Live From #bbcon's MicroEdge Day: Keynote Speaker, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund

Dr. Natalia Kanem, the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), opened MicroEdge Day at bbcon. Born in Panama, she immigrated to the United States as a young girl, after the death of her father. Dr. Kanem, at a young age, knew she wanted to be a doctor and filled her days "curing" her dolls by "mixing concoctions" in her backyard. These experiences, says Dr. Kanem, helped shape her journey to who she is today.

Jumping ahead, Dr. Kanem, practicing as a pediatrician, specializing in tropical diseases, traveled the world. From parts of Africa, to India, and even back to Panama, Dr. Kanem observed, first hand the disparity in health care available to children and women. She also observed that health, like so many things, is a composite issue. "You can give the medicine, but if there is malnutrition, if there is no clean drinking water, [then you haven't addressed the root issue.]"

These observations are what led her to shift her work from medicine to philanthropy. However, with this shift, Dr. Kanem remained firmly "rooted in the numbers." Because in philanthropy, "what we do to quantify is an obligation [and in philanthropy, the issues we address, are composite issues]."

"It's very important to consider that the world is changing and changing rapidly. But so are we. So are our institutions" noted Dr. Kanem. Development is a place where people - even people from dramatically divergent points of view - can come together and begin to hear each other. "We need to step across and look for new partnerships in order to succeed..."

The ultimate message from Dr. Kanem spoke of a knowledge revolution and vision for the world where people, institutions, and organizations work together to create sustainable good. She closed with a quote from Robert Frost, reminding us that "The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected."