Boston has officially joined the World Economic Forum’s global Yes/Cities initiative as the third flagship city worldwide.

Led globally by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Deloitte, and supported locally by the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Yes/Boston brings together cross-sector leaders to advance innovation at the intersection of food, health, and resilience.

Food systems and health innovation are deeply interconnected. When founders work at that intersection, they are not just addressing symptoms. They are building solutions that strengthen the foundations of a city.

Boston is a global leader in healthcare, biotech, and research. But innovation only works at scale when it reaches the communities it is meant to serve.

MassChallenge will serve as the local anchor organization, convening founders, public sector stakeholders, institutional collaborators, corporate partners, and community leadership to match bold ideas with real deployment pathways and accelerate impact.

“At MassChallenge, we work with founders every day who are building solutions at the intersection of food, health, and resilience,” said Cait Brumme, CEO of MassChallenge. “We know how powerful this region can be when new ideas are matched with real deployment pathways. Yes/Boston brings together public sector stakeholders, institutional collaborators, community leadership, and startup talent to move faster from innovation to impact.”

Applications for the 2026 Innovation Challenge are open through March 23, 2026.

Read the full press release here.