies (India, East Africa, and West Africa).

Brainstorming participant challenges

360° feedback session

Participants give pitches and received feedback from experts and community members, helping them to refine their idea and finetune their message for a developing market or a specific target audience. Brainstorming sessions provide participants guidance on doing business in new markets, building partnerships, adjusting their value proposition to fit a market’s special setting, and funding issues.

Brainstorming

table

Participant led

UnTED Talks

Participants get the opportunity to help others in the DevTech community by sharing their areas of expertise. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs and ecosystem players to build their reputation and credibility in specific areas of expertise. Some topics include education technology in international development, fintech in emerging markets, including the voices of local community members in the innovation process, cross-culture communication, planning for capital raises, working with development finance institutions, and the importance of sustainability in agri- and aqua-culture.

Speed

Dating

Participants get several minutes to present their professional/business challenge and receive feedback from the audience, getting diverse insights and ideas from fellow ecosystem players.

Office hours

by experts

Themed mentoring session in small groups, discuss specific development issues. Participants have the opportunity to ask questions related to the topic to the relevant expert.

Themed mentoring sessions in small groups, discuss specific DevTech challenges. The expertise of the mentors is matched with the needs and interests expressed during the application process. This is an opportunity to get precious time with various experts from across the development field.

Interactive

Workshops

Dedicated workshop sessions on practical issues that require closer attention. Lead by relevant experts, the sessions involve active participation from attendees. Workshop topics include making pilots work, storytelling and precise messaging, impact measurement, and scouting and applying for grants.

Facilitate one on one meetings with other participants. This gives participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore collaboration.

Booth

Exploration

Participants are invited to visit the booths area and explore engagement with our event partners.