For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve — an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems.

We asked Hala about how MIT Solve has built and maintained its vast network of thought leaders and industry innovators, the impact milestones she’s most excited about, and how the initiative is deploying AI to create lasting transformation. 

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: Tell us about MIT Solve’s mission and vision—what makes this initiative so unique and impactful?

Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve: MIT Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. We find and help scale the most promising solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges and forge lasting partnerships with our Solver teams, providing ongoing funding, strategic connections, and support long after their initial program ends.

Our secret weapon? A powerhouse community of thought leaders, industry pioneers, and MIT’s extensive ecosystem—all united by the belief that technology, in the right hands, can transform lives. We seek entrepreneurs from underrepresented regions and backgrounds whose lived experience is the expertise they bring to problem-solving. 

NationSwell: What does using technology for good look like? How are MIT Solve and its innovators envisioning a present and future where scalable tech can solve big problems?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Tech for good isn’t just aspirational—it’s our Solvers’ work today. AI powers 20% of our portfolio, demonstrating how emerging tech can be deployed as a powerful means of improving people’s lives and driving positive societal transformation—from bettering health and learning outcomes to mitigating the effects of climate change. 

In addition to the breadth of application, AI helps with scaling impact: solutions in Solve’s portfolio that are powered by AI reach twice as many lives as those not making use of the technology. 

While AI global venture capital investments exceeded $290 billion between 2019 and 2024, less than 1% of this funding went to initiatives aimed at social impact. This stark disparity reveals a profound misalignment between AI’s transformative potential and its current applications that we should all want to fix.

NationSwell: What is exciting to you about the funding that MIT Solve provides to innovators? Tell us about MIT Solve’s impact to date.

Hanna, MIT Solve: The $70 million we’ve mobilized has catalyzed extraordinary change, with our Solver teams now touching 280+ million lives globally. This translates to environmental and health monitoring for 97+ million people, internet access for 4.6+ million, educational content for 56+ million children, and vital health services for 26+ million patients. These aren’t just numbers—they represent real people experiencing better health outcomes, educational opportunities, and improved livelihoods. 

We are also proud that for Solver teams selected in the past five years, over 95% are operational—compared to 70% for similar programs. Moreover, our for-profit and hybrid teams have raised over $1 billion since their organizations’ inception—together, they are engines of economic growth for their communities.

NationSwell: Is there a grantee story that you’d like to lift up?

Hanna, MIT Solve: I cannot possibly pick just one! Instead, let me invite you to experience our award-winning docuseries, The Big Idea. It follows three Solver teams on their journey: an innovator stabilizing vaccine temperatures in remote regions, a creator of antiracist technology reducing Black maternal mortality, and a developer of robot-building kits empowering Indigenous youth. With hundreds of thousands of YouTube views, features at 17 global festivals, and awards including a Webby, these stories exemplify the ingenuity and impact of our community.

NationSwell: A year from now, what are you hoping to be celebrating? What milestones are you looking to cross?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Next year marks our 10th anniversary—a decade of catalyzing world-changing innovation! There’s a lot in store to celebrate this milestone, including at our flagship events, Solve at MIT in May and Solve Challenge Finals in September. We’re building a new model where social innovation isn’t seen as charity but as the highest-leverage investment possible. By our next decade, we aim to shift billions toward solutions that scale exponentially and reach communities where traditional systems have failed.

NationSwell: What are some of the challenges you’re facing? How can NationSwell’s social impact community help you with those challenges?

Hanna, MIT Solve: Funding for international development work faces unprecedented headwinds. Even before current events, we saw a stark disconnect: $238 billion sitting in Donor-Advised Funds while we face a $4 trillion gap in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our mission is to bridge this divide by connecting innovators with funding opportunities, regardless of the political climate. NationSwell’s network is invaluable in helping us reach the communities that need innovation most. The most precious resource isn’t money—it’s the courage to back transformative ideas when they need it most. We invite the NationSwell community to come Solve with us!