<![CDATA[Conversations on Impact]]>A podcast from Fortell Impact exploring how AI is reshaping the way organisations listen to, learn from, and support the people they serve. Each episode digs into real deployments across international development, from AI voice agents surveying microentrepreneurs in Kenya to avatar-based interviewers running impact assessments in Spain, unpacking what's working, what's hard, and what it actually takes to bring AI into the field responsibly. Hosted by the Fortell team, with conversations featuring partners, practitioners, and the people building this technology from the ground up.

]]>fortellimpact.aiRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:47:56 GMTTue, 28 Jul 2026 16:04:00 GMT60Talía Jiménez Romero<p>A podcast from Fortell Impact exploring how AI is reshaping the way organisations listen to, learn from, and support the people they serve. Each episode digs into real deployments across international development, from AI voice agents surveying microentrepreneurs in Kenya to avatar-based interviewers running impact assessments in Spain, unpacking what's working, what's hard, and what it actually takes to bring AI into the field responsibly. Hosted by the Fortell team, with conversations featuring partners, practitioners, and the people building this technology from the ground up.</p>episodicTalía Jiménez Romerotalia@fortell.aino<![CDATA[Fortell Impact x GAIL — AI Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya]]>In this episode, Rob and I go behind the scenes on something we've been building for a while — and are finally ready to announce. Fortell Impact has been selected to participate in the GAIL program (Gender and AI Livelihoods), funded by the Gates Foundation, in partnership with Shortlist Futures and Inkomoko.

We talk about what this actually means: an AI voice coaching agent, accessible by phone call or SMS, designed to support women entrepreneurs in Kenya — including refugees and migrants — with the kind of personal, proactive coaching that research shows drives real business growth.

We dig into the academic work behind our approach, including Michael Freese's 2017 study in Togo, which found that personal initiative training — teaching behaviour and persistence, not just theory — increased business profits by 30%. We talk about why that matters more than traditional business training, why the impact tends to be even greater for women, and how we're trying to embed that into a conversational AI that can scale from 100 to 5,000 entrepreneurs across multiple countries.

We also draw parallels with Fortell's work in the United States, and ask the big open question: how do you get people to actually use something new, integrate it into their daily lives, and trust it enough to keep coming back?

]]>26595a4b-2172-41d5-9958-f8a34b2ebbacTue, 28 Jul 2026 16:29:34 GMT<p>In this episode, Rob and I go behind the scenes on something we've been building for a while — and are finally ready to announce. Fortell Impact has been selected to participate in the GAIL program (Gender and AI Livelihoods), funded by the Gates Foundation, in partnership with Shortlist Futures and Inkomoko.<br /><br />We talk about what this actually means: an AI voice coaching agent, accessible by phone call or SMS, designed to support women entrepreneurs in Kenya — including refugees and migrants — with the kind of personal, proactive coaching that research shows drives real business growth.<br /><br />We dig into the academic work behind our approach, including Michael Freese's 2017 study in Togo, which found that personal initiative training — teaching behaviour and persistence, not just theory — increased business profits by 30%. We talk about why that matters more than traditional business training, why the impact tends to be even greater for women, and how we're trying to embed that into a conversational AI that can scale from 100 to 5,000 entrepreneurs across multiple countries.<br /><br />We also draw parallels with Fortell's work in the United States, and ask the big open question: how do you get people to actually use something new, integrate it into their daily lives, and trust it enough to keep coming back?</p>no00:22:22Fortell Impact x GAIL — AI Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs in Kenyafull<![CDATA[Can AI Avatars Do Impact Assessment? The Treball Solidari Story]]>Discover how Treball Solidari is transforming lives through innovative microfinance solutions! In this video, we explore the impact of their work supporting women micro-entrepreneurs from Africa and Latin America living in Spain.

Key takeaways:

  • Treball Solidari's mission to empower women through access to micro-credits and training.
  • The innovative use of avatars for data collection, achieving a high completion rate of 89.3%.
  • The importance of measuring impact in a changing funding landscape for NGOs.
  • Insights into the European Pillar of Social Rights and its relevance to their work.
  • Real-life success stories of women increasing their monthly income significantly.


What's your biggest challenge with microfinance? Drop it in the comments!

Subscribe for weekly insights on social impact and entrepreneurship!

#Microfinance #SocialImpact #WomenEmpowerment

]]>a566d94d-22a1-47c7-9c49-7d6e65819d16Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:17:24 GMT<p>Discover how Treball Solidari is transforming lives through innovative microfinance solutions! In this video, we explore the impact of their work supporting women micro-entrepreneurs from Africa and Latin America living in Spain.<br /><br />Key takeaways:<br /><br /></p><ul><li>Treball Solidari's mission to empower women through access to micro-credits and training.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>The innovative use of avatars for data collection, achieving a high completion rate of 89.3%.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>The importance of measuring impact in a changing funding landscape for NGOs.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Insights into the European Pillar of Social Rights and its relevance to their work.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Real-life success stories of women increasing their monthly income significantly.<br /></li></ul><p><br />What's your biggest challenge with microfinance? Drop it in the comments!<br /><br />Subscribe for weekly insights on social impact and entrepreneurship!<br /><br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/microfinance">#Microfinance</a> <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/socialimpact">#SocialImpact</a> <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/womenempowerment">#WomenEmpowerment</a></p>no00:11:42Can AI Avatars Do Impact Assessment? The Treball Solidari Storyfull