MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship
Center for Development and Entrepreneurship Blogs
Growth markets are node-scarce, not idea-scarce
For years, physicists tried to answer a deceptively simple question: why do some things like cities, ideas, innovation ecosystems grow disproportionately larger and more influential than others? Why do a few nodes attract attention, resources, and talent, while most remain peripheral?
Inside Ghana’s SME Economy:
After establishing a strong foothold in Uganda and Zambia through the Shona Capital platform, Kuo Sharper Initiative (KSI), a U.S.-based impact investment fund, is now actively exploring entry into the Ghanaian market. In October 2025 I made an on-the-ground fact-finding mission that evaluated regul...
Africa Is Not Ready for the AI Era – And Few Are Willing to Say It
At a Glance: Is Africa ready for the AI era? This article argues that current optimism is dangerous if it masks our structural reality. While the world’s superpowers treat AI as a matter of national security and industrial policy, many African nations are still treating it as a side project.
Unlocking Triple Impact: A Local Currency Solution to FX Volatility in African Education Finance
Across Africa, currency volatility remains one of the most significant barriers to delivering truly mission-aligned capital. Despite decades of effort from policymakers, DFIs, and investors, the capital that flows into education and other high-impact sectors is still overwhelmingly dollar-denominate...
The Master Corporate Connector: A New Win-Win-Win Model for Growth Markets
Most companies enter new markets with a simple plan: launch products, outpace the competition, acquire innovative technologies. They deliver profits, but miss the real goldmine. The most powerful, sustainable strategy is to create shared prosperity, where the company wins while also enabling local b...
Systems Change Approach to Rethink Entrepreneurship
To solve the world’s most entrenched challenges, from affordable housing to energy poverty, we must shift from treating symptoms to transforming market systems. This as part of our latest paper and blog series, which introduces a new framework for Systems Change Entrepreneurship, offering entreprene...
The Rise of Global Growth Markets as the New Engine of Progress
The markets once labeled “emerging” are not simply catching up to advanced economies — they are charting new pathways that can define the global future. They represent 85% of the world’s population and are now the primary engines of growth and creativity. What was once seen as “potential” is now und...
Press Release MIT Kuo Sharper Center Deep Tech Program
The MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship today announced the launch of the Deep Tech Program in Africa—developed in collaboration with the Government of Botswana and co-designed with Material Impact. The program gives top scientific minds from across Africa the opportunity to t...
PRESS RELEASE: Botswana Collaboration Kickoff
The Center officially kicked off our multi-year collaboration with the Government of Botswana, marked by a series of exciting events including the first Foundry Fellow Reunion in Africa, the start of our 12-week early-stage entrepreneurship program with over 31 startups and the preparations for exci...
Power of Storytelling: Reflections from Botswana
This summer, Lexi Chu joined our team in Botswana for the launch of our early-stage entrepreneurship bootcamp hosted at the Botswana Digital & Innovation Hub (BDIH). Tasked with capturing video and content from the three-day program, Lexi connected with over 30 early-stage founders, listening, docum...
Other Sources on Entrepreneurship
Botswana hosts first-ever MIT Kuo Sharper Center early-stage program demo day
A pivotal step in Botswana’s journey toward a knowledge-based economy—advancing the country’s national vision of economic diversification, innovation, and inclusive prosperity.
How growth markets are redefining the global economy
For decades, development has been measured almost exclusively with GDP and other macroeconomic indicators which has left critical gaps with little emphasis on equity or sustainability.
MIT Taught Me the Human Side of Entrepreneurship
Fellows at the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship dream big while staying true to themselves
How Botswana will benefit from MIT’s Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship
President Dr. Mokgweetsi EK Masisi of Botswana delivered a keynote speech at the conference, emphasizing the pivotal role entrepreneurship can play in driving prosperity for emerging economies.
Nigerian entrepreneur lauded for digital healthcare initiative
A digital healthcare initiative that has enabled some 260,000 patients in Nigerian villages to access healthcare is among innovations celebrated by a top American university.
Meet the Founders in This Year's MIT delta v Startup Accelerator
A machine that turns sewage into fuel. Clothing that tracks your movements during workouts. These were the products pitched by the teams graduating from this year's MIT delta v accelerator.
(Webinar Recap) 3 Ways Digital Health Is Expanding Access to Care
With global expansion in connectivity, digital health is playing a growing role in improving the efficiency and efficacy of health systems and delivery models in emerging markets.
Does the acceleration of digital transformation represent an opportunity for emerging economies?
For decades, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have variably impacted people, enterprises, and societies and have demonstrated the potential to become a game changer.