Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs Podcast

In this fascinating episode, Fergal Byrne sits down with Odin Mühlenbein, co-leader of Ashoka’s AI Lab, for a deep dive into the transformative role and potential of AI for social entrepreneurs. With a background spanning philosophy, social venture development, and an early passion for programming, Odin brings a unique perspective to the possibilities AI offers for social impact, deepened by his experience at Ashoka’s AI lab. Here he discusses the journey from experimenting with machine learning to building meaningful AI applications tailored for nonprofits and social enterprises.Odin explores the huge potential of AI to revolutionize social initiatives—ranging from detecting illegal deforestation through satellite imagery to creating chatbots that provide legal and social service information to underserved communities. He provides valuable insights on how Ashoka’s “conscious tinkering” approach helps organizations start small and scale responsibly. By addressing common AI integration pitfalls and sharing Ash