Ugo Vallauri
Co-Founder, The Restart Project, Fellow, Shuttleworth Foundation, and Public Speaker in London, United Kingdom
I am the Co-Founder of The Restart Project and a Fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation, based in London.
How many of us are increasingly surrounded by broken or prematurely obsolete electronics?
The Restart Project is a London-based non-profit organisation encouraging people to fix their relationship with the electronics they use. Restart inspires people to prevent unnecessary waste by using their electronics longer and learning more about repair and reuse.
We help people start volunteer-run community repair groups, while collecting and sharing data about common barriers to products' repairability as experienced by people all over the world.
Originally from Italy, my work has been deeply influenced by researching the use of electronics and communication technologies by rural communities across Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Kenya where I've lived extensively.
Throughout my career, my work has been featured by the media globally, including CNN, BBC, RAI and many more.
As a public speaker, I’ve given keynotes and made contributions on the intersections of technology, innovation and sustainability at countless events, including to design, environmental, tech, policy and education audiences.
Main topics I cover during my talks are: circular economy, planned obsolescence, repair cultures, sustainability, ethical electronics, free and open source solutions, appropriate technologies.
Prior to co-founding The Restart Project, I've worked and consulted for innovative non-profits, including Slow Food in Italy, Computer Aid in Kenya and TechforTrade in the UK.