Our Story

An international 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, TEL was founded in 2009 by two alumni from the MIT Sloan School of Management. They identified a gap between existing technology-based solutions to problems of poverty, and countless NGOs, local entrepreneurs and developing world communities that lack the time and expertise to identify, assess and acquire appropriate solutions.

TEL closes that gap by empowering last-mile communities with actionable information and the freedom to choose solutions that best suit their needs. Going beyond a catalogue of products and methods, TEL leverages the creativity of innovators, partners and TEL’s own researchers and volunteers. The result: an up-to-date, curated and globally accessible platform for proposing, discovering and sourcing practical technology solutions for the developing world.

Building upon our solutions exchange platform, we actively work with community-based organizations around the world to co-design development programs. Through our Project Accelerator service, we help communities leverage appropriate technology solutions to maximize the impact of last-mile development.

With a firm belief in the power of bottom-up, human-centered development, we also work with institutional partners and clients looking to introduce innovative products and technologies in developing regions. Through our Farthest Reach Consulting Service, we help organizations identify, evaluate and implement innovative solutions to improve the lives of consumers and beneficiaries in underserved communities around the world.

The TEL Team

  • X Karen von Bismarck

    Karen von Bismarck

    Founder, CEO

    While volunteering in a Haitian clinic, Karen witnessed the toll extreme poverty takes on communities and the environment, and was struck by the resourcefulness of people who live on less than a dollar a day. Meanwhile, the clinic staff was frustrated in its efforts to find appropriate equipment by the lack of a unified, reliable source of information. In order to meet this need on a global basis, she and fellow MIT Sloan School alumnus Gary L. Bergstrom began designing the basics of TEL, with the goal of leveraging technology to help families and communities rise from poverty. After studying political science and economics in Munich, Karen worked as an industrial organization instructor and journalist. She subsequently completed a Master's degree in Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. As a case manager with the Boston Consulting Group she has consulted to international clients in a variety of industries. Volunteering with the St. Boniface Centre de Santi in Haiti, Karen helped out in the medical-surgical clinic and served as board member and CFO. Two school-years spent in Japan resulted in a deep connection to that country. Karen speaks English, German, French and 'yon ti kras' Kreyol.

  • X David Romero

    David Romero

    Managing Director

    David joined the TEL team in the Fall of 2023 as Managing Director and is a key member of our team leading the TEL initiatives forward. His professional background includes a successful tenure in the private sector, where he excelled in launching international workspaces and achieving business turnarounds. He attributes his success to strategic planning, effective leadership, and fostering team collaboration to orchestrate business transformations. David is deeply passionate about economics, entrepreneurship, and helping others. He is an active volunteer in the Boston area and strongly believes in the transformative influence of communities and organizational culture, which he sees as catalysts for positive change in individuals, cities, and industries. His academic background is in Economics and Business Management, with a particular interest in behavioral and development economics. David is genuinely enthusiastic about the synergy of technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, and believes TEL can be that driving force to facilitate positive change in the communities that need it most.

The TEL Advisory Board

  • X Brennan Lake

    Brennan Lake

    Advisory Board Member

    Brennan joined TEL in the Fall of 2013, following four years of working across nonprofit and for-profit sectors in South America. Brennan first experienced the versatility of low-cost, innovative development solutions while conducting research in informal settlements outside of Valparaiso, Chile. After graduating from Occidental College in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs, Brennan moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. There he founded a social enterprise focused on English-language education, and later co-founded a software-as-a-service platform to democratize e-commerce for small businesses in Latin America.

  • X Matthew James Hnatio

    Matthew James Hnatio

    Advisory Board Member

    Matthew James Hnatio is a specialist in enterprise development, product design, and digital technology. He spent over a decade living and working in Southeast Asia, primarily focused on the design and implementation of national and regional SME support programs for development finance institutions and UN agencies. As a pragmatic innovator, he has also developed and negotiated cross-sector partnerships to solve social and economic challenges associated with market failure, scarcity, and climate change. Matthew is enthusiastic about the potential of frontier technologies to spur innovation and solve humanity’s greatest challenges.

  • X Éadaoin Ilten

    Éadaoin Ilten

    Advisory Board Member

    Éadaoin joined TEL in the Summer of 2015, excited to break into the world of nonprofit work. She believes strongly in the goals of TEL, providing access to point-of-use technologies to those on the ground, as she has witnessed first hand the sometimes abstract nature of scientific research.

    Éadaoin holds a Ph.D. in Physics from University College Dublin, with an emphasis on advanced solar cell enhancement materials. After deciding to apply her skills and passion in a more direct manner by entering into the nonprofit field, she worked with a communications based NGO in Geneva, Switzerland before joining TEL.

Our Partners

We are proud to partner with non-profits, universities, social enterprises and other organizations, including:

Contact Us

Please contact us with any questions, comments or suggestions or to report a problem.

The Technology Exchange Lab, Inc.
1 Broadway, 14th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142, USA