Unlocking the biggest social and economic opportunity of our time.

Three billion people remain offline, disconnected from the digital economy and the opportunities it creates. As the next wave of technology-led growth reshapes economies and global influence, The Next 3 Billion asks one of the defining questions of the decade: will the innovations reshaping global power expand opportunity or concentrate it?

At the intersection of the global AI expansion and the urgent development agenda, The Next 3 Billion will spotlight the leaders shaping a more inclusive and prosperous future for the world’s most ascendent regions.

When

September 22, 2026

Where

New York City

Featured Speakers

Dr. Jean Kaseya

Director-General, Africa CDC

Kara Hurst

Chief Sustainability Officer, Amazon

Kristalina Georgieva

Managing Director,  International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Jumoke Oduwole

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria

Sanda Ojiambo

Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, & CEO, United Nations Global Impact

James Manyika

SVP, Research, Labs, Technology & Society, Google-Alphabet

David Miliband

President & CEO, International Rescue Committee

Makhtar Diop

Managing Director, International Finance Corporation

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Founder, Art of Living Foundation

Sim K. Tshabalala

Group Chief Executive, Standard Bank

Ben Black

CEO, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

Ilan Goldfajn

President, Inter-American Development Bank

Moderators

Justin B. Smith

Co-Founder & CEO, Semafor

Ben Smith

Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Semafor

Yinka Adegoke

Editor, Semafor Africa

Alexis Akwagyiram

Managing Editor, Semafor Africa

Shelly Banjo

Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Semafor

Guillaume Doane

Senior Director of Global Partnerships, Semafor

Liz Hoffman

Business Editor, Semafor

Tim McDonnell

Climate & Energy Editor, Semafor

Amna Nawaz

Co-Host, PBS News Hour & Semafor Contributor

Prashant Rao

Global Managing Editor, Semafor