2003-Present - UK: Chairman & Founder, Global MapAid

Rupert founded GMA in the UK and USA after a fellowship at Stanford University in 2002/3, sponsored by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. It has taken up about 50% of his time ever since, as an unpaid volunteer.

Short missions have included training and supervising field teams for fundraising, data collection and mapping in order to illustrate ‘gaps’ where humanitarian and development aid are missing.

One notable mission from September 2005 to October 2005 was a team sent in to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 8 weeks, it made 50,000 maps for returnees, to help guide them to useful aid agencies, earning the respect and thanks of US military and local county authorities.