Topher White: What can save the rainforest? Your used cell phone
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About Topher
Topher is an engineer and physicist. He is passionate about creating and inventing. At a young age, he started creating apps and websites, after having learned the basics about computers from his father. After obtaining a Bachelor's Degree from Kenyon College, he worked as a web chief for ITER, the international consortium that is building a nuclear fusion reactor in southern France. However, a year later he made a sudden career change and moved to California, where he worked on a sports website for fans called Enthuse. Nevertheless, he wasn’t truly satisfied with his work until he become involved with protecting the environment and its deforestation. As a volunteer at an ape sanctuary in Indonesian Borneo, he stumbled upon loggers illegally cutting a tree into two-by-fours. This gave him the idea to reprogram used cellphones to detect the sounds made by chain saws and send out alerts to the rangers. In 2012 he founded Rainforest Connection, which converts used cellphones into solar-powered listening devices. Topher's invention has has put a stop to lots of illegal logging in Sumatra. His system is now being used by other three more countries; namely Indonesia, Brazil, and Africa.

































Mitchell Besser
Ron Gutman
Donald Sadoway
Jane McGonigal
Jorge Soto
Alice Bows-Larkin
Topher White
Chris Milk
Yves Behar
Caleb Chung
Nilofer Merchant
Shawn Achor
Astro Teller
Adam Grant
Tim Harford
Jason Fried
Arianna Huffington
David Logan
Roselinde Torres
Paola Antonelli
Alex Blumberg
Rochelle King
Anil Dash
Rob Forbes
Christoph Niemann
Kelly McGonigal
Joanne Wilson
Oliver Burkeman
Aaron Dignan
Tony Buzan
Tom Chatfield
John Armstrong
John-Paul Flintoff

Mitchell Besser

Ron Gutman

Donald Sadoway

Jane McGonigal

Jorge Soto

Alice Bows-Larkin

Topher White

Chris Milk

Yves Behar

Caleb Chung

Nilofer Merchant

Shawn Achor

Astro Teller

Adam Grant

Tim Harford

Jason Fried

Arianna Huffington

David Logan

Roselinde Torres

Paola Antonelli

Alex Blumberg

Rochelle King

Anil Dash

Rob Forbes

Christoph Niemann

Kelly McGonigal

Joanne Wilson

Oliver Burkeman

Aaron Dignan

Tony Buzan

Tom Chatfield

John Armstrong

John-Paul Flintoff