BOSTON—April 20, 2022—Dr. Yichen Shen, founder and CEO of the global optical computing innovator Lightelligence, has been named a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum.

Shen received his Ph.D. degree in Physics in 2016 from MIT, where his groundbreaking research focused on nanophotonics and artificial intelligence. Building on his milestone work—“Deep Learning with Coherent Nanophotonic Circuits” in Nature Photonics—Shen went on to found Lightelligence in 2017 with a team of MIT graduates and industry veterans. Since then, Lightelligence has emerged as the leading optical computing innovator, raising over $100 million and demonstrating fully integrated optical computing systems working at speed.

“It’s an honor to be named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, along with so many incredible leaders from around the world,” said Shen. “I’m excited by the opportunity to use this platform to continue to highlight the role of optical computing in creating a more connected, sustainable world.”

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is an independent non-profit foundation bringing together a diverse range of leaders, including public officials, business innovators, artists, educators, technology developers, journalists, and activists. With 1,400 members and alumni representing over 120 nationalities, the Forum of Young Global Leaders aims to develop a community of leaders focused on creating positive change in the world. 

About the Forum of Young Global Leaders

The aim of the Forum of Young Global Leaders is to cultivate a community of responsible leaders to build bridges across sectors, regions, ideologies, and identities, and to achieve trust that transcends current divides. The foundation invests in enriching leaders’ insight and capacity to realize sustainable economies and societies. It shares their stories to illuminate what leadership could and should look like across the world. 

Click here to Meet the 2022 Class