United Nations
September 2019
Solutions Summit is an annual catalytic process culminating in a series of events at United Nations Headquarters in New York during UN General Assembly high-level week at the end of September. This initiative lifts up exceptional teams with innovative solutions already advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It shows that people already have extraordinary solutions in progress to our most complex challenges. The gatherings serve as a catalyst to convene resources and talent around solution makers. The first Solutions Summit in 2015 immediately followed the adoption of the SDGs by all UN Member States.
During the Solutions Summit, a group of selected global innovators give a ‘lightning talk’ outlining their breakthrough efforts to an audience of senior policymakers who have the means to pave solid regulatory foundations, investors who care deeply about long-term change and impact, industry leaders who are able to deploy quickly and at scale, fellow entrepreneurs who can share wisdom on starting up, and members of the general public, including youth, who bring additional creative insight. The solution makers also participate in Acceleration Sessions with representatives from top companies, philanthropies and non-profit organizations, and join other events related to innovation for the SDGs during UN General Assembly week.
Solutions Summit is led by UN Local2030, UN Foundation, shift7, and Global Innovation Exchange.
Our 2019 acceleration partners included:
National Geographic Labs, Google for Startups, Startup Bootcamp AfriTech, SDG Philanthropy Platform, Salesforce, Accountability Lab, BeeLine Reader, Dev4X, Endicott College, Google.org, Humanitarian Tracker, Innovators Box, Oxfam International, Safe City / Red Dot Foundation, Silicon Valley Social Ventures, University of Denver, Unreasonable Group, Vital Voices, We Scale Impact, World Vision, World Bank Connect4Climate
In 2019, we received more than 1400 applications from 141 countries. We convened a Youth Selection Committee to review youth proposals, and a Selection Committee of members ages 31+ to review projects from applicants ages 31+.
Solutions Summit 2016 highlighted projects that advance the objectives of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, the UN Habitat III Conference, the UN Climate Change Conference, the Open Government Partnership, and the UN Oceans Conference.
Humanitarian Tracker
REFUNITE
Atmocean
Darewin / Great Whale Conservancy
BenBen
AIME
ayzh
doctHERs
ECOLOO Group
Red Dot Foundation (Safecity)
The first Solutions Summit in 2015 immediately followed the conclusion of the UN Sustainable Development Summit, and featured:
Read about them in this article by Megan Smith, shift7 CEO and 3rd U.S. CTO. Watch the event video.
Co-organized by UN Local2030 Hub for Sustainability Solutions, UN Foundation, shift7 and Global Innovation Exchange, UN Solutions Summit lifts innovators with extraordinary solutions already advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. Let's get them resources, partners and mentors to scale their work faster.