The Power of “How Can I Help?”: A Conversation with Christopher Schroeder

What does it mean to not only witness but actively champion the entrepreneurial spirit across the world? In this episode of A Legacy of Purpose: Conversations with Dina H. Sherif, Christopher Schroeder—renowned entrepreneur, investor, and author of Startup Rising: The Entrepreneurial Revolution Remaking the Middle East—shares his journey from co-founding innovative tech companies in the U.S. to championing the untapped potential of growth markets like MENA, LATAM and ASEAN, Christopher’s story is one of humility, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in the power of people to solve their own communities’ most pressing challenges. During the conversation, Christopher shared: “There’s something in their teeth… there are problems out there, and not solving them does not make sense. Solving them makes sense. And maybe they’ll win, maybe they’ll lose, but they’re in.”In this episode, Chris discusses:•How his Italian immigrant roots shaped his worldview •His early experiences in tech and the challenges of building trust in new markets •The importance of storytelling and shifting narratives to elevate growth markets •Why fostering innovation in the Middle East, ASEAN, and beyond matters now more than ever Chris’s dedication to championing entrepreneurs globally offers a fresh perspective on curiosity, humility, and the transformative power of technology.About Christopher M. Schroeder:Christopher M. Schroeder is a Washington D.C. and New York City based entrepreneur and venture investor. Aside from co-founding Next Billion Ventures - a leading early stage fund focused on rising markets - he is on the investment committee for Saudi Telecom Ventures, the largest venture capital effort in the Middle East,  and advises Village Global and Endeavor Global on their international investments.  He co-founded HealthCentral.com, one of the nation's largest social and content platforms in health and wellness, backed by Sequoia Capital among others and sold to the global health media publisher, Remedy Health and was previously the CEO of washingtonpost.com.Schroeder is active in the intersection in American and globally of business, tech and policy making. He has served on national and economic security advisory boards, and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the leading transatlantic think tank and funder of projects supporting rule of law, The German Marshall Fund.He has written extensively about innovation and international economic geopolitical issues for The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Insider among others and is seen regularly on CNN and CNBC. He was named one of LinkedIn top 50 Influencers, with over 800,000 followers, and has a leading blog there and on substack. Host: Dina SherifProduced by Sherif ShafieFor Media Inquiries:Sherif Shafie Sloan School of ManagementMassachusetts Institute of Technology292 Main St, E38, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142