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Valeria Budinich

Unlocking Value Through Systems Entrepreneurship

Valeria Budinich is a prominent Systems Entrepreneurship Advisor at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With over 30 years of global experience in social innovation, she focuses on enhancing innovation ecosystems to support entrepreneurs who aim to drive systemic change. Her work emphasizes developing capacity-building approaches that empower innovators to tackle complex social challenges effectively.12

Professional Background

Budinich has extensive experience working across more than 26 countries, where she has led multicultural teams dedicated to advancing social and economic inclusion through entrepreneurship. Before her current role at MIT, she spent 17 years as a Leadership Group Member at Ashoka, a global organization for social entrepreneurs. There, she founded the Full Economic Citizenship Initiative, which has successfully launched over 50 hybrid business models aimed at improving livelihoods in sectors such as housing, agriculture, and recycling.24

Education

  • Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Industrial Engineering
    Universidad Centroamericana, Managua (1977 - 1982)
  • Master of Science (M.S.), Industrial Engineering
    The University of Texas at El Paso (1982 - 1985)

Achievements

Budinich has been recognized for her innovative contributions to social entrepreneurship, including receiving the Harvard/McKinsey M-Prize for management innovation in 2012. Her work has been influential in articulating a new vision of capitalism that integrates financial, social, and environmental gains.25

Her passion lies in leveraging collaborative entrepreneurship to foster more equitable and sustainable societies, making her a key figure in the field of social entrepreneurship and innovation.34

Highlights

Dec 6 · weforum.org
Valeria Budinich - The World Economic Forum
Dec 5 · mitsloan.mit.edu
Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Center for ... - MIT Sloan
Mar 4 · theorg.com
Valeria Budinich - Scholar in Residence at The Legatum Center
Nov 1 · mitsloan.mit.edu
Our People | Center for Development & Entrepreneurship at MIT
May 22 · ashoka.org
Valeria Budinich: Helping social entrepreneurs to a - Ashoka
Valeria Budinich: Helping social entrepreneurs to a - Ashoka

Related Questions

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Valeria Budinich
Valeria Budinich, photo 1
Valeria Budinich, photo 2
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Location

Washington D.C. Metro Area