Solve at MIT 2019

The world has made great strides over the last decade in reducing extreme poverty and expanding access to education and health care for millions, yet income inequality continues to increase between and within countries. A person’s zip code, gender, race, and nationality—rather than their talents—overly determine their opportunities. Technology holds great potential to speed progress; how can we design and deploy tech to reduce global inequality gaps—not exacerbate them?

Hosted by APCO Worldwide

Today’s uncertain business environment causes most companies to move too cautiously or—worse yet—not move at all. Companies that thrive today are insatiably curious and bold. They are curious, inclusive, and never stand still. They’re agile, but in a new way.

Drawing from new cutting-edge research, APCO Worldwide, majority women-owned and independent global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy, will lead a discussion around the drivers of organizational agility. Join us to examine the formula for building a purpose-driven culture within an organization, discuss common pitfalls and missed opportunities, and learn where organizations of all sectors and sizes should focus their time and effort. Participants will leave with practical steps to creating strong purpose and culture within innovative new ventures.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. 

Hosted by MIT Solve

Long before invention, design, innovation, and iteration were mainstream concepts, indigenous communities valued and practiced these beliefs. Practical inventions—such as Iroquois bunk bed structures, the Mi’kmaq toboggan for transport, Inuit insulated parkas, or applying raw bitumen to waterproof the tarpaulins of the Chumash—all demonstrate an advanced knowledge of science, technology, and innovation. Join us to hear from indigenous leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship, and discuss how to further foster ingenuity and inclusive, human-centered technology for future generations.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. 

Hosted by Fundación Banco Popular

After more than a decade of economic depression, Puerto Rico was further devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Aware of the years of tough recuperation ahead and the resiliency needed to succeed, Fundación Banco Popular and Hispanic Federation teamed up to launch the Puerto Rico Big Ideas Challenge to push change makers to create socially innovative solutions to the island’s most pressing problems. In this dinner, the three Challenge finalists will present their innovative work: creating new agricultural seed stocks, building biodigesters for waste management, and establishing a community lab to improve coastal ecosystems in preparation for future storms. We’ll brainstorm ways to make these projects thrive and discuss how we can create additional opportunities to re-imagine the future and build resilient communities around the world.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

Increasing women’s participation in business, politics, and peacebuilding yields stronger and more durable results. However, despite this evidence, girls and women continue to be marginalized and excluded from financial and political systems around the world—in developed and developing countries alike. To help close this gap, how can women entrepreneurs, and innovations designed for women, drive real change around the world?

In this interactive and action-driven session, our Solver and Fellow teams will showcase the progress they have made since being selected at Solve Challenge Finals and through the Indigenous Communities Fellowship. During this session, participants will collaborate with fellow experts to provide advice and brainstorm opportunities for improvement, partnership, and investment to advance these innovative solutions to the 2018 Challenges:

• Coastal Communities
• Frontlines of Health
• Teachers & Educators
• Work of the Future

Kick off the afternoon by hearing from a panel of cross-sector experts on the current state of the 2018 Challenges, progress made to date, and what gaps still need to be filled. Participants will then continue morning conversations or meet Solver and Fellow teams from a different Challenge. Participants will exchange knowledge and resources needed to advance solutions to the 2018 Challenges:

• Coastal Communities 
• Frontlines of Health 
• Teachers & Educators
• Work of the Future

Every day, the world generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of new data. That’s equivalent to 250 million human brains, when counted in neurons! AI, machine learning, the blockchain, and augmented or virtual reality enable us to analyze, use, and visualize data—helping to cure diseases, fight climate change, and more. These technologies also disrupt jobs and economies, and raise ethical questions both corporations and lawmakers have yet to answer. How can we shift the focus of data efforts to serve those who could benefit the most?

Hosted by Erika & Colin Angle

Challenges associated with the environment continue to inspire and promote new ways of thinking and innovating to mitigate climate crises. To prevent the effects of climate change from further impacting global communities and their livelihood, we must look to harness technology to drive meaningful and lasting solutions. Join us in a dynamic dinner conversation to discuss the current technological landscape and opportunities to build new systems to address our global environmental challenges.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. 

Hosted by Compassion International

The first few years of life are a crucial window for a child’s brain development. If young children aren’t well nurtured, they could earn one-quarter less over their career, increasing global inequality. To ensure all children have bright futures, Solve’s Early Childhood Development Challenge asks, how can every child under five develop the critical learning and cognitive skills they need to reach their full potential? Join this invite-only dinner hosted by Compassion International to learn about relevant Solver solutions and discuss the possibilities of early childhood development innovation.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. 

Hosted by H.S.H. the Prince Henri d’Arenberg, Founder & Chairman, be.Source, a private foundation under Belgian law

How cities are planned, built, and inhabited indelibly defines the lives of residents, and unhealthy cities and slums expose residents to serious risks to their wellbeing. Aging populations are especially dependent on urban design and technology. As we face unprecedented cultural and environmental shifts, what can healthy cities do to help their most vulnerable residents foster connectivity and meaning? Our dinner conversation will cover how cities can leverage technology, transit, public services, and healthcare access to better support their elderly populations—and, in addressing urban health risks, build cities that make people of all ages and abilities healthier and happier.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

Hosted by Linda Henry

Enabling today’s workforce with the right tools and skills, and our teachers with the right resources remains a critical element in bolstering the growth of our economy and mitigating inequality. Yet our workforce and educators are too often undervalued, inadequately trained, and poorly supported. To ensure we upskill, reskill, and retrain our workforce and enhance the quality education, we must seek new innovative techniques and technological solutions. Join this dinner discussion to learn about relevant Solver solutions and examine how technology can amplify the effectiveness of today’s workers and educators around the world.

*Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.

There are over 60 million refugees and displaced persons around the world, and many more economic migrants. Despite anti-immigration sentiments across the US, Europe, and many other parts of the world, refugees and immigrants can be a tremendous source of economic growth—if allowed access to opportunity. In the US, 43 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded or co-founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants, and overall, refugees and immigrants contribute more in taxes than their cost to governments. How can we best support and invest in refugees and immigrants, enabling them to help communities and economies thrive?

Join cross-sector leaders for a dive into Solve’s 2019 Global Challenges. Led by members of Solve’s Challenge Leadership Groups, this workshop will feature moderated, interactive discussions on Challenge themes. Participants will brainstorm specific action points to advance solutions to various dimensions of each of the 2019 Challenges: 

• Circular Economy
• Community-Driven Innovation
• Early Childhood Development
• Healthy Cities

This session is a chance for MIT undergraduate and graduate students and Solve at
MIT attendees to meet with Solve Indigenous Communities Fellows to learn more
about their projects.

In 1865, Jules Verne imagined a space gun that could shoot and land three people on the moon—a feat that would have seemed impossible at a time before aircrafts. Yet just a little more than 100 years later, thanks to pioneering research at MIT, Apollo 11 landed and two men moonwalked. For centuries, science fiction writers and storytellers have imagined the future of technology and society—ranging from dystopian degeneration to utopian paradise. But the futuristic innovations we envisioned in the 2000s—flying cars, brain implants, and genetically engineered babies—are no longer decades away and even might be here right now. How can we prepare ourselves for the future we’re fast creating, and how can we ensure it will be more inclusive, equal, and prosperous for all?