2027 Innovation in Global Growth Markets: Prosperity through Entrepreneurship Annual Conference
Designing a New Calculus for Global Prosperity, April 2027
Learn More About Last Years Conference
In April 2027, the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship will mark its 20th anniversary, bringing our global community back together in Cambridge to celebrate twenty years of impact and look ahead to what comes next.
For two decades, the Center has convened and supported an extraordinary community of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, corporations, philanthropists, researchers, and partners who share a belief in the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.
Our 20th anniversary is a chance to celebrate what we have built together, reconnect with old friends and welcome new ones, reflect on what we have learned, and think where we go from here.
From our founding as the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship in 2007 to our evolution into the MIT Kuo Sharper Center in 2025, our work, and our thinking, has continued to evolve.
Today, we are building A New Calculus for Global Prosperity; one that looks beyond what economies produce to their capacity to create new possibilities through entrepreneurship, innovation, science, technology, and human potential.
Over two days, voices from across Africa, the Arab world, Asia, Latin America, and beyond will bring their perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the table. Together, we will explore what it will take for growth markets to become the architects of their own prosperity. We will ask what needs to be in place for these economies to create more opportunity, generate more value locally, and build prosperity that is sustainable, inclusive, and locally owned.
Along the way, we will celebrate the people and stories that have shaped our first twenty years, launch our 20-Year Impact Report, and recognize MIT innovators whose work has advanced prosperity in growth markets.
This is more than an anniversary celebration. It is an opportunity to bring a remarkable community together at MIT, learn from the last twenty years, and help shape the next chapter of our journey, together.
What to Expect at Our Conference
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A close knit community of ecosystem players
Countries Represented by Attendees in 2026
Why This Conference Is Different
Here’s what makes April 2027 unmissable:
Two Decades of Impact
From our founding as the Legatum Center in 2007 to our evolution into the MIT Kuo Sharper Center in 2025, we’ve spent twenty years backing the entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders redefining prosperity across Africa, Latin America, the Arab world, Central Asia, and South and Southeast Asia. This April, we’re bringing that global community home to MIT to celebrate everyone who helped build it.
The 20-Year Impact Report
We’re launching our 20-Year Impact Report, capturing two decades of entrepreneurs, fellows, and ecosystems we’ve supported and the impact we’ve helped create around the world.
The Foundry Fellowship at Five
Over the past five years, the Foundry Fellowship has brought together accomplished Africa-based entrepreneurs who have built and scaled innovation-driven companies and are ready to think beyond their own ventures to the bigger role they can play in strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, connecting the continent, and helping shape Africa’s future. This April, we’ll celebrate five years of the Fellowship by bringing Foundry Fellows and alumni back to Cambridge to reconnect, reflect on how far they’ve come, and look ahead to what they can build together next.
What Comes Next
Where is the Center going in its next twenty years? This conference is where we’ll share what’s ahead; new partnerships, new programs, and new ways to be part of building a New Calculus for Global Prosperity.
Prior Speakers
H.H. Mr. Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe
Vice President of the Republic of Botswana
Dr. Georgia Perakis
William F. Pounds Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management
Noubar Afeyan
Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering. Co-founder of Moderna
Dina H. Sherif
Executive Director, MIT Kuo Sharper Center
H.E. Sayasat Nurbek
Minister of Science and Higher Education, Kazakhstan
Adam Sharkawy
Founder, Material Impact
In-person and Virtual Attendees in 2026
The Innovation in Global Growth Markets conference fosters numerous networking opportunities, enabling attendees to engage in productive side meetings and collaborative discussions.
The conference also fostered a strong sense of community and pride among the Center’s fellows, partners, and stakeholders, solidifying the Center's position as a thought leader within MIT and the global development space.
By bringing together a diverse range of voices and perspectives, the conference successfully expanded the Center’s reach, increasing its visibility and reinforcing its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide. As the Center looks forward to building on this momentum, the event marked a significant step in its mission to drive sustainable development and prosperity through entrepreneurship and innovation.
Testimonials from Attendees
Ridzki Kramadibrata
Commissioner, Grab Indonesia
"From engaging in public panel discussions to sharing insights in the classroom and having meaningful one-on-one sessions with the Fellows, community, and Indonesian MIT students, it's been an enriching experience...I’m grateful and excited to be part of the commemorative events by the Kuo Sharper Center!"
Mehdi El Khatib
Managing Director, UM6P United States
We all attend many conferences throughout the year. I don’t recall many where topics covered, speakers, and people in attendance brought home with a sense of purpose/mission and solutions to addressing challenges and opportunities of emerging markets. It was warm and everyone I spoke to felt welcomed, which, I am sure, is reflective of the team putting it all together.
Ridhi Tariyal
Co-founder, NextGen Jane
It was such an impressive and incredible event. I deeply appreciated the opportunity to be a small part of it and am grateful that organizations the Kuo Sharper Center exist
Bunmi Akinyemiju
Partner at GreenHouse Capital Africa
I was incredibly impressed with the Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship...It's rare to find a US university that is deliberate and focused on Growth Markets (such as Africa) + Innovation as a pathway to Prosperity. So, we LOVE these guys so much!!
Dr. Natasha Matic
Executive Director, Accountability Accelerator
So perfectly organized with great people and covering some key topics facing growth markets today!
Nana Baffour, CFA
Founder and Executive Chairman, Sazience
Thank you to the MIT Kuo Sharper Center team on behalf of myself and my teams at Sazience /Qintess/Enda. Thank you for inviting us to such a special event and making us feel welcome, supporting our dreams and ambitions. Thank you for what you do and thank you for your commitment to growth, global entrepreneurship, and the power of the collective to make a difference.
Elyas Felfoul
Director, WISE - Qatar Foundation
The conference was a great opportunity to meet so many inspiring individuals from places as far as Indonesia and Brazil, and it was incredibly fulfilling. The work the Kuo Sharper Center leads is vital in this world that is in need of a total redesign (a new calculus!).
David Capodilupo
Assistant Dean for MIT Sloan Management's Global Programs
"I am the Assistant Dean of Global programs, The Kuo Sharper Center and Global Programs have had a close relationship, and we try and build bridges with each other, not just among ourselves, but among the institute. What Dina is doing, Fiona, and Phil, the whole team is just amazing. I’m proud to work at MIT and this part of our mission and our values to improve the world, and the entrepreneurial way to do this with the Legatum Fellows is something that is very unique."
Past Sponsors
OCP Group
Africa Finance Corporation
InterEnergy
Alchemist Doha
New Era Education
Propeller
Red Helicopter
Sazience
Incorta
ENDA Sportswear
IT Park Uzbekistan
Metalex Africa
Silkroad Innovation Hub
Arabic AI
Yazine
Get Involved
Nominate a Speaker
Know a bold voice who should be on our stage in 2027? We’re building our most ambitious speaker lineup yet.
Become a Partner/Sponsor
Join the corporations and foundations who trust, support and believe in what we are building.
Stay in the Loop
Be the first to know when registration opens, and the agenda is announced.
FAQ
When and where is the 20th Anniversary Conference?
April 2027, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Exact dates and venue will be announced soon. Sign up above to be the first to know.
Who should attend?
Entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, corporate leaders, philanthropists, researchers, and the broader MIT community; including alumni, Student and Foundry Fellows, past speakers, sponsors, and friends of the Center from every corner of our twenty-year history.
How do I register?
Registration opens soon. Join our mailing list to be notified the moment it does.
I’ve spoken, sponsored, or attended before, will I be invited back?
Absolutely. This anniversary conference is, first and foremost, a celebration of everyone who has been part of this community over the last twenty years. We’d love to see you there.
How can my organization sponsor the conference?
Use the sponsorship form above, or reach out directly to rhelmy@mit.edu.
How can I nominate a speaker?
Use the speaker nomination form above.
2026 Conference Panels:
Conversation with Professor Jeffrey Sachs
Re-imagining Growth: Moving Beyond Traditional Capitalism
Re-writing the Rules: Machine Learning Built by and for the World’s Majority
Capital that is Fit for Purpose
Co-Creating Prosperity: How Innovation Driven Growth is a Multi-Stakeholder Endeavor
The Energy Transition: From Crisis to Opportunity