From drones in refugee camps to robots and virtual reality at the frontlines – the digital humanitarians are coming!

Innovation and new technology is not only gaining popularity in New York but also during emergencies and humanitarian disasters abroad and out of this, Internet Week New York (IWNY) highlights innovators building the new economy and creating opportunity, while educating and empowering attendees to succeed.

The festival is an annual celebration of technology’s impact on business and culture. This year’s festivities take place from May 18-24.

IWNY brings together 9,000 attendees over four days for an opportunity to hear lively keynotes, interviews, and panels from celebrities, high-level business executives, founders of startups and leaders in the tech space.

On Tuesday, REFUNITE‘s Co-Founder and Co-CEO Christopher Mikkelsen joined Matthew Irwin, Business & Government lead at Mapbox and Jessie Mooberry,Vice Director at Uplift, Syria Airlift Project as part of a panel from technology organizations working within the field of humanitarian innovation.

The three were featured as influencers who are on the ground during war, conflict and disaster in different parts of the world– applying new, cutting-edge technologies to alleviate human suffering.

The session that was moderated by award-winning journalist Mary Pilon discussed the Future of Humanitarian Innovation and Technology.

They showcased crisis tech projects, explored what humanitarian innovation is, and revealed tech companies who are disrupting the aid industry in Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

To find out more about this event go to www.internetweekny.com or follow the hash tag #IWNY on Twitter.