05/12/2026
On Wednesday, our Student Fellows took the stage to pitch ventures tackling critical challenges across global growth markets. Pitch Night was the culmination of a year of deep learning and growth as our fellows embraced the difficult and courageous work of becoming principled entrepreneurs and venture builders.
Throughout the year, they pushed to create ventures deeply rooted in the realities and opportunities of their markets. Watching them share their ideas with such clarity and purpose was incredibly moving.
We were also deeply honored to welcome Desh Deshpande for a fireside chat with Dina H. Sherif, Executive Director, MIT KSC. Many of the themes Desh spoke about echoed across the fellowsโ journeys. He reminded us that impactful entrepreneurship begins with โrelevance first, then innovation,โ and that it is an act of rational optimism; a belief that even the most difficult challenges can be overcome through courage and conviction. It is this mindset that gives entrepreneurs the resilience to navigate uncertainty.
A few days later, we gathered again with our broader community for our End-of-Year Fellowship Celebration, recognizing the extraordinary journeys of both our Student and Foundry Fellows throughout the year.
We were honored to welcome Hal Gregersen, whose keynote on โLiving the Questionโ invited all of us to slow down just enough to ask better questions, the kind that open new ways of thinking, building, and leading. It was a fitting message as we reflected on a year defined not only by hard work and achievement, but by curiosity, growth, and transformation.
During the celebration, we were thrilled to announce Sara Alafifi, Student Fellow 2025โ2026, Founder of Kintsu Capital, which develops payment infrastructure for immigrants and asylum-seeking remote workers, as the winner of this yearโs Pitch Night, receiving a $5,000 award toward her venture. Congratulations, Sara! ๐
Most importantly, however, we are proud of all of our Fellows. Thank you for your passion, generosity, courage, and commitment to building a new calculus for global prosperity.
You are now, and always will be, Fellows for Life.