Bridging AI and Systems Thinking: Podcast with MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab
At MedCycle Network, we often talk about moving at "the speed of trust." Turning unused medical surplus into immediate, compassionate care requires a deep understanding of our local health ecosystem. As we scale our impact, highlighted by our recent selections for the 2026 AbbVie Foundation Health Equity Accelerator and Tech to the Rescue’s AI Impact Scaling Program, we are constantly looking at how advanced technology can help us optimize these systems to improve outcomes for our partners and their patients, as well as for our planet.
MedCycle Network CEO and co-founder Eric Talbert stepped into the guest host chair on the Humanitarian AI Today podcast for a conversation with Jarrod Goentzel, the founder and director of the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab.
The Power of Systems-Level Thinking
Jarrod and his team at MIT have spent years analyzing how supplies move during crises, humanitarian disasters, and within complex supply chains. One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is that you cannot fix a supply chain simply by looking at an isolated problem; you have to look at the entire ecosystem.
For MedCycle Network, that means looking beyond just "moving boxes." It involves understanding how a donation from UCSF Health impacts a student-run free clinic like Clínica Tepati in Sacramento, or how a specific piece of emergency equipment can pivot to save a life at Lestonnac Free Clinic. Jarrod breaks down how mapping these larger systems allows organizations to be proactive rather than reactive.
Where Artificial Intelligence Meets Human Trust
With MedCycle Network recently being selected to join Tech to the Rescue’s AI Impact Scaling Program, the intersection of AI and humanitarian logistics is top of mind for us. In the podcast, Jarrod shares a balanced, realistic view of what AI can, and cannot, do for organizations like ours.
While AI is incredibly powerful for spotting patterns, forecasting needs, and streamlining data across complex, multi-partner supply chains, it lacks something vital to humanitarian work: context. Jarrod emphasizes that data models only work when they are paired with human relationships and local expertise.
"AI can help us sort through data, but it cannot replace the trust required to get a box of medical supplies into the hands of a doctor who needs them." - Jarrod Goentzel, the founder and director of the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab.
This mirrors the MedCycle Network's model. We can use technology to better track, sort, and match medical surplus, but our real power lies in our community partnership, the volunteers, healthcare sustainability teams, and clinic staff who work with us to help improve lives while protecting our planet.
Whether you are a corporate partner looking at supply chain sustainability, a clinic relying on our deliveries, or a supporter invested in health equity, this episode provides insights into modern humanitarian logistics. It provides a window into the future of how MedCycle Network plans to scale, leveraging world-class systems-level thinking to strengthen our local health ecosystems.
How to Tune In
The episode is free, quick, and packed with insights, full interview on SoundCloud:
Listen to Eric Talbert interview Jarrod Goentzel on Humanitarian AI Today
For a deeper dive, read one of Jarrod’s recent articles: Beyond Risk Management: Making the case for supply chain resilience investment, feel free to share both of these resources.
Join the Cycle
Want to be part of what comes next? Donate now to fuel our expansion and AI platform development. Become a partner, whether you are a hospital with medical surplus, a clinic with requests, or an organization that believes healthcare equity is worth fighting for.