Meeting the Moment - Accelerating Innovation in the Decade of Action

Today the world faces numerous global crises – the devastating impact of climate change, the threat of pandemics like COVID-19, an increase in conflict – and more. We know to address these unprecedented challenges, we’ll need unprecedented solutions.

It is clear that innovation is more important now than ever, but how do we work together to scale the most effective solutions?

Watch this dynamic, live streamed event (recorded on October 27 in Washington, D.C.). The event takes a look at the role of the global development and sustainability community in supporting local innovators to accelerate transformative change to address the world’s most pressing issues.

You’ll hear from next-generation entrepreneurs; a diverse panel of private and public sector leaders who are scaling innovative solutions; and Chemonics President and CEO Jamey Butcher. Speakers share their experience and discuss how to remove barriers to help local innovators and entrepreneurs design and scale commercially viable solutions.

To achieve a sustainable future, this is the decade of action. What will it take for us to meet the moment?

Event Agenda

Welcome Remarks
Jamey Butcher
President and CEO, Chemonics

Next-Gen Innovators
A more sustainable future means investing in the next generation of big thinkers. Young entrepreneurs, Tatiana Estevez and Sabira Mehrin Saba, join us in Washington, D.C., to deliver live pitches about their respective start-ups, Permalution and Wander Woman.

Tatiana Estevez
Founder & CEO, Permalution

Sabira Mehrin Saba
Founder & CEO, Wander Woman


Fireside Chat
Chemonics President & CEO Jamey Butcher sits down for a special fireside chat with start-up founders and CEOs, Tatiana and Sabira, to learn more about their journeys as social entrepreneurs, the growth they experienced through programs like the UNLEASH Plus Incubator with partners like Chemonics, and the barriers they still face in scaling their ventures.

Jamey Butcher
Tatiana Estevez


Panel: Driving Locally-Led Development
There are countless barriers that keep good ideas – with the potential for transformative impact – from making it to market. What can the global development and sustainability community do to overcome these barriers? Chemonics’ Senior Advisor for Innovation and Investment Lauren Behr and a diverse panel of social impact experts will explore the different approaches their organizations are taking to support local innovators and entrepreneurs in order to better design and scale impactful and commercially viable solutions.

Lauren Behr
Senior Advisor, Innovation and Investment, Chemonics

Richard Crespin
CEO, CollaborateUp

Elizabeth Fustos
Dep. Chief of Party, Future Technologies, Moldova, Chemonics

Grace Kim
Senior Program Manager, Development Innovation Ventures, USAID

Victoria Slivkoff
Executive Managing Director, Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC)

Q&A
Global Audience

Closing Remarks
Lauren Behr