BCG on scaling global impact in an era of constraints

Listen to "Special Episode: BCG on scaling global impact in an era of constraints" on Spreaker.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, YouTube, or search “Devex” in your favorite podcast app.

In this special edition of This Week in Global Development, recorded at Davos, we explore a fundamental shift in the development landscape: the move from funding gaps to impact-driven results. As global economic constraints and fragmented cooperation redefine the sector, the conversation is no longer just about how much money can be mobilized, but how leadership and innovation can scale impact in a complex world.

Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Jim Larson, managing director and senior partner at BCG, to discuss the “impact pivot” of 2026. Larson outlines how successful players are moving beyond traditional aid by integrating generative artificial intelligence as core infrastructure and restructuring their "capital stacks" through blended finance and private sector partnerships.

From the necessity of market-driven efficiency to the rise of inclusive, localized coalitions, Larson shares case studies on how technology and innovative finance are moving the needle on global health. They also examine the specific characteristics defining successful development leaders in this new era of market imperatives.

To hear more about the evolution of the development toolkit, listen to this conversation with Jim Larson on This Week in Global Development.

Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.

Watch the podcast episode. Via YouTube.