Can we crowdsource solutions for the world’s biggest challenges? In this episode of Campfire Podcast, a podcast about impact and innovation from our nation’s capital, hosts Khuram Zaman and Adam Motiwala of Fifth Tribe interview Carlos Centeno to find out. Carlos is the Lead of Economic Prosperity Community at MIT Solve, a marketplace for Social Impact Innovation. In 2020 they provided over $2 million in funding for a variety of global challenges, producing over 2,600 solutions from 135 countries. 

Before MIT, Carlos specialized in community planning and emergency preparedness with the UN World Food Program in Bolivia. In this position he observed many livelihoods affected and even destroyed by erratic weather shifts as a result of climate change. Carlos believed technology could be of assistance in these kinds of situations. He and his colleagues began developing a concept for a technology capable of interpreting incoming data and historic patterns to predict incoming natural disasters much sooner. Giving people more time to prepare for a disaster is a huge accomplishment. 

Next, Khuram asks Carlos to talk a little bit about MIT Solve, an initiative at MIT with the mission to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Every year, they launch a specific challenge in four different challenges: health, learning, sustainability, and economic prosperity. The solutions are selected from all over the world by a curated board of thought leaders, NGOs, and nonprofits. Solve’s role is to broker relationships and to amplify the impact by putting the ideas out into the world. Due to the excess of great solution ideas, the process is quite selective. In addition, Solve provides funding for each team as well as incentive prizes. Carlos describes the increased sense of urgency induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes that real solutions are solved in small increments over time. Adam then asks if there is room for innovation to be imported into the U.S. Carlos says that ingenuity is everywhere, but opportunity is scarce. It’s understandable for people and businesses to feel hesitant to change their practices to be more ethical when their livelihoods are at stake. Investment capital is so heavily concentrated within a few American cities that it seems like the rest of the country is often left to fend for themselves. Solve has launched a challenge that will focus on solving pathways to employment in the U.S. 

Links

• Connect with Carlos Centeno and learn more about MIT Solve.
• Learn more about Khuram Zaman and connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Learn more about Adam Motiwala and connect on LinkedIn and Twitter. 
• Access Campfire podcast videos on YouTube.
• Connect with Fifth Tribe on Facebook for more on the business and Campfire podcast!

Timestamps:

0:51 - Welcomes Carlos

2:35 - Carlos’s work at the World Food Program

8:23 - Carlos becomes involved with MIT

10:00 - What is MIT Solve?

16:00 - Insight into some of the ideas facilitated by MIT Solve

19:22 - How has COVID-19 affected entrepreneurship?

22:30 - How does the concept of community translate overseas? 

24:30 - Global response to COVID

27:25 - Are there opportunities for ideas to be imported in the U.S.?

32:50 - Elements of an innovation ecosystem

37:25 - The programs at MIT Solve 

40:45 - How do people abroad hear about MIT Solve

44:10 - Carlos’s advice and closing words