Balaji working in Senegal I met Balaji Mani at the Technology Exchange Lab , Inc. (TEL) booth at the Green Festival . He was explaining the unique strategy of his organization to address poverty - his charisma and vision were irresistible so I reached out to him for an interview. Basically TEL is an independent nonprofit that provides an online platform for the global community to share solutions to problems of poverty. They crowd source answers with the same vibe and intention as a WIKI. They purpose to take the innovative thinking of thought leaders like you might see on TED and connect them with those in need of information. They do provide consumer screening of those providing answers so that the sources are determined to be legitimate. That vetting and matchmaking service is the essential value of TEL.