The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT Celebrates 15 Years of Impact with La

The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT Celebrates 15 Years of Impact with Landmark Conference and Strategic Collaboration with the Republic of Botswana Legatum Center Hits Milestone of Support for Over 300 African Entrepreneurs Driving Innovation Across the Continent Boston, Massachusetts, 16 May 2024: The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) celebrated over 15 years of advancing innovation and entrepreneurship by unveiling its 15-Year Impact Report at the "Innovation in Global Growth Markets: Prosperity Through Entrepreneurship" Conference held recently in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During the event, the Center also strengthened its commitment to driving innovation across Africa by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Botswana. "The Legatum Center has showcased the transformative power of entrepreneurship in growth markets since its establishment in 2007," said Executive Director Dina H. Sherif. "As we celebrate over 15 years of driving prosperity across Africa, we're now committed to deepening our work with a focus on DeepTech innovation as the next frontier for the continent's future. We're honored to partner with Botswana in charting a path towards realizing this vision." President Dr. Mokgweetsi EK Masisi of Botswana delivered a keynote address at the conference. He underscored the critical role entrepreneurship can play in unlocking prosperity for emerging economies. President Masisi then highlighted how a collaboration with the Legatum Center can foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within Botswana. "We deeply recognize the vital work undertaken by the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship," President Masisi remarked. "Diversifying our economy and transitioning to a knowledge-based one driven by science and innovation is anchored in our Vision 2036 and is one of my government’s top priorities." He further expressed Botswana's eagerness for deeper collaboration with the Center and MIT to make this a reality. Masisi added that for Africa to realize its full potential it would “need a surge of innovation and a wave of entrepreneurs who can translate ideas into scalable solutions”. The Legatum Center’s 15-year impact report highlights and showcases the groundbreaking work of fellows leading the way towards this very goal. In Kenya, Joyce Kamade, (Foundry Fellow 2023, and Kevin Kung, Student Fellow 2015), cofounded Safi Organics, with the vision to eradicate poverty among rural farmers. To date, Safi Organics has created 600 jobs and impacted over 10,000 poor farmers, increasing their incomes by 50%, while increasing their yields by 30%. Caitlin Dolkart (Legatum Student Fellow 2016), cofounded Flare, which tackles the challenge of emergency medical care in underserved areas by