During the weekend of February 14-15, roughly 700 students, academics, professionals, and entrepreneurs attended the 2009 Harvard Asia Business Conference at the Harvard Business School campus in Cambridge, MA. Now in its 18th year, the conference is an annual event organized by students at the Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Harvard Law School. Over the course of the weekend, approximately ninety leaders from business, government and academia across Asia and the world shared their insights on the role of Asia in today’s world—one fraught with major financial, political, social, environmental, and economic challenges. In particular, the 2009 Harvard Asia Business Conference provided observers and participants an opportunity to reflect on the current global financial crisis and the role of Asia going forward. Despite constant reminders of the deteriorating business and economic environment, many panelists expressed cautious optimism. The conference—which attracted students and observers not only from the Boston area but from throughout the United States and Asia —was not only a venue for serious debate, but an opportunity to cultivate professional connections and make new friends.