Tech innovators of 2019 chosen by MIT Solve for their entrepreneurial initiatives
Headline: 61 Innovators Gather at the Solve Challenge Finals to Address Global Issues
In a bustling New York city on September 22, 61 entrepreneurs from 22 countries came together for the Solve Challenge Finals. The event, held annually, brings together innovative minds to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges.
Paragraph 1 The day began with an opening plenary session, where Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE, and M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, discussed the importance of sourcing, supporting, and scaling innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. They emphasized the need for context-focused tech breakthroughs and behavioral and policy changes to make this a reality.
Paragraph 2 Meanwhile, at the closing plenary, Vijay Vaitheeswaran of The Economist and Jesper Brodin, president and CEO of Ingka Group (Ikea), discussed Ikea's mission to "create a better daily life for the people." Emi Mahmoud, UN High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassador, underscored the importance of access to technology as a human right.
Paragraph 3 The focus of the event was the 2019 Solver Class, which originated as a novel gamified problem-solving assessment designed to identify high-potential candidates by simulating real-life strategic challenges relevant to consulting. The assessment, initially introduced as the Imbellus Game in 2019, was rebranded as McKinsey Solve in 2022. The 2019 version was a pilot, but it laid the groundwork for the advanced stages and expansions McKinsey introduced later, including scenarios like Redrock and Sea Wolf for 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Paragraph 4 Eight teams were selected from each challenge to form the 2019 Solver Class. These teams pitched solutions to Solve's 2019 Global Challenges: Circular Economy, Community-Driven Innovation, Early Childhood Development, and Healthy Cities. The entrepreneurs were awarded a total of $1.5 million in prize funding.
Paragraph 5 Fred Swaniker, founder of the African Leadership Group, believes that giving opportunities to young, talented individuals is the key to innovation, especially in Africa. His African Leadership Academy offers hands-on learning and connects talent to opportunities. Monique Idlett, founder and managing partner of Reign Ventures, aims to build a diverse portfolio of startups and values collaboration in scaling them.
Paragraph 6 The 2019 Solver Class will spend the next nine months working closely with Solve to scale their solutions through partnerships built with the Solve community. The final discussion of the closing plenary focused on building a more inclusive innovation ecosystem. Zaria Forman, known for her pastel drawings of glaciers and other natural wonders affected by climate change, gave a presentation at the closing plenary, showcasing her captivating artwork.
Paragraph 7 Ikea, committed to climate action, focuses on sustainable design principles for its products. The company discussed its mission to create a better daily life for the people during the event. Overall, the Solve Challenge Finals provided a platform for innovative minds to come together, share ideas, and work towards creating a better future for all.
- The entrepreneurs at the Solve Challenge Finals recognized the crucial role of context-focused technology breakthroughs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
- The importance of access to technology as a human right was highlighted by Emi Mahmoud at the closing plenary of the event.
- M. Sanjayan and Anousheh Ansari emphasized the need for behavioral and policy changes in addition to innovation to address global issues.
- The 2019 Solver Class, selected through the McKinsey Solve assessment, focused on solutions for Circular Economy, Community-Driven Innovation, Early Childhood Development, and Healthy Cities.
- Fred Swaniker believes that providing opportunities for young, talented individuals is the key to innovation, especially in Africa, as emphasized by his African Leadership Academy.
- Monique Idlett aims to build a diverse portfolio of startups and values collaboration in scaling them through her venture, Reign Ventures.
- The 2019 Solver Class winners were awarded a total of $1.5 million in prize funding to help scale their solutions.
- Innovative minds working together at the Solve Challenge Finals highlighted the potential for partnerships to create a better future for all, especially in tackling climate change.
- Ikea, as a company committed to climate action, emphasized its focus on sustainable design principles to create a better daily life for people.
- The closing plenary at the Solve Challenge Finals focused on building a more inclusive innovation ecosystem, encouraging the involvement of underserved communities.
- Zaria Forman, known for her pastel drawings of glaciers and other natural wonders affected by climate change, captivated the audience with her artwork at the closing plenary, underscoring the urgency of addressing climate issues.
