Tech Driven, People Centered

Join moderator Reva Feldman and an expert panel as they explore the role of technology in disaster response and recovery. Panelists include iO Wright, co-founder of Post Fire; John Mills CEO, Watch Duty; and Adrienne Heinz,Clinical Research Psychologist, VA National Center for PTSD and Stanford University School of Medicine. Learn how innovative tools like Watch Duty and Post Fire are helping communities access timely information, navigate recovery, and support mental health in the wake of disasters. The discussion highlights the importance of human-centered technology, partnerships, and equitable recovery for all survivors.

 

 

MODERATOR:

Reva Feldman
Reva Feldman is the strategic advisor for After the Fire USA and an executive level leader with over 25 years of public sector experience working in city management and disaster preparedness, response and recovery to help ensure that local and state municipalities are prepared for emergencies and are able to respond quickly and efficiently before and after a disaster. Ms. Feldman first served as the chief operating officer for a state park agency and then served as city manager for the City of Malibu, CA. Her strong leadership skills, knowledge, experience, and profound dedication to local government spurred her many notable achievements, including leading Malibu through the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Ms. Feldman retired from public service in 2021 and opened a consulting firm that supports local government and the city management profession. She serves as a Senior Fellow at Portland State University entities and is a frequent speaker for public and private organizations.

 

PANELIST: 

iO Wright
iO Wright grew up in low-income housing with a single mom. Facing food insecurity, instability, and systems that don’t show up shaped his life’s work: making sure others don’t have to face those same battles alone. He’s led grassroots recovery efforts after disasters like Superstorm Sandy, delivered supplies to refugees at the U.S.–Mexico border, and raised and distributed $90K in direct aid during COVID. He’s stood with domestic violence survivors, spoken hard truths when it mattered, and consistently chosen people over power. For ten years, iO led Self Evident Truths, a nonprofit portrait project documenting 10,000 individuals across all 50 states. It became the largest photographic record of a marginalized population in U.S. history. Alongside his community work, iO has spent over 20 years working in storytelling, journalism, and entertainment—spaces where he’s earned trust as a thought leader, creator, and advocate. His TED Talk on equity and narrative has been viewed over 3 million times, and his two investigative podcasts have been downloaded more than 15 million times. iO is a mentor and safe harbor for those navigating crises. His superpower is making the complex feel possible. He believes knowledge should be shared, not gatekept—and that everyone deserves a fulfilling life. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, and LA Times. As an author, he’s been published by HarperCollins, Penguin, and Clarkson Potter, and was translated into five languages. At PostFire, iO brings lived experience, deep trust, and an unwavering commitment to showing up when people need it most

 

Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D
Dr. Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D. is a clinical research psychologist at the VA National Center for PTSD, Public Digital Health Innovation Program and Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Heinz’s family and community in Healdsburg, California, have been repeatedly impacted by mega-fire disasters and she cares deeply about raising awareness of the intersections of climate change, disaster, and mental health. In her role, she creates free, science-based mental health apps to address posttraumatic stress and related struggles and her program of research on trauma and resilience has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Heinz also serves as a consultant advising on cultivation of public-private partnerships to expedite healthcare innovation in trauma-impacted communities. Currently, Dr. Heinz, is a National Science Foundation Geo Cafe Climate and Health Scholar that connects health researchers with geological scientists to accelerate research and discovery on climate change and health.

 

John Mills
John has changed the way we live with fire through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Watch Duty. John spent many years in Silicon Valley focusing on underserved markets that had been overlooked by technologists. In 2012 he founded Zenput as CTO, focused on retail food services operations which was acquired in 2022. After living in San Francisco for 16 years, he moved off-the-grid to Sonoma County in 2020 where he was faced with the terrifying reality of life in the wildlands without the information needed to make informed decisions. Having developed software for over 30 years beginning at age 8, John found himself with a life-or-death problem he had to solve not only for himself, but for his community. Today Watch Duty has a team of over 200 active and retired wildland firefighters, dispatchers, first responders, and reporters supporting tens of millions of citizens and first responders who rely on the Watch Duty App across the American West to stay safe.