E9S13 Drones for Good: Exploring Careers and Innovation with Kat James

The Social Change Career Podcast

Take a listen to this engaging episode of the Social Change Career Podcast, featuring Kat James, a leading development and tech innovator, certified drone pilot and founder of Four Hundred Feet, a Nairobi-based consultancy dedicated to advancing impactful uses of drone technology. Kat shares her unique journey into the drone industry and offers insights into how drones are transforming sectors such as public health, environmental conservation, and precision agriculture.

Why Tune In?

• Careers in Drone Technology: Explore how to enter the fast-growing field of drones for social impact, from mapping and medical deliveries to policy and program design.

• Diverse Career Paths in the Drone Sector: Whether you’re a techie interested in engineering and coding or focused on project management, policy, or communications, Kat highlights how drones offer opportunities for a wide range of professionals.

• Transformative Applications: Learn about drones being used for landmine detection, targeted malaria intervention, and precision agriculture, illustrating the potential for technology to drive meaningful change.

• Breaking Barriers in Tech: Hear Kat's perspective on increasing diversity in the drone industry and her efforts to reduce barriers such as training and licensing costs.

• Ethical Considerations: Gain insights into the challenges of ensuring ethical and impactful uses of drones, and the importance of addressing the digital divide in this evolving field.

About Kat James

Kat James is the founder of Four Hundred Feet a drone consultancy based in Nairobi, Kenya, working to amplify the impact of NGOs, researchers, and social good organizations. She is a certified drone pilot with credentials from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the US FAA. With a dual master's degree in public health and information science, Kat is passionate about leveraging drone technology for social good and serves on the advisory boards of initiatives like the Commercial UAV Expo's Path to Leadership Program and DroneDeploy's Resilient Futures Grant Program.

Key Resources from the Episode

• Four Hundred Feet: Learn more about Kat’s consultancy supporting impactful drone applications.

• Subscribe to Kat's Drones for Good Weekly Newsletter

• 150+ Drone Courses: Access Kat’s curated list of courses, from beginner tutorials to sector-specific training: Drone Course Resource.

• Drones Doing Good Alliance: Explore their work and read the insightful report, What's Ethics Got to Do With It?: Drones Doing Good Alliance.

• Flying Labs: We are a global network of independent local knowledge hubs convening local experts in professional drone, data and AI services for social good.

• WeRobotics: supports and connects local experts in drone, data and AI technologies.

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