Tech companies respond to Obama's call to aid refugees

SAN FRANCISCO — Technology companies are answering President Obama's call to aid refugees.

Josh Miller, the White House's first director of product, says companies are using innovation to help in the crisis, such as Kickstarter to raise funds and Instacart to buy groceries for refugees.

Nearly 12 million people have been displaced by the conflicts in Syria, more than half of them children. The Obama administration is increasing the number of refugees it accepts to 100,000 in the next two years and has provided $4.5 billion in humanitarian aid.

Large corporations have also stepped up in the #AidRefugees campaign, donating millions of dollars, Miller says.

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But Miller, who founded Branch Media and went on to join the White House in August, saw an opportunity for tech companies to build new products to help refugees.

Kickstarter teamed up with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to launch a new type of campaign page to enable anyone to donate directly to support refugees. Customers loading up on groceries for their families on Instacart can also feed refugees in partnership with UNHCR. Airbnb is providing free housing credits to aid workers in the region.

It's the latest instance of the technology world joining forces with Washington. From demo days to tech summits, the Obama administration has built a bridge to Silicon Valley.

Miller interned on Capitol Hill in college. He founded Branch Media, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Branch Media was a way for people to have in-depth group conversations around a specific topic.

He is just the latest technologist to join the Obama administration. President Obama recruited Google executive Megan Smith as chief technology officer and technology veteran Jason Goldman as chief digital officer.