PAWA and HBS: AI innovation summit – WeLaunch at Harvard

On April 13, 2024, Harvard Business School and the Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America co-hosted the AI Innovation Summit at the prestigious Harvard Club in Boston. Professors, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners from Harvard Business School convened to engage in discussions and offer platforms for exceptional graduates to present their business ventures.

Lynda Applegate, the Baker Foundation Professor at HBS, plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering HBS Executive Education Programs tailored for entrepreneurs and business owners. As one of the keynote speakers at the summit, Professor Applegate offered entrepreneurs and startup founders professional insights into career positioning and discussed leadership for ensuring sustained growth of their businesses in this dynamic and rapidly evolving era.

As the second keynote speaker, Dr. Miao introduced the concept of spiritual capital. Dr. Miao emphasized that in this era of high concept and perception, achieving dreams is only feasible by enhancing spiritual capital. Spiritual capital, Dr. Miao highlighted, stands as the paramount strength of this era, serving as the fundamental impetus behind all accomplishments, the optimal avenue for personal growth, and the guiding light for humanity’s future development. Dr. Miao serves as the President of the Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America and holds roles as an author, educator, philanthropist, composer, and spiritual growth mentor.
During the roundtable discussion, Andy Wu, Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, Julian De Freitas, Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Marketing Unit and Director of the Ethical Intelligence Lab at Harvard Business School, and Yuan Yuan, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Boston College, shared their insightful perspectives on “AI Unleashed: Navigating the Future of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” They thoroughly explored the AI industry from various professional angles, providing valuable insights and opening up new avenues of thought for the audience.

Finally, three Asian women entrepreneurs from MIT and Harvard Business School showcased their pitches. Professors offered professional and refined suggestions for their pioneering ideas. Dr. Miao also provided in-depth guidance on business development and leadership enhancement. Furthermore, three Asian entrepreneurs were honored with the Excellent Entrepreneurs Award. Dr. Miao, serving as the award presenter, extended her heartfelt congratulations to the awardees and expressed her hope for the emergence of more young women leaders, who can develop and contribute to fostering a better and more vibrant world.
During the final speech, Dr. Miao pointed out that the most important thing in life is to fulfill one’s dreams. In this world, there are already many scholars, scientists, pioneers, and entrepreneurs illuminating the path forward for humanity, inspiring those who pursue their dreams.In this era of high concept and perception, realizing dreams is only possible by increasing spiritual capital. The world we inhabit is filled with information and noise. It’s not that people cannot see and hear, but rather they struggle to understand what they see and hear. Therefore, we need to promote the development of human minds, so that we are no longer troubled by trivial matters, but can rise above the surface and reach a deeper understanding of human nature. 
The AI Innovation Summit was attended by faculty and students from Harvard Business School, members of The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America, as well as entrepreneurs from various industries. Attendees expressed their admiration and appreciation for the impactful event, eagerly anticipating future summits hosted by PAWA. Moving forward, PAWA is dedicated to organizing more events in the near future and will continue to provide assistance and services to the Asian American women’s community.