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Thomas Witt

Showing 1–2 of 2 transcripts.

  1. Milken Institute1h 1m

    The Sustainable Investing Challenge: Innovative Plans from a New Generation

    Paul Irving, Ryan Alam, Suzana Amoes, Dave Chen, Megan Strawther, Susanna Amos, Thomas Witt, David Bank, Amit Boren, Cameron Saul

    The Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge at the Milken Institute Global Conference saw the USC Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship team, Terra Limpa, win by proposing a $30 million fund to revitalize Angola's agricultural sector by clearing landmines on 5,500 hectares of uncultivated arable land. The three-member team, led by Susanna Amos, plans to partner with UXO technicians and institutional buyers to secure land titles at deep discounts and cultivate staples like cassava for the Luanda market. This structured investment vehicle aims to diversify Angola's oil-dependent economy while generating social impact through a layered capital structure and a five-to-seven-year exit mechanism that transfers land ownership to local smallholders.

  2. Milken Institute58 min

    For Better or Worse? Technology's Transformative Role in Developing Regions

    Paul Kedrosky, Joe Mucheru, Denis D. O'Brien, Hilton Romanski, Kentaro Toyama, Stephanie von Friedeburg, Ross Lajeunesse, Thomas Witt, Kate Ambrose, Samia Malham

    A panel of global technology leaders and policymakers debated the complexities of bridging the digital divide in developing regions, highlighting the tension between optimistic leapfrog theories and the stark realities of infrastructure costs, regulation, and inequality. Key discussions centered on sustainable funding models, such as reconciling Over-The-Top revenue with telecommunications maintenance expenses, and the critical necessity of building parallel "analog foundations" including skills training and governance to ensure inclusive growth. The consensus underscored that achieving connectivity for the next 1.5 billion people requires $450 billion in coordinated public-private investment, integrated infrastructure planning, and equitable revenue-sharing mechanisms to prevent a two-speed global economy.