Rafael Galindo

Guatemalan engineer revolutionizing disaster response with AI

Rafael Galindo (b. 1988) developed RescueAI, an artificial intelligence platform that predicts disaster risks and optimizes emergency responses. His system uses satellite imagery and social media analytics to create real-time risk maps, deployed successfully during 2020's Hurricane Eta in Guatemala. A Stanford University graduate, he founded CrisisMapper, a nonprofit that trained 2,000+ first responders in Latin America to use his technology.

Key innovations include the SeismicNet early warning system now operational in 8 earthquake-prone countries, and the DroneBridge autonomous delivery network that supplied vaccines to remote Andean villages during the pandemic. His work with UNICEF's Global Lab created the first child-focused disaster response protocols using AI. Featured in MIT Technology Review's '35 Innovators Under 35' list, his TED Talk AI vs. Natural Disasters has over 3 million views. Current projects include FloodGuard, a low-cost water-level sensor network benefiting 1.2 million people in Southeast Asia.