MIT Solve is an initiative of the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT) which runs "Global Challenges" to find solutions to global problems through an online platform.

Method

Each year, Solve announces new Global Challenges for which it seeks solutions. The first round of judging takes place once solution applications close. Solve staff screens all solutions submitted on its online open innovation platform and funnels strong applicants to the Challenge Leadership Group, a panel of industry leaders. The Challenge Leadership Group then selects finalists for each Challenge. Finalists are invited to a live pitch event where the most promising solutions are selected to make up that year's Solver class. Once selected, the Solver class gains access to Solve’s community. The Solve staff helps match-make between the Solver class and leaders from the tech industry, business, philanthropy, government, and civil society who seek partnerships and opportunities to implement ideas.

Initiatives

Solve at MIT

Solve’s annual flagship meeting takes place on MIT’s campus. Solver teams present their solutions and participate in workshops with Solve members to develop partnerships to pilot and implement solutions. The next set of Solve Challenges are planned at this event. The includes multiple plenary sessions with speakers which have included Canadian Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...

, Technical Advisor and Board Member of Alphabet Inc.

Eric Schmidt Eric Emerson Schmidt (born April 27, 1955) is an American businessman and former computer engineer who was the chief executive officer of Google from 2001 to 2011 and the company's chairman, executive chairman from 2011 to 2015. He also was the ...

, Cellist

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...

, and Senior Vice President of Amazon Alexa Tom Taylor. The event is open to Solve members, and to the MIT community for select sessions. Past Solve Challenges include Work of the Future, Frontlines of Health, Coastal Communities, and Teachers & Educators.

Solveathon workshops

Solveathon workshops are independently-hosted events focused on rapid ideation and refinement using Human Centered Design to brainstorm solutions to Solve’s Challenges. Ideas developed during a Solveathon are submitted to Solve's online open innovation platform, and the team can continue working on it after the event or the ideas can inspire others. Solveathon workshops have been hosted across the world, including Vietnam, Ecuador, and India.

Solve Challenge Finals

The Solve Challenge Finals are held during the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...

at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. During the Solve Challenge Finals, finalists selected by Solve’s Challenge Leadership Group are invited to pitch their solutions live. Those chosen by Solve’s judges during the Challenge Finals join the Solve community as a new Solver class. Notable selected Solver teams have included Emma Yang, Timeless, Angel Adelaja, FreshDirect, and Nightingale Health.

History

Solve was formed in 2015 by then-president of MIT

L. Rafael Reif Leo Rafael Reif (born August 21, 1950) is a Venezuelan American electrical engineer and academic administrator. He previously served as the 17th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2012 to 2022, provost of the institute ...

with a solution oriented format building on an earlier

MIT Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "''The''" in its name on April 23, 1998, under then pu ...

TR 35 event partnership with Solve for X. Past collaborators have included the

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be List of wealthiest charitable foundations, the third largest char ...

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

, and Trinity Challenge, which is a foundation that had been launched in response to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, and based in

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

References

External links

* {{Official website Massachusetts Institute of Technology