What happens when you tell a country demanding jobs to create them instead? Rym Baouendi did exactly that in post-revolution Tunisia, co-founding the country's first coworking space and fundamentally changing how a generation thought about opportunity.

Now Director of Alumni Innovation & Engagement at Harvard Innovation Lab, Rym has lived across continents, building bridges between innovation ecosystems. In this conversation, she shares her unique philosophy on why innovation ecosystems should be built like gardens (not factories), why working with children is like going to the gym for your creativity, and how ancient desert wisdom beats modern sustainability solutions.

Key Highlights:

• Why innovation ecosystems are gardens that need cultivation
• Learning from ancient civilisations to solve modern problems
• The global language of entrepreneurship and how to connect ecosystems
• AI as the great equaliser for global innovation

• Treating your career like a portfolio
• The importance of building bridges over replication

Memorable Quote: "Working with children is almost like going to the gym, but to develop your creativity and imagination muscle. We should all be doing it regularly."