Hilary Cottam
Social Innovator | Transforming Communities with Technology
About
Hilary Cottam is a social entrepreneur who has pioneered new approaches to some of society's biggest challenges. Through her work at the Participle innovation lab, she has designed and implemented transformative social programs that leverage digital tools to empower marginalized communities.
Cottam's TED talks have reached millions, showcasing how technology can be a catalyst for positive change. Her keynotes inspire audiences to rethink social services, offering practical frameworks for creating human-centered solutions that address complex systemic issues.
Talks1
Social services are broken. How we can fix them
When a family falls into crisis -- and it sometimes happens, thanks to unemployment, drugs, bad relationships and bad luck -- the social services system is supposed to step in and help them get back on track. As Hilary Cottam shows, in the UK a typical family in crisis can be eligible for services from more than 70 different agencies, but it's unlikely that any one of them can really make a difference. Cottam, a social entrepreneur herself, asks us to think about the ways we solve deep and complex social problems. How can we build supportive, enthusiastic relationships between those in need and those that provide help?
At a Glance
Is this you?
Claim this profile to edit your bio, add talks, and get verified.
Know a talk we're missing?
Get in Touch
Save for Later
Similar Speakers
Speakers with related expertise
Jonathan Zittrain
Professor of International Law at Harvard | Internet Governance Expert
Dirk Helbing
Professor of Computational Social Science at ETH Zurich | Pioneer of digital society research
Natalia Olson-Urtecho
Smart Cities Pioneer | Obama Advisor & Sustainable Technology Expert
Marlene Ronstedt
Web3 Pioneer | Co-Founder of Data Union DAO Transforming Digital Ownership