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Solve Challenge Finals 2018

Apella | New York City
Innovators from around the world traveled to New York City to pitch their solutions. If you were unable to attend, watch the pitch and plenary session videos here. Solve Challenge Finals in New York City is the premier social impact live pitch event to kick off UN General Assembly week....

Solve Challenge Finals 2018

Innovators from around the world traveled to New York City to pitch their solutions. If you were unable to attend, watch the pitch and plenary session videos here.

Solve Challenge Finals in New York City is the premier social impact live pitch event to kick off UN General Assembly week. The event will bring together the Solve community with a diverse group of innovators who will pitch their solutions to a panel of expert judges and a live audience on Solve’s 2018 Global Challenges: (1) Coastal Communities, (2) Frontlines of Health, (3) Teachers & Educators, and (4) Work of the Future. 

Those entrepreneurs chosen by our judges become part of the next Solver class, joining the Solve community to build partnerships with cross-sector leaders—including Solve members such as BNP Paribas, Google, Ford Foundation, GE Ventures, MasterCard Foundation, and Save the Children—that help pilot, scale, and implement their tech-based solutions and take action on specific, actionable Global Challenges. 

This year, Solve received more than 1,150 solutions from 110 countries—and there is nearly $1 million in potential funding available for the selected Solver teams with the most promising human-centered innovations.

During the event, Solve will connect Solver teams with established social impact leaders and recipients of the following Challenge Prizes will be announced:

  • The General Motors Prize for Advanced Technologies

  • The Artificial Intelligence for the Betterment of Humanity Prize

  • The Blockchain for Social Impact Prize

  • RISE investment funding for resilient infrastructure solutions

  • UN Women She Innovates Prize for Gender-Responsive Innovation

Program participants at past Solve events include:

  • The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada

  • Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

  • Eric Schmidt, Technical Advisor and Board Member, Alphabet Inc.

  • Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo

  • Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist and Curator of the MIT Solve Arts and Culture Mentorship Prize

  • Ursula Burns, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, VEON

If you’re interested in attending this premier social impact event—and joining the Solve community to partner with innovators who are moving the needle on Global Challenges—find out how you can become a member of Solve, or reach out to us at membership@solve.mit.edu.

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Big Bold Optimism for Progress

Headlines portray a world of ever-increasing disaster, war, poverty, and division. Yet, the trendlines tell a different story—the world has made tremendous progress in the last decades, whether that is lifting billions out of poverty, significantly reducing infant mortality, or bringing primary education to millions of girls and boys. As Steven Pinker notes, we are now living in the most peaceful era in the history of our species. This is not to say that there is nothing more to be done; we must mitigate and adapt to climate change, reverse increasing income inequality, and address many other big, complex challenges. But we must approach these issues with optimism and a strong-held belief that talented social entrepreneurs can—and will—solve these problems. Optimism is more than a state of mind—optimistic people live longer, are healthier, and are more productive. Optimism also enables social entrepreneurs to approach problems with the motivation and risk-taking needed to drive innovation and change.

Join Solve to hear from global leaders on the importance of optimism and innovation for social and environmental impact.

Featured Speakers

Headshot of Cynthia Barnhart

Cynthia Barnhart

Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Headshot of David Moinina  Sengeh

David Moinina Sengeh

Chief Innovation Officer, Government of Sierra Leone

How can communities invest in frontline health workers and services to improve their access to effective and affordable care? Read more about our Frontlines of Health Challenge.

Finalists

Headshot of Wendy Leonard

Wendy Leonard

Executive Director, The Ihangane Project
Headshot of Nic Klopper

Nic Klopper

CEO, hearX Group
Headshot of Sujay Santra

Sujay Santra

Founder & CEO, iKure Techsoft Pvt. Ltd.
Headshot of Hila Azadzoy

Hila Azadzoy

Managing Director, Global Health, Ada; Co-founder, Kiron.ngo
Headshot of Sumeet Maniar

Sumeet Maniar

CEO, WellBrain, Inc.
Headshot of Sona Shah

Sona Shah

CEO and Co-Founder, Neopenda
Headshot of Frances Hughes

Frances Hughes

Executive Director , Cutting Edge Oceania
Headshot of Chrispinus Onyancha

Chrispinus Onyancha

CEO, clinicPesa Limited
Headshot of Sandeep Ahuja

Sandeep Ahuja

Cofounder and CEO, Operation ASHA
Headshot of Karen Naimer

Karen Naimer

Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights
Headshot of Nicolas Acosta

Nicolas Acosta

Founder, Dondoctor
Headshot of Shrutika Girdhar

Shrutika Girdhar

Co-Founder and CTO - Bodhi Health Education, Bodhi Health Education
Headshot of Temie Giwa-Tubosun

Temie Giwa-Tubosun

Founder and CEO, LifeBank
Headshot of Benjamin Fels

Benjamin Fels

CEO, macro-eyes
Headshot of Melissa   Menke

Melissa Menke

Founder, Access Afya

How can teachers and educators provide accessible, personalized, and creative learning experiences for all? Read more about our Teachers & Educators Challenge. 

Finalists

Headshot of Shuvajit Payne

Shuvajit Payne

Head of Education, Barefoot College
Headshot of Kago Kagichiri

Kago Kagichiri

CEO, Eneza Education
Headshot of Heather Beem

Heather Beem

CEO & Founder, Practical Education Network
Headshot of Melissa Corto

Melissa Corto

CEO & Co-Founder, Education Modified
Headshot of Laura De Reynal

Laura De Reynal

Product Design Lead, International Rescue Committee
Headshot of Purvi Shah

Purvi Shah

Director of StoryWeaver, Pratham Books
Headshot of Chanpil Jung

Chanpil Jung

CEO, Future Class Network
Headshot of Nik Kafka

Nik Kafka

Chief Executive Officer, Teach A Man To Fish
Headshot of Priya Lakhani

Priya Lakhani

Founder and CEO, CENTURY Tech
Headshot of Audrey Cheng

Audrey Cheng

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Moringa School
Headshot of Dina Buchbinder

Dina Buchbinder

Founder and President, Education for Sharing
Headshot of Samson Wambuzi

Samson Wambuzi

Co-founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Yiya Solutions
Headshot of Heejae Lim

Heejae Lim

Founder and CEO, TalkingPoints
Headshot of Carlos Pereira

Carlos Pereira

Founder and CEO, Livox

How can coastal communities mitigate and adapt to climate change while developing and prospering? Read more about our Coastal Communities Challenge.

Finalists

Headshot of Dennis Yancey

Dennis Yancey

Chief Executive Officer, Marauder Robotics
Headshot of Evelyn Tickle

Evelyn Tickle

Inventor/Owner, Grow Oyster Reefs, llc
Headshot of Olivier Ceberio

Olivier Ceberio

COO, Resolute Marine
Headshot of Julia Kumari Drapkin

Julia Kumari Drapkin

CEO, Founder, Team Lead, ISeeChange
Headshot of James Gray

James Gray

President, Green Stream Technologies, Inc.
Headshot of Allison Archambault

Allison Archambault

President, EarthSpark International
Headshot of Theodore Wong

Theodore Wong

CTO, Bellwether Collaboratory
Headshot of Shimrit Perkol-Finkel

Shimrit Perkol-Finkel

CEO, ECOncrete Tech Ltd
Headshot of Sungjin Choe

Sungjin Choe

CEO, Green and Seed Corporation
Headshot of Tyler Ortego

Tyler Ortego

Founder, ORA Technologies LLC
Headshot of Deanna MacDonald

Deanna MacDonald

CEO, BLOC
Headshot of Miho Mazereeuw

Miho Mazereeuw

Director & Associate Professor, MIT Urban Risk Lab
Headshot of Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

CEO, ColdHubs Ltd
Headshot of Fohla Mouftaou

Fohla Mouftaou

Managing Director, Green Keeper Africa
Headshot of Katharine Leigh

Katharine Leigh

Leader & Founder, GreenCatch; North America Marketing Executive Coordinator, The Nature Conservancy

How can those most affected by the technology-driven transformations of work create productive and prosperous livelihoods for themselves?  Read more about our Work of the Future Challenge.

Finalists

Headshot of Jakob Way

Jakob Way

CEO, Gleechi
Headshot of Guy Halfteck

Guy Halfteck

CEO/Founder, Knack
Headshot of Lilia Stoyanov, FCCA

Lilia Stoyanov, FCCA

CEO, Transformify
Headshot of Joshua Haas

Joshua Haas

Founder, Bubble Group, Inc
Headshot of Ram Dhan Yadav Katamaraja

Ram Dhan Yadav Katamaraja

Founder & CEO, Colaberry Inc
Headshot of Usman Javaid

Usman Javaid

Founder and CEO, Ricult, Inc.
Headshot of Sarah Krasley

Sarah Krasley

CEO, Shimmy Technologies
Headshot of Aneri Pradhan

Aneri Pradhan

Founder & CEO, ENVision mobile
Headshot of Alice Freitas

Alice Freitas

Executive Director, Rede Asta
Headshot of Rajesh Anandan

Rajesh Anandan

CEO, Ultranauts
Headshot of Rachel Micah-Jones

Rachel Micah-Jones

Executive Director, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.
Headshot of Tammy Singh

Tammy Singh

COO, Plastics for Change
Headshot of Vera Makarov

Vera Makarov

Co-CEO, Apli
Headshot of Francis Obirikorang

Francis Obirikorang

CEO, AgroCenter LLC
Headshot of Adam Grunewald

Adam Grunewald

CEO, Lynk Jobs Ltd.

Bridging the Pioneer Gap

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and solve the world’s most complex challenges, we need to close the vast funding gap we face—US $2.5 trillion according to the UN. For that, we must unlock more grant capital from governments and philanthropists, and more investment capital from the private sector. We also require far more innovation—both in terms of financing mechanisms and in terms of solutions to these global challenges. The latest innovation and technologies, be they around renewable energy, artificial intelligence and machine learning, or robots, hold the potential to significantly improve the lives of the billions of people who still live in poverty without affordable energy, sanitation, or proper nutrition. However, most early-stage world-changing ideas—particularly those addressing the needs of the poor—are stalled in their tracks due to capital starvation and lack of mentors, experts, and networks. Bridging this pioneer gap in capital and support is critical to building a promising pipeline of transformational innovations.

Join Solve to hear from impact investors, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs on how we might invest in early-stage innovators developing solutions to the SDGs.

Featured Speakers

Headshot of Noubar Afeyan

Noubar Afeyan

Co-Founder and Chairman, Moderna
Headshot of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations
Headshot of Cheryl L. Dorsey

Cheryl L. Dorsey

President, Echoing Green
Headshot of Leslie Picker

Leslie Picker

Reporter, CNBC
Headshot of Badr Al-Olama

Badr Al-Olama

Head of Organising Committee, Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit

Featured Speakers

Headshot of Cynthia Barnhart

Cynthia Barnhart

Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Headshot of David Moinina  Sengeh

David Moinina Sengeh

Chief Innovation Officer, Government of Sierra Leone
Headshot of Noubar Afeyan

Noubar Afeyan

Co-Founder and Chairman, Moderna
Headshot of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations
Headshot of Cheryl L. Dorsey

Cheryl L. Dorsey

President, Echoing Green
Headshot of Leslie Picker

Leslie Picker

Reporter, CNBC
Headshot of Badr Al-Olama

Badr Al-Olama

Head of Organising Committee, Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit

Gold

Mohammad Bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity
Atlassian Foundation International
Save the Children

Silver

Peak XV
Devex