NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

It’s easy to think that the challenges facing us today are insurmountable – that the issues are too big and complex, that we are too divided and gridlocked to actualize solutions at scale. Yet, year after year, the Solve community uncovers incredible innovators who are facing these issues head-on and making a real difference in their communities and the world. Join us for Solve at MIT 2024 on MIT’s Campus, where we’ll convene cross-sector leaders, new voices, and innovative tech-based solutions at the problem-solving table.

Event Details

Opening Plenary (open to the public):

Date: May 22, 2024

Time: Starting at 2pm, additional schedule details to come

Location: Kresge Auditorium on MIT’s Campus

Breakout Sessions + Closing Plenary (invite only):

Time: Schedule to come

Locations: Locations to come

Speakers at past Solve events include:

• Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
• Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder and Chairman, Moderna
• Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO, VEON
• Sal Khan, Founder and CEO, Khan Academy
• Wanjira Mathai, Vice President and Regional Director, Africa, World Resource Institute
• Indra Nooyi, Former CEO and Chairman, PepsiCo
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization, former Finance Minister of Nigeria
• The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, Canada
• Eric S. Yuan, Founder and CEO, Zoom
• will.i.am, Creative Innovator and Tech Entrepreneur

We’re currently accepting speaker applications. You can nominate a potential speaker using this form or email events@solve.mit.edu.

Your philanthropy can have a greater impact on the world — through impact investing. The ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund makes it easy for you to not only give to charity, but also to invest those dollars in the impact areas you care about most. Join us for a special conversation with philanthropist, investor and ImpactAssets client, Claire Raffel, and hear about her impact journey to date. Passionate about climate justice, Claire and her husband Dave use their philanthropic capital to both invest in and grant to companies and impact funds that are accelerating a just energy transition, with a focus on ensuring that communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis benefit from and have ownership in the transition to a net-zero world. On May 22, Claire will sit down with the ImpactAssets engagement team to share insights on: • Getting started with impact investing, from a philanthropist’s point of view • The role of grants vs. investments in advancing personal (and family) climate goals • How DAFs can invest in a wide range of impact areas, investment structures and asset classes — from catalyzing early stage companies to scaling proven technologies • Building a thematic investment portfolio utilizing the ImpactAssets Investment Platform and client recommended investment service Whether you have an existing ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund and are interested in expanding your impact, or if you are new to ImpactAssets and want to learn from peers about how impact investments can enhance your philanthropy and align with your values — join us!

Time: 2:00 PM ET

Join AVPA and the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) for a webinar discussing how investors and other asset owners can maximise the power of Catalytic Capital. Showcasing findings from Africa focused research projects that C3 supported, panel experts will discuss key considerations and lessons from their recent research. This body of work strengthens the evidence base on Catalytic Capital and focuses on answering questions such as what role it plays, when and how it is needed, and the results and Impact it can help create. The webinar will draw out action-oriented findings and conclude by identifying best practices for investors in Africa.

AVPA is proud to partner with the C3 Grantmaking programme in increasing the knowledge, awareness, and use of Catalytic Capital among a diverse set of investors globally, with a focus on identifying and sharing best practices.

May 22, 2024, 9:00 AM EDT