Design for Life

10/15/2025

Design for Life is deeply saddened to share that our Cofounder and Executive Director Carlos Andrés Valderrama passed away on October 5.

Carlos was big-hearted, optimistic, wise, and driven by the possibility of a more equitable world. He was a force in the supply chain design and planning field. In addition to his role at Design for Life, for many years he held leadership roles at Coupa Software (formerly LLamasoft) and Sagenverse, where his gift for truly connecting with and believing in people made a lasting impact on his colleagues. Carlos didn't just build teams — he changed lives.

In August, when Carlos was dealing with a health challenge, he shared a message with the Design for Life team that exemplifies the kind of inspiring, dedicated leader he was:

“... please remember our mission, remember who we are aiming to help. Many of the things you are all doing will help people all over the world deal with health issues like mine and thanks to your efforts they will be treated on time and bypass much of the difficulties I have had. That alone for me is worth everything, and I will dedicate every chance I have and as best I can to support you all to achieve this.”

Carlos will be remembered for his genuine and adventurous spirit, his love of chess, art and music, and how deeply he cared — for his family, friends, colleagues, work, and the world around him.

His legacy will live on through the many people whose lives he touched.

10/02/2025

Design for Life began with 4 questions.

Learn more about why and how we got our start in this piece by Executive Director Carlos Valderrama: https://designforlife.org/origin-story/

09/30/2025

When supply chains fail, the consequences are real and often immediate: People go without lifesaving health care. Families experience hunger, illness and the indignity that comes from being unable to access essentials like soap. Public health goals fall behind.

Design for Life is launching its first programs this fall to help people design supply chains that better meet communities' needs.

Read this blog by our Executive Director Carlos Valderrama to learn how we got our start and where we're headed ➡️ https://designforlife.org/origin-story/

09/25/2025

This fall, Design for Life is excited to launch our first programs, which will help democratize access to vital public health, food, and disaster response supply chain data for people in low- and middle-income countries.

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09/17/2025

Big step for public health: Pakistan is rolling out its first nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, seeking to reach more than 13 million girls ages 9–14 with a free single-dose shot. The vaccine protects against cervical cancer, which kills more than 3,000 women in Pakistan every year.

Cervical cancer disproportionately affects women in low- and middle-income countries — approximately 90% of cases and deaths occur in these countries.

At Design for Life, we're committed to ensuring efforts like this one succeed by improving access to public health supply chain data, so essential health products like vaccines reach the people who need them.

Despite vaccination hesitancy, the end may be in sight for cervical cancer, which kills 64% of women with the disease

09/15/2025

When essential supplies can’t reach the people who need them most, inequality grows. We must build supply chains that strengthen public health, improve disaster response, and nourish communities equitably.

09/12/2025

What would it look like if the people who plan and design supply chains for public health, food, and disaster relief had access to complete data?

💊 More people would have access to lifesaving medicines — getting what they need, when they need it.
🥚 More people would be able to obtain nutritious food, nourishing families and building healthy futures.
💧 More people would be able to count on essentials like clean water, even in times of crisis.

Increased access to data means increased access to health, safety and dignity for communities everywhere.

09/02/2025

Swipe to learn why democratizing access to supply chain data is essential. ➡️

08/31/2025

More than 14 million children around the world have not received a single vaccine.

A new global review from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Université de Montréal explores how to reach zero-dose children. It shows that the barriers to vaccination are complex -- and that partnering with communities to develop context-specific approaches is key to closing the gap in immunization equity.

Too many children remain unvaccinated. A new study charts a course to change.

08/26/2025

Everyone deserves access to the resources they need to live a healthy life. That’s why we’re building a future where thoughtfully designed supply chains mean that everyone — no matter where they live — can access essential goods for health, nutrition and survival.

08/19/2025

In 2023, 363 climate-related disasters displaced 26.4 million people, impacting homes, economies and food systems. Thoughtfully designed supply chains help communities build resilience in the face of disasters and crises — and ensure that all humanitarian workers around the world have what they need to save lives.

This , we honor the humanitarian workers who step into crises to help others, and we stand with the millions of people whose lives hang in the balance.

08/17/2025

Every child — no matter where they live — deserves access to lifesaving vaccines.

As a former head of an African state, I am acutely aware that falling short on funding Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance means children in Africa will die. I urge the world to continue supporting this initiative.