Jonathan Gosier is an American software developer, writer, social entrepreneur and the founder of Appfrica.org. Appfrica invests in east African software start-ups to create jobs and prevent brain-drain. He also currently serves as the Chief Technical Officer at QuestionBox.org where he’s working to develop a software platform that will allow disenfranchised people in developing countries without computers to get answers from operators using the internet for them via voice and sms. He currently lives in Kampala, Uganda where he is working on two fronts: to encourage western businesses and investors to engage African entrepreneurs and in developing parts of Africa to encourage the adoption of computers, programming and use of the internet. He is a huge advocate for promoting the ways in which technology will benefit emerging economies throughout the world. Jon Gosier is a TEDGlobal 2009 Fellow.
Jon has written a number of essays about the ways social capital investments affect change in emerging markets including “Social Capital Gains” and “Tales of a Social Capital Startup“. His novel Muxtionary explores a potential future where the world has become a technological utopia but Africa is still very much like it is today.
