Tuesday 15 November 2016

A conversation led by MIT

Well, well ... / Uh, it's the Tuesday morning PR email, back by popular demand - as you can probably imagine, dear reader(s). MIT wants me to attend some conference, which is just crazy, man. 'Why, boss?' Because I ain't going all the way over to America. 'It's in London.' MIT is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That's in America, idiot! 'The conference is in London.' No it ain't. 'Yes it is.' We'll see.

The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT together with the MIT Sloan Office of International Programs invite you to join us: December 13, 2016 at Level 39 Technology Accelerator for our first annual conference: Accelerating Developing World Growth through Entrepreneurship and Finance.

Level 39? I've heard of Level 42. I always found the bassist a bit annoying.

A Conversation led by MIT

Build shared insights into the ways in which diverse modes of entrepreneurial finance can be further expanded and supported so that they meet the needs of entrepreneurs focused on critical challenges and opportunities in the developing world and emerging markets.


Okay. But it's still in America, as far as I'm concerned. Are they going to pay for the flight?

The goals of the conference are:

Convene a range of distinctive voices, but especially to learn from entrepreneurs who are currently active in developing markets, and compare their perspective with that of policy makers and academics.

Develop a set of action-oriented follow-up activities and opportunities for further engagement to drive change and accelerate innovation-driven entrepreneurship.


Well, thanks, Paul, but I can't make it to America. 'Who's Paul?!' The guy who invited me. 'It's in Canary Wharf, boss.' No it isn't! MIT in Canary Wharf? Ha! I don't think so. 'Look! -'

MIT Sloan to host conference in London on accelerating growth in the developing world.

'See?' So? Look at this -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov., 2016 - Innovation-driven enterprises (IDEs) have the potential to make a significant impact in solving problems in developing countries like access to clean water, sanitation, electricity and basic financial services. IDEs can also lead to significant job growth and broad-based prosperity. However, a key challenge is their reliance on outside funding for growth and scale. MIT Sloan School of Management's Legatum Center for Entrepreneurship and Development is holding a conference in ...

'Go on! Let's hear it.'

... London on Dec. 13 to explore how to optimize IDEs' access to entrepreneurial finance (at all stages of growth) and increase their chances of success. The event, Accelerating Developing World Growth through Entrepreneurship and Finance: A Conversation with MIT Sloan, will focus on the emerging and frontier markets in the Middle East and Africa.

'Ha!' Yeah, all right. You're right this time, Voice. 'Are you going then?' Well, Canary Wharf is a long way from West London ... 'You're pathetic!' Oh, oh, oh ... are they going to pay my Tube fare?! I've got to consider these things. I'm not made of money, you know. / Anyway, here's a bit more from the email -

"MIT Sloan is looking to build its understanding of how innovation-driven entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial financing of IDE ventures can be better harnessed to benefit emerging and frontier markets," says MIT Sloan Prof. Fiona Murray, associate dean for innovation and faculty director of the Legatum Center. "At the conference, we will discuss how we can actively create better policy conditions to enable the right kinds of financial instruments to support entrepreneurs from crowd funding and angel investing to philanthropy and grants."

Okay. Angels are investing. I've heard it all now. 'A bit more, boss. Please.' Christ!

The conference will feature conversations with thought leaders, and share the experiences of young and experienced entrepreneurs who are active on the ground in the EMEA region. Speakers will address topics, such as financial and human capital gaps; seed-stage capital and education, aid and trade to support IDE in emerging economies, sources of capital and government policies, crowdfunding, philanthropic capital, emerging angel networks, and accessing funding frontier markets.

Oh, thought leaders? Nice. I'm a thought leader. / Ah, that's enough. I mean, that's most of it. Just a list of speakers. We don't need that. 'So, are you going?' No, I'm not! 'Oh.' But I wish them all the best of luck. I hope they have a great time. However, if I went to everything I was invited to, I wouldn't have time for anything else. 'You're a busy man, man.' Of course I am. 'And time is money.' Of course it is! / Now, let's hear no more about it, this conference or any conference.

Laters, blog fan(s)! [And pop fan(s)!]