In the latest episode of MindSea’s Moving Digital Health podcast, CEO Reuben Hall speaks with Helen Knight of Helen Knight Consulting.
“How come the tech isn’t doing what it’s supposed to?” It’s a question to which many in the healthcare field can relate. And in fact, many of the nonprofit organizations Helen advises often experience the same technology challenges that are all too common in healthcare. From her work helping her clients “fight poverty through technology,” Helen shares successful strategies and solutions she’s developed for building the business case for technology and why social ROI may be a more useful metric than strictly financial ROI.
As Helen delves into the root causes of challenges she’s seen in many organizations, she and Reuben discuss how previous disappointment can breed a systemic lack of faith in technology, and one that inhibits future investment. In sharing a real-world example from her own work, Helen demonstrates how digging into the core problem instead of executing the band-aid solution allowed her to bring about a massive positive transformation.
Drawing on her corporate experience to maximize her impact in the nonprofit sector, Helen shares strategies for justifying tech investment to stakeholders, objections she frequently encounters, and how she addresses them. Helen shares the winning formula she’s developed for translating requests to executive peers, why she emphasizes a focus on social profit, and the critical elements that can help eliminate tech debt.
A lifelong learner who began coding at age nine, Helen holds an MBA in IT Strategy & Nonprofits and numerous certifications in project management, change management, and digital transformation. She is also a professional speaker focusing on IT transformation and diversity and inclusion, and lectures on Business Technology Management at the Haskayne School of Business in Calgary.
We thank Helen for joining us for such a thoughtful and stimulating discussion. We hope this conversation will provide inspiration for the many others facing similar challenges and fighting similar battles. Find the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and subscribe to the MindSea newsletter to be notified about future episodes of Moving Digital Health.
