Building a System? Try NOT Sending Help (with Garreth Wood from Kids Operating Room)

Building a System? Try NOT Sending Help (with Garreth Wood from Kids Operating Room)

From System Catalysts by Hueman Group Media

April 21, 2026 · 49 min · Season 5 · Episode 1

About this episode

Garreth Wood discusses his journey from entrepreneur to philanthropist and the importance of sustainable healthcare systems for children.

Today, we kick off season 5 with Garreth Wood, an entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist, now serving as chairman & co-founder of Kids Operating Room (KidsOR). After a personal experience with his daughter’s life-threatening birth, Garreth decided to tackle a massive but overlooked issue: millions of children lack access to safe surgery. We talk about how one operating room in Uganda grew into a global movement, why most aid models fail, and what it really means to build sustainable systems led by local communities. Learn more about Kids OR: https://www.kidsor.org If you aspire to be a System Catalyst and need resources to help you on your journey, subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.systemcatalysts.com/newsletter Learn more about our mission and our partners, visit https://www.systemcatalysts.com This podcast is produced by Hueman Group Media. Views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of System Catalysts or Hueman Group Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Hueman Group Media

Guest: Garreth Wood

Topics covered

  • philanthropy
  • sustainable systems
  • healthcare access
  • entrepreneurship
  • community-led initiatives

Keywords

  • Kids Operating Room
  • surgery access
  • philanthropy
  • Uganda
  • community systems
  • entrepreneurship
  • healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kids Operating Room, Hueman Group Media

Places: Uganda, System Catalysts

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