What Happens When the Safety Net Disappears? Reimagining Humanitarian Support in a Post-Aid World with Nicholas Haan

As governments like the U.S. scale back or dismantle longstanding international aid commitments, the world faces a critical question: What happens when the safety net disappears? In this urgent and far-reaching conversation, Dr. Nicholas Haan—development economist, famine expert, and Singularity University faculty—joins host Andrea Sampson to explore the deep consequences of this shift.

From the closure of USAID to parallel cutbacks in Canada and Europe, we unpack what this unraveling means for millions of vulnerable people—and for all of us. But this isn’t just a story of loss. It's a conversation about opportunity: the chance to reimagine aid, leapfrog broken systems, and build new models of global solidarity rooted in exponential technology and human empathy.

This is the episode for anyone wondering what role business, innovation, and values must play in a world where traditional systems are no longer guaranteed.

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Dr. Nicholas Haan is a distinguished expert at the nexus of science, technology, and global development, with over 25 years dedicated to addressing humanity's grand challenges. His career encompasses a broad spectrum of social impact initiatives, underscoring his commitment to societal advancement.

His career began as a science teacher in a remote Kenyan village with the Peace Corps, an experience that ignited his commitment to social good and led to more than two decades of international work, primarily in East and Southern Africa.

Dr. Haan created the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an international standard for assessing the severity of food insecurity and disasters. Which has been instrumental in informing decisions to combat hunger globally, reflecting Dr. Haan's profound impact on food security.

Since 2012, Dr. Haan has been affiliated with Singularity University, serving as Vice President for Impact, Faculty Chair of Global Grand Challenges, and Managing Director for the Global Startup Program. In these roles, he focuses on leveraging exponential technologies to address critical global issues, fostering innovation with a social purpose.

What Happens When the Safety Net Disappears? Reimagining Humanitarian Support in a Post-Aid World with Nicholas Haan

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