PRESS RELEASE: Ursula Burns, Luis Alberto Moreno, and Yo-Yo Ma Announced as 2017 MIT Solve Challenge Finals Speakers

Finalists will Live Pitch Expert Judges During United Nations General Assembly Week in New York

MIT’s new Solve initiative announced today an all-star lineup of speakers attending the Global Challenge Finals live pitch event on Sunday, September 17, during the United Nations General Assembly Week. During the event, selected innovators and entrepreneurs will pitch their solutions for Solve’s 2017 Challenges to expert judges and a live audience. Immediately following live pitch sessions, those chosen by the judges will be announced as Solver teams and join the Solve community to build partnerships with cross-sector leaders that help pilot, scale, and implement their solutions.

The live pitch day will also feature prominent leaders including retired Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation Ursula Burns, Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, and Co-Founder of Dermalogica and FITE Jane Wurwand. In addition, cellist Yo-Yo Ma will speak on Solve’s panel at the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit the following day.

Solve also released the Challenge Finals schedule and will release additional details in the weeks leading up to the Challenge Finals.

Sunday, September 17

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET:              Opening Plenary

10:15 – 12:30 p.m. ET:            Women and Technology Pitch Session: How can women and girls of all socioeconomic backgrounds use technology to fully participate and prosper in the economy?

Sustainable Urban Communities Pitch Session: How can urban communities increase their access to sustainable and resilient food and water sources?

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET:     Lunch

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET:       Afternoon Plenary: New Solver Teams Announced

2:00 – 4:15 p.m. ET:                Brain Health Pitch Session: How can every person improve their brain health and mental resilience?

Youth, Skills, & the Workforce of the Future Pitch Session: How can disadvantaged youth learn the skills they need to prepare them for the workforce of the future and thrive in the 21st century?

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET:                Closing Plenary: New Solver Teams Announced

5:30 – 7:00 p.m. ET:                Reception

Solve is a community that brings together technologists, social entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, researchers, and other change agents to unearth and implement solutions to specific, actionable challenges facing the world. More than 950 solutions from all over the world were submitted to Solve’s 2017 Global Challenges: (1) Brain Health, (2) Sustainable Urban Communities, (3) Women and Technology, and (4) Youth, Skills, and the Workforce of the Future.

To attend the Solve Challenge Finals in New York City on September 17, apply for a press pass to the event here.

About Solve: 
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that identifies and supports lasting solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. Solve is a community that brings together technologists, social entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers, researchers, and other change agents to unearth and implement solutions to specific, actionable challenges issued around the pillars of Economic Prosperity, Health, Learning, and Sustainability. Learn more atsolve.mit.edu.

Press Contact:
Ken Meyer
617-475-8067
press@solve.mit.edu

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