2019 International Investment Summit

The 2019 International Investment Summit: Bridging the Gap Between Massachusetts, Israel, and China, was a one day conference hosted by InTeahouse, MOITI, MIT Sloan School of Management, and NEIBC. Notable sponsors included M&T Bank, WuXi AppTec, China Merchants Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank, and Banzan International.

It was a fantastic opportunity for companies from innovation capitals of the world to meet, network, and make new connections. With over 250 attendees, companies were able to mingle with investors and entrepreneurs to raise awareness of their projects and products and also learn more about what investors were looking for.

The summit included 3 panels that featured speakers from government, executive, and investor sectors. Each panel and its members gave their best insights and spoke to their audience about what worked, what didn’t, and the best strategies that they could derive from their illustrious careers and experiences. The panelists talked about how they made it big and did not shy away from giving their entrepreneurial advice to the Massachusetts based and Israeli-Massachusetts based technology companies in the crowd trying to pave their own paths to success.

Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy made an appearance and gave a speech on topics relevant to Massachusetts and the current economic landscape. As a government official, he was able to give a different perspective on what makes the climate of Massachusetts so tremendous for business and company growth.

Mayor Dan Rivera of the City of Lawrence also spoke about his own personal story. Coming from the projects of Lawrence, Mayor Rivera has made it his mission to provide responsive, efficient government services, safe and clean streets, excellent schools, and a vibrant local economy. Articulating on his success stories, Dan gave more advice what it takes to be successful in any endeavor, and the drive and passion necessary to flourish.

Multiple notable speakers also gave talks at the summit. Dr. Richard Soll, Senior Advisor of Strategic Initiatives and head of the Cambridge Office at WuXi AppTec, talked to our audience about ‘The Importance of Biomedical Hubs in our Current Era of Golden Opportunities’. Dr. Soll touched on what makes our current biomedical landscape so opportunistic and what he believed would help our scientific communities grow stronger and more vibrant. In doing so, he raised awareness for scientific efforts and developments that would ultimately lead to great advancements in our society.

Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST and DEKA, spoke to our attendees about ‘Fostering Global Cooperation through Innovation’. Over his career, Dean has made immensely important breakthroughs in the world of engineering including the invention of an adaptable prosthetic arm called the ‘Luke’, the stair climbing wheelchair iBot, the ‘Slingshot’ water purifier, as well as the Segway. Kamen professed his love for science and engineering and discussed his efforts to introduce these fields to the new generation. Through organizations such as FIRST, Kamen and his colleagues have created a global ecosystem of education and interest in the art of science. His resounding speech was met with a standing ovation from our audience of over 250 professionals.

From the 2019 International Investment Summit, companies from all over the world were able to reach out to each other and further evolve affiliations around the globe. The event was a great success, and InTeahouse looks forward to hosting subsequent summits like these. Stay tuned for more upcoming InTeahouse summits, including a fall summit this October.