Natasha Freidus

Natasha Freidus is a serial social entrepreneur and trailblazer re-imagining the future of tech for good. She is the co-founder of NeedsList, a tech company powering new models of humanitarian action and crisis response. NeedsList's vision is world where aid is locally-powered, tech-enabled, and grounded in dignity.

Natasha has over two decades of experience applying human centred design for social impact in the public, non-profit, and private sector. Prior to NeedsList, Natasha was the founder and co-director of Creative Narrations, a pioneering training and consulting firm applying storytelling as a tool for social change.

A strong believer is ecosystem building for systems change, Natasha is a partnerships leader, working closely with partners ranging from Google.org to USAID to Grand Challenges Canada to move millions of dollars of resources to vulnerable communities. She now supports and mentors multiple early stage social entrepreneurs on everything from fundraising to strategy to product ideation.

Natasha has a longstanding commitment to migration and refugee issues, stemming from a volunteering stint in the early nineties in a refugee camp outside in Thailand. She is a fierce advocate for refugee leadership and inclusion, and strong believer in the private sponsorship model. Her family has helped to support the safe passage of multiple individuals to Canada from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Ukraine.