Development Success Stories

About Development Success Stories

Economic development takes many forms. What works in America or Europe might not work in Africa or Asia. This series showcases individuals and organizations around the world—from Appalachia to Zambeze—that have succeeded where others have failed. Produced by the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Podcast and Zoom Host: Rushton Hurley Podcast Producer: Elton Sherwin

Publisher

Rushton Hurley and The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Jun 2024

Latest episode

13 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Jul 2026

   20. Advancing Disability-Forward Housing

   Micaela Connery is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Kelsey, a national nonprofit pioneering disability-forward housing solutions that are affordable, accessible, and inclusive. She launched this work alongside her cousin and co-founder, Kelsey, a passionate advocate for access and inclusion who lived with multiple disabilities. Their shared vision continues to shape the organization’s mission and impact. The Kelsey is a Bay Area-based nonprofit with a national impact, working at the intersection of housing and disability. The Kelsey both builds and advocates for accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing—what they call "disability-forward" housing. You will get an overview of The Kelsey's work, sharing how The Kelsey came to be, why this work matters, its current projects and impact, and how to get involved. Since founding The Kelsey in 2018, Micaela has led the organization to develop over 200 disability-forward homes, unlock nearly $190 million for inclusive housing, and scale its influence to reach thousands of advocates and homes nationwide. As a Fellow at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, she published leading national research on housing and disability, laying the groundwork for The Kelsey’s model. Her commitment to inclusion began early—as the founder of Unified Theater, which she launched at age 15 and scaled to schools across the country. Micaela is recognized as an Ashoka Fellow, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur, Mitchell Scholar, and Harvard Social Innovation and Change Initiative Fellow. A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, the University College Dublin Smurfit School, and the University of Virginia, she is a leading voice on inclusive design, housing innovation, and community-based living. Through The Kelsey, she is advancing a bold vision: communities where people of all abilities and incomes live side by side—with dignity, equity, and belonging. To learn more, go to: The Kelsey's website: https://thekelsey.org/ (https://thekelsey.org/ ) Top 12 Moments from The Kelsey's work in 2025: https://thekelsey.org/eoy-recap-top-12-moments-of-2025/ (https://thekelsey.org/eoy-recap-top-12-moments-of-2025/ ) Voices from the Community (hear directly from The Kelsey's residents): https://thekelsey.org/voices-from-the-community/ (https://thekelsey.org/voices-from-the-community/)

2. 

   17 Apr 2026

   19. Innovation, Hunger and Food Security

   Today, 343 million people are facing acute hunger—more than double the number from just a few years ago. This dramatic rise is driven by a combination of conflict, increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, and a global cost-of-living crisis. In the face of these growing humanitarian challenges, the World Food Program is turning to innovation to maximize its impact and reach those most in need. Through the WFP Innovation Accelerator, WFP identifies, supports, and scales high-impact solutions that have the potential to disrupt hunger and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. In this talk, Bernhard Kowatsch will explore how innovation can play a transformative role in tackling global hunger and building a more food-secure future. Bernhard Kowatsch, is the Head of the United Nations (UN) World Food Program (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, which he created in 2015. The Accelerator sources, nurtures, and scales start-ups and nonprofits working to achieve Zero Hunger, and has run 22 accelerator programmes for external partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Humanitarian Grand Challenge, Adaptation Fund and other UN Agencies, with more planned. Prior to starting the Accelerator, Bernhard co-founded the award-winning ShareTheMeal app that crowdsources funding for WFP and has delivered over 264 million meals for hungry children worldwide. His previous experience includes creating WFP’s Business Innovation Unit and working as a Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). To learn more, go to: https://innovation.wfp.org/ (https://innovation.wfp.org/ )

3. 

   1 Jul 2025

   18. Northwest Arkansas, Telling its Own Story

   Nelson Peacock, President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, discusses the "Life Works Here" campaign and its efforts to attract tech talent by showcasing the region's unique qualities in this interview.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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