23rd October 2026
The HLA team will be attending the NetHope Global Summit in Amsterdam from 26-29 October and online on 3 November 2026.
As we look forward to connecting with collaborators and partners old and new, we reflect on what a decade of our digital learning platform Kaya has taught us – and consider how humanitarian, development and technology organisations can achieve more together in a time of change.
Learning together, navigating change
The humanitarian sector is navigating profound change. Funding is tighter, needs keep rising. No single organisation has all the answers right now – which is why spaces to convene, collaborate and learn from one another matter more than ever.
That is why we’re excited to be attending the NetHope Global Summit 2026. The HLA’s Fay Loosley, James Michael Maltby and Ka Man Parkinson will join the in-person Summit in Amsterdam from 26 to 29 October, and the Virtual Summit on 3 November.
NetHope brings humanitarian and development organisations together with technology partners around a shared goal: using technology to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. For us, the Global Summit is a chance to listen, share what we have learned, and explore how we can go further together.
One million Kaya learners, built on a decade of partnership
We arrive in Amsterdam on the back of a collective milestone. In September 2026, Kaya, our free, open access digital learning platform, passed one million registered learners from 195 countries. Behind those numbers are humanitarians who have used Kaya to move from volunteering into professional roles, strengthen their organisations, and to share their knowledge on to colleagues and communities.
The HLA launched Kaya in May 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul – the convening that gave rise to the Grand Bargain and a commitment to put local actors at the centre of humanitarian response.
Our aim was simple: to make high-quality, contextualised humanitarian learning free and accessible to anyone, anywhere, so that local and national responders have the skills to lead.
Today, Kaya offers around 950 free learning resources in 15 languages, with content from more than 35 partner organisations. The platform is a key driver of the HLA’s mission to accelerate the movement for locally led humanitarian action.
Kaya’s story has always been one of collaboration. This year we celebrate a decade of partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the CALP Network, as well as our partners who have joined us over the years. Many partners who use Kaya to train their own staff have chosen to make those courses public, helping to make Kaya a truly shared resource for the humanitarian sector.
In a sector ‘doing more with less’, that shared approach matters: when quality learning already exists, organisations don’t need to always start from scratch, and can often build on foundations laid by others. As we wrote earlier this year, sustainability and partnership sit at the heart of Kaya.
Whether you want to train your own teams, reach a wider humanitarian audience, or strengthen the capacity of the local partners you work alongside, we can be your thinking partner, with Kaya for organisations and our Learning Design services offering practical ways to get there.
Partnership and collaboration
The team is heading into the NetHope Global Summit with a real sense of partnership and learning at the centre of everything we do.
James Michael Maltby, Head of Global Engagement, Platforms and Communications, oversees the HLA’s platforms that make high-quality learning and knowledge accessible to humanitarians working in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
For James, the Global Summit offers a valuable convening space for humanitarian, development and technology organisations.
“Some of the most exciting innovations emerge when we collaborate across sector boundaries,” he says. He is particularly interested in how organisations are approaching AI adoption responsibly and practically, with solutions designed inclusively and with users at the centre.
In Amsterdam, James will be leading an in-person session together with technology partner Amazon Web Services (AWS): Using AI to Connect Humanitarian Talent Where It’s Needed Most. He will join Lauren Stovall (Global Head of Nonprofit Programs) and Jack Tilson (Senior Solutions Architect), and together they will share how new AI tools like Kaya Match – developed with the support of an AWS Imagine Grant for Nonprofits – can connect humanitarian professionals with learning, jobs, volunteering and surge opportunities in their own communities, mobilising local expertise where it is needed most.
Fay Loosley, Sales and Account Lead, works with organisations across the Kaya community, from long-standing partners to those just starting their digital learning journey.
As part of an ongoing dialogue with our partners and the wider community, Fay and James recently co-hosted a webinar, From innovation to impact: how will digital humanitarian learning evolve?, bringing together Kaya partners and our global learner community to explore the future of digital humanitarian learning amid sectoral change.
In Amsterdam, she is most looking forward to catching up with Kaya partners in person and hearing what’s top of mind, from accessibility to localisation – and what partners like the HLA could be doing differently to better support them.
“For me, it’s about helping organisations scale their knowledge as well as their reach,” she explains. Digital learning offers an always-on way for people around the world to build skills at their own pace, and through Kaya and the HLA’s learning design expertise, organisations can create engaging learning and localise it for the audiences and contexts they serve.
“Organisations don’t always need to reinvent the wheel,” Fay adds. “Where quality learning already exists on Kaya, it can be shared across organisations, while partners can also contribute their own expertise to the wider community.”
Ka Man Parkinson, Communications and Marketing Lead, manages communications and the digital community, including the HLA webinar series and Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives podcast, helping to amplify diverse voices and connecting the dots between learning and collective action.
At the NetHope Virtual Summit on 3 November, Ka Man will join Madigan Johnson from our partner Data Friendly Space (DFS) for a breakout session: Moving Humanitarian AI Out of the Shadows: Building a Culture Where AI Learning Happens in the Open.
This interactive workshop builds on the global humanitarian AI research our organisations have been co-leading since May 2025 in response to sectoral demand. The session will explore how organisations can build cultures where people learn about AI openly, together.
This year, Ka Man has built out these insights together with partners, working closely with the NetHope community on collective sense-making around rapid AI developments, particularly in relation to how technology can support local organisations.
Ka Man has been shortlisted for a Digital for Impact Award in NetHope’s 25th Anniversary Impact Spotlight Awards, which recognises individuals who have harnessed technology to generate impact over the past year. The winners will be announced on the Main Stage in Amsterdam.
“I’m proud of this recognition as it reflects the importance of inclusive dialogue and collective efforts in humanitarian technology, and is a testament to the power of connection and collaboration for shared impact,” she says.
Ka Man, James and Fay are looking forward to continuing those conversations in Amsterdam and online.
Connect with us
Whether you’re an existing partner, a new organisation exploring digital learning, or simply curious about our work, we’d love to meet you.
Join our sessions
• Tuesday 27 October, 13:15 CET, New York 3 (in person): Using AI to Connect Humanitarian Talent Where It’s Needed Most
James Maltby with Lauren Stovall and Jack Tilson (AWS). Find out more
• Tuesday 3 November (Virtual Summit), 10:30 CET: Moving Humanitarian AI Out of the Shadows: Building a Culture Where AI Learning Happens in the Open
Ka Man Parkinson with Madigan Johnson (DFS). Find out more
The Virtual Summit on 3 November is free for nonprofits. Register by 30 October 2026 at nethopeglobalsummit.org
Other ways to connect
• Visit us at booth 12 in the Networking Lounge, where we’ll be demonstrating Kaya
• Message the team through the Summit attendee portal
Can’t make it to the Summit? Complete our form to request more information and we’ll be in touch.
See you in Amsterdam and online!
Some of the most exciting innovations emerge when we collaborate across sector boundaries.