I joined MassChallenge in 2010 after graduating from the University of Vermont, where I simultaneously cofounded the UVM Entrepreneurship Club and worked at a transportation startup and a local tech incubator. I was considering starting an early-stage startup accelerator in Burlington, when I was introduced to MassChallenge cofounders John Harthorne and Akhil Nigam. I loved the organization’s mission – which is to be the most startup-friendly organization on the planet – and began working as an unpaid intern that summer. Since then, I’ve held just about every position within the organization until being named managing director last January.

Why is it important for Massachusetts to welcome innovation and support startups, including those with nontraditional and disruptive new business models?

Having a nontraditional business model, we understand the impact of focusing on long-term value creation rather than short-term value extraction. We help early-stage, high-impact startups succeed by providing access to collaborative working spaces, a powerful network of corporate mentors and alumni, and millions of dollars in nondiluted grants during our annual startup competition.
 
However, unlike most accelerators, we do this on a global scale without taking any equity from the participating startups. This is deliberate. We understand that disruption takes time, but we also know that patience pays off. Since 2010, our 835 alumni have raised more than $1.1 billion in funding, generated over $520 million in revenue and created more than 6,500 jobs globally.
 
The Massachusetts government understands this too and is working with every stakeholder in the ecosystem – including universities, businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs – to cultivate a thriving tech scene with long-term sustainability.  
 
What’s next for MassChallenge?

MassChallenge is continuing to grow and expand! We’re headquartered in Boston but have recently launched programs in the U.K., Mexico, Switzerland and Israel. As part of the Clinton Global Initiative, our goal is to reach 10 cities on all populated continents by 2019. We also run  ?bridge programs to give international members the opportunity to strengthen innovation-driven economic development through access to our resources, such as customized boot camps.
 
In addition to uncovering new markets, we’re always looking to address new ?demands and remove friction for entrepreneurs in existing locations. Last year in Boston, we launched MADE@MassChallenge to give hardware startups a place to prototype, test, iterate and bring their ideas to life. It’s been a huge success – this year we’ve received 65 percent more hardware-focused startup applications. We also opened the Newton Innovation Center, a community resource to connect local residents to the global innovation ecosystem. In addition, we recently launched a digital health accelerator program in Fenway and will begin accepting startups in the fall.