Creating Social Impact with Technology at Special Olympics

 

You probably watched the Olympics on television before, but have you had the chance to be part of a local Special Olympics event that supports individuals with intellectual disabilities? If not, look into it; the Special Olympics helps 5.5 million athletes and takes more than 1 million volunteers to run the program in 193 countries. This takes a massive amount of data to promote successful organization and efficiency.  

How does The Special Olympics use information from millions of athletes to enhance the experience and improve involvement?  

On today’s episode of DisruptED, Host Ron Stefanski speaks with Prianka Nandy, Chief Information and Technology Officer of Special Olympics, to discuss how Nandy is helping the audience better plug into Special Olympics as a movement. 

During the pandemic, the Special Olympics saw reduced athlete numbers. Now, they are trying to grow back by understanding who their athletes are and how they can best be involved through one of many components of their research called “The Athlete Movement Project.”  

Stefanski and Nandy also discussed… 

  1. How she has used data from 16 million athletes to continue her transformation journey at the Special Olympics 
  2. The different levels of engagement available at the Special Olympics  
  3. What else the Special Olympics has to offer to participants aside from the actual athletic experience 

Nandy described how she hopes the data they are collecting will transform involvement.

“We’ve been able to find talent, we’ve been able to find the corporate sponsorships in some cases, and we’re starting to come through with a core centralized data strategy…so it’s not just about we want your money to help our organization. It’s about we want your time and your involvement and engagement. And how can we convert you, say, from a donor to a coach or from an athlete to a coach?” 

Nandy is the Chief Information and Technology Officer of Special Olympics International and has experience designing digital and data governance structures. She has served in other international positions, such as Chief Data and Analytics Officer and Data Program Manager, Technology Division, at World Food Programme. Nandy’s accolades include VPU Team Awards for the 2 Minute Feedback Survey, the Open Knowledge Repository, and the World Bank Finances Mobile App from the World Bank Group. She has a BA in Economics from Virginia Tech and a Master of Public Policy with a Social Policy concentration from George Mason University.  

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Class 8 trucks
Driving the Future at ACT Expo: Windrose Showcases Its Purpose-Built Electric Class 8 Trucks
July 1, 2025

At the ACT Expo, Hammer Down host Mike Bush dives deeper into the future of freight with a hands-on look at Windrose Technology’s electric Class 8 trucks. Joined by Joseph Jaramillo, Driver Supervisor at Talon Logistics, Mike takes a test drive to experience the smooth ride, dual digital displays, and unique features—like advanced regen modes and a…

Read More
ball valve
Zero-Friction Flow: Trillium Launches the Red Point® Non-Contact Rising Stem Ball Valve to Cut Downtime, Boost Safety, and Perform in Demanding Applications
June 30, 2025

Join host Michelle Dawn Mooney for this special episode of FlowCast by Trillium Flow Technologies, as she sits down with Fred Jansen, General Manager of Trillium’s Netherlands facility, and Pepijn Esman, Engineering Manager for Red Point, to unveil the non-contact Rising Stem Ball Valve (RSBV)—a breakthrough engineered for extreme-service applications across oil &…

Read More
student success
The AI-Powered Edge in Education: How LearningClues Is Enabling Student Success with Co-founder and CEO Dr. Perry Samson
June 30, 2025

As AI continues to reshape education, institutions face a growing challenge in ensuring students succeed without compromising engagement or integrity. Today’s college students are often juggling jobs, family, and coursework, leading to limited study time and increased dropout risk. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 40% of full-time undergraduates and 74% of…

Read More
AI Strategist
Why Enterprises Need an AI Strategist and Why It Should Be a Marketer
June 30, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma, founder of Spark Novus, a leading consultancy that partners with marketing leaders to adopt and scale AI responsibly and strategically, talks with Nicola Smith, Senior AI Programs Advisor at Southwest Airlines. They explore how enterprises can move beyond tool experimentation to embed AI into…

Read More