Human X

Summary:

We live in a world with 56 active state-based conflicts, a world poised for a 2 degree Celsius rise in average global surface temperatures, and a world in the midst of its sixth major mass extinction event. 

Today, these three global trends of conflict, climate change, and species loss are problematic.

When combined with other correlated trends such as global health emergencies, mass migrations, and food insecurity, humanity can expect new segments of the world’s population to become increasingly exposed to immense human suffering in the face of both ecological collapse and war in the near future.

We have a few priority areas that may be subject to change. India, Syria, Mozambique and Southern Africa. Approximately 3,000 animals have been identified and we are targeting serving 100 million people that are experiencing problems related to conflict, species extinction, and human suffering.

More Information:

In recent years, the humanitarian aid sector (the market) has been characterized by a doubling of global people in need, people targeted, countries in need, and funding requirements over a four to five year period. Our market research shows that over the last 3 years, from Dec 2018 to Dec 2021, people in need of lifesaving humanitarian aid has increased by 107% globally (UN Global Humanitarian Overview 2022) to a projected figure of 274 million people for 2022. During this same timeframe, the global funding appeal for the entire humanitarian system also rose 87% from $US 21.9 bn for 33 countries to $US 41 bn across 63 countries worldwide.

One characteristic of the market that is relatively constant is that the sector is always prime for new entrants given that historically, the humanitarian system is only able to reach (target) about 65-72% of the total number of people in need around the world annually (UN GHO 2022). For example, for this year (2022), only 67% of people in need, or 183 mn of a total global figure of 274 mn people in need, will receive some form of humanitarian assistance or protection.

Per our analysis, there is large gap of 91 mn people, representing the bottom 1 percent of the global population, already takes into account all of the aid that will be delivered this year by leading actors in the field such as the UN, ICRC, IFRC, DRC, NRC, USAID, ECHO, SIDA and others.

The conservation sector is also rife with tragedy and loss of life. Our research indicates that of all 22,000 species tracked by the Living Planet Report, we have seen a average drop of 68% in wildlife population sizes in the last 52 years (since 1970) per the IUCN and WWF International. 

These trends put into question the efficacy and direction of the global aid system. Thus, Human X would argue that current business models and modalities of assistance — originally intended to safeguard against human suffering and reverse the loss of biodiversity over time — are proven to be outmoded / obsolete.

Copyright Human X Labs 2024

Human X is the solution.

Human X is the only Geneva-based, international humanitarian technology not-for-profit organization (INPO) focused on innovation work in three inextricably linked industries: the humanitarian, conservation, and peace-making sectors. We are reenergizing humanitarianism for the 21st and 22nd centuries by taking a more sustainable, ethical, and strategic approach to alleviating human suffering, leveraging state-of-the-art technologies that streamline lifesaving assistance among principled actors across these three sectors.

We envision a world without armed conflict and act to serve, protect and assist the most vulnerable people – and species – affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence globally. 

We strive to give people in need — refugees, migrants, internally-displaced persons, and the stateless — opportunities to rebuild their lives toward more noble endeavors, ones that are in better harmony with the natural world. 

Human X offers a suite of transformational services aimed at fundamentally changing the underlying structure of the humanitarian aid system for a rapidly growing target market: the bottom 1% of the global population for whom the aid system cannot reach, while simultaneously striving to achieve a lasting peace among armed groups. Our products and services include:

• Sustainable humanitarian procurement and logistics system: Electric and hydrogen-powered airdrops/airlifts in emergency contexts for simultaneously delivering sustainable food aid, opening safe corridors in the air, and providing species protection services 
• Streamlining humanitarian field operations: Next-generation, AI/ML-enabled navigation tools via proprietary humanitarian satellite technology (Waze and crowdsourcing model for more secure & private real-time logistics information)
• Innovative funding and CBT mechanisms for preemptive species protection and wildlife conservation (Crowdfunded pricing model)
• Creative arthouse: Global Humanitarian Studio for photography, film-making, story-telling, & fundraising (Netflix for aid, conservation & peace-making)
• A legacy of peace: private diplomacy, mediation, and peace-building services with smart contracts (New digital services for private diplomacy & legacy of an enduring peace)
• Tri-sector leapfrog model: 1) increasing internet connectivity in hard-to-reach conflict and poaching zones, investing in digital infrastructure projects. 2) revolutionary new hiring model: training in technology integration, providing employment for the bottom 1% of the global population where and when they need it most, serving tri-sector interests across social, public, and private domains.

Copyright Human X Labs 2024

The bottom 1 percent of the population and endangered species in the priority areas mentioned above will be served. Our products and services will reduce human suffering and relocate species to safe havens. The solutions will be organized into an integrated, interoperable, and international ecosystem that delivers and assures assistance and protection to this population. There experience working with us will elicit other profitable services. 

Our analysis indicated, at least 100 million people in need of lifesaving aid will go unassisted each year in the near term. 

Moreover, every subsequent year, we project an additional 47 million people will be in need of lifesaving humanitarian aid to survive, with an additional 30 million people served by the humanitarian response system, leaving an additional 17 million people in need of lifesaving aid going unassisted without any form of help. In terms of market size the industry is growing at a rate of 23%, or US$ 6 to 7 billion annually and is expected to continue to grow in the range of 15 to 30% for the foreseeable future.

Copyright Human X Labs 2024

First, please see our website humanxlabs.org, which has a page about our founding team on desktop only. Click on the picture for each team member.

Human X is an international humanitarian non-profit founded by Neer Rao and is registered with the Registrar du Commerce in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. 

Our Board of Directors includes Neer Rao in Tampa Bay, USA, Ari Menase in Istanbul, Turkey and Frederic Pattyn in Brussels, Belgium. We have a diverse, cross-cutting background, with global experience in humanitarian aid, conservation, technology innovation, strategic management, startups, and project management. This year, we are seeking to add one or two more members to the Board for a total of three active founding directors.

Our Executive Committee (XC) is responsible for carrying out the day-to-day activities of the organization. We plan to hire four Executive Directors (EDs) to drive each “wing” (a.k.a. department) within the INPO and serve on the XC; One ED would lead our conservation wing and Studio. The second ED, the humanitarian wing. A third, the private diplomacy and peace-building wing. And the fourth, the technology integration wing of Human X.

Frankly, We are in the early stages and need to fund roving roles where we are in proximity to the communities we are serving, understanding realities that only sink on when you are there on the ground and in front of people in such austere environments. 

More information:

I’ve worked in technical, management and global advisory positions for over 10 years in leading humanitarian response organizations such as the World Bank, USAID, United Nations, and ICRC at the international level in the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. 

Historically, I’ve served on both HQ- and field-level response management teams to implement large-scale digital transformation, change management and technology innovation projects that streamline humanitarian operations for both complex emergencies (in conflict areas) and natural disasters. 

I have successfully fundraised to meet capital requirements ranging from CHF 1,6 mn (with ICRC for humanitarian cash transfer programming ) to $US 5.6 bn (with USAID in response to Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa) in multiple international markets and conflict zones. I’ve also built programs, products and teams from scratch, such as:

(1) maps.worldbank.org as part of the World Bank President’s Open Data Initiative. A position was created for me to deliver this work at the World Bank Innovation Labs.

(2) International Committee of the Red Cross Economic Security RedRose SaaS global platform for cash and voucher humanitarian assistance, improving the lives of 8+ million people affected by armed conflict and violence while streamlining CHF 200+ mn of direct assistance;

(3) a global pandemic response plan called Rooted in Trust, methodology and platform for social media monitoring and community engagement to improve humanitarian and health outcomes for people in need across seven wartorn countries. Raised $US 4.1 mn and secured reinvestment to $19 mn within 1 year for global product development and program scale up.

Copyright Human X Labs 2024

We are the ideation stage and require funding to build. Goal: prototypes or MVP in less than 1 year. Our approach is a mix of Theory E and Theory O.

In addition to generous funding, we need support drafting detailed pro formas and hands-on support. We would like to create transformative, long term international partnerships with the following entities:

RCRC Movement

IUCN

NetHope

World Wildlife Fund

Manufacturers and Innovators such as RedDot Design winners

Bang and Olufsen

Dyson

Builders

We are looking for high performing individuals that have one or all three things: 1) extensive international experience in the nonprofit and business sectors, 2) launched products and services in complex markets and 3) strong commitment to embodying the values on our website to create the right culture and approach to innovation and product and service development. We would be honored to work with Alexander or people like him based on a quick review of his background and interests.

My ecosystem of solutions create a new market. So we are operating in a blue ocean. The previous models of innovation have failed as is evident in the fact that these global challenges are present. Using the same terminology or model of innovation will not solve this large scale problems. Our ecosystem of solutions, at Human X, are both profitable and will achieve peace and prosperity, taking a tri-sector approach to solving the problems of species loss, human suffering, and war. 

We plan to build new dedicated satellites now that the cost of launch is relatively low, AI/ML enabled airway and road tracing solutions to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance in difficult country contexts and provide up to date information on the status and conditions of logistical routes to serve people in need of material and other forms of assistance and protection services. 

We plan to build an online and offline platform for smart contracts to bring an end to conflicts and ensure peace among armed groups, establishing a framework that ingests data that is immutable and where actions are legally and practically binding.

We plan to build advanced, state-of-the-art everything, but more specificially, light hydrogen and electric powered aircraft to transport endangered species affected by poaching and conflict from risk areas to safe havens. We also plan to build the harness and platform to modernize transport and shave time off the clock for rapid response measures. Similar to how new, time-efficient valves were made for firefighters to reduce the time to extinguish the fire by attaching the hose in record time, saving lives. Every second counts in these situations.

We leverage an unparalleled strategy of technological innovation and differentiation to maintain our competitive advantage and easily exceed where the market is at because the goal is to build the market and provide the solutions to the aforementioned problems. 

These are just a few examples of the type of ecosystem we plan on building. Again, please do not select us if you plan on following a cookie cutter approach to build one product a time. That old approach to innovation does not embody the speed and scale required to face the challenge. The only way to build a new market across all three sectors and solve several challenges at once is using the Human X tri-sector approach and leveraging our vision and competencies to build an ecosystem of products and services of high quality.

We can leverage partnerships with the IUCN in Gland, NetHope and RCRC Network to sell and scale our solutions to other organizations on a similar mission. You can read more about our innovative approach at humanxlabs.org

Our theory of change and logical framework is evident in our OPS plan which ties activities to outcomes and outputs etc. It is one page. I can send it separately if you are interested. In brief, the theory of change is validate by my experience serving to solve the above problem at the World Bank Innovation Labs, International Committee of the Red Cross, and United Nations among other groups where I delivered solutions and led field mission doing similar things but not as high tech, strategically or systematically.

Three impact goals:

1. Conservation: Relocate endangered species when necessary and relevant, saving other forms of life and boosting biodiversity and wildlife populations in the long term

2.  Peace-building: Truce (Level 1), cessation of hostilities (level 2), cease-fire (Level 3), or formal declaration to an end of the conflict (Level 4) achieved through an international agreement organized using our smart contracting system

3. Humanitarian: Delivery of assistance, such as airdrops, airlift, and other forms of aid to people in need while providing them with opportunities to rebuild their lives and perhaps train through acquiring marketable skills to contribute to the noble goals of our three sectors of focus.

We have a list of simple indicators in our Ops plan. More needs to be fleshed out and co-created. Here is a brief summary. 

1.Conservation: number of endangered species relocated from danger zones to safe havens each year

2. Peace-building: Level depth (see above) achieved for a particular population or community each year. Number of smart contracts executed among armed groups in a particular population or community.

3. Humanitarian: Number of parcels delivered on site. Number of flights provided. Number of jobs or training provided.

There is no core. Its people powered in reality. We leverages a range of technologies to build an interconnected ecosystem that is ahead of all relevant markets. Software, AI, blockchain for smart contracts, satellites, rockets, geographic information systems, aviation, magnetics and electronics, connectivity. Our values lies in owning a few parts of the value chain and being slightly more vertically integrated to ensure humanitarian, peace, and conservation outcomes are realized to minimize risk and poor execution.

We are in the early stages and require grants. More information is available at humanxlabs.org

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0-1 yr total

I’ve hired people from all backgrounds, Sudanese, Syrian, German, French, American, Filipino, Malian, Afghani, Colombian and many others. It is self evident from my background and way of working. Our goal as leaders is to continue building a cultural treasure. A UNESCO Heritage site designation for a workplace if that was possible. We want workplace that is diverse and global, north and south, east and west, adding workers to the board, creating a trusting and innovative environment, and ensuring all continents are represented. 

We build humanitarian and conversation corridors and logistical systems that allow for rapid delivery and verification of receipt of assistance and protection services. People want these services to survive and then get connected to opportunities to help rebuild their lives through reskilling, relocation, and other services that will guarantee their safety and build marketable competencies/careers. An overview of our model and strategic initiatives are below. Defining how this model will change is something we need support with, admittedly.

High investments are required to design, develop, deploy, test, manage, and scale new technology for humanitarian operations in the field. Commercial off-the-shelf systems are the norm with a few exceptions. For example, the ICRC uses RedRose – a SaaS beneficiary and distribution management system – to manage entitlements and deliver assistance of in kind goods, cash and other services to people in need. Despite the fact that international organizations are already working in nearest proximity to people in need, deploying and integrating digital technologies into field operations has proven extremely challenging even in contexts where those organizations have been working for decades. 

On the other hand, other large, government-funded organizations such as the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has generous funding base to build its own long-term asset: an in-house beneficiary information and cash transfer management system:dubbed SCOPE.  A recent 2021 audit report states that, SCOPE (WFP’s flagship corporate digital platform) cost upwards of $US 47.3 mn to develop over a period of seven years. This figure excludes additional country-level implementation costs to roll-out the platform in the field, which ranged from $US 825,000 to 19 mn. Despite a high capital investment of well over 50 million dollars, today the SCOPE platform has achieved scale, transferring more than $US 1.5 bn in humanitarian aid (of which 70% are cash transfers) for over 20 mn people in 68 of the 85 countries in which WFP operates each year.

Moreover, other legacy assets operated by humanitarian and conservation organizations, such as fossil fuel-based airplanes, Landcruisers, and helicopters are obsolete investments that will continue to degrade and pollute the environments in which they are used in the near and medium term. Liquidating, retrofitting, offsetting, and/or decarbonizing these fleets would require significant amount of organizational change to transform.

Arguably, the velocity of change required outstrips the operational capacity, general infrastructure, procurement of resources, and technology development of all leading humanitarian organizations to respond effectively. Given ongoing humanitarian needs are high and institutional inertia invested in maintaining day-to-day operations at scale to meet those needs, the level of change required to decarbonize and pivot its investments in the near-term (1-5 years)is highly unlikely or unrealistic.

Human X will leverage a competitive advantage of differentiation focus, being nimble and small to seize this big opportunity. Human X will gain first-mover advantage by implementing a strategic initiative to build/acquire and operationalize state-of-the-art decarbonized aircraft for a more sustainable approach to delivering aid in austere environments in priority locations where few organizations are operating.

Copyright Human X Labs 2024

Selling products and services from our ops plan, raising investment capital, and grants from MIT