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Startup City: A Discussion of Boston's Vision for Innovation

Jun 13, 2013

This week the BRA joined the Innovation District TeamONEin3, and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at MassChallenge’s event space at One Marina Park Drive to hear expert panelists discuss the development of Boston’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. “Start-Up City” brought together entrepreneurs, public officials, and academics to examine Boston’s competitive position and consider how the region can encourage additional growth. Check out our #startupcity video below, featuring Boston-based entrepreneurs: #startupcity from Kris Carter on Vimeo. The program, which ran from 8 AM to 11:30 AM, included a short video and introduction, presentations, and a panel discussion.
Introduction: Nicole Fichera and Chloe Ryan, City of Boston Opening Remarks: Boston’s Vision for Innovation, Kairos Shen, Chief Planner, Boston Redevelopment Authority Presentations: Boston’s Start-up Environment from Three Perspectives Ed Glaeser, Professor of Economics, Harvard Kennedy School Scott Griffith, Former CEO and Chairman, ZipCar Jennifer Lum, Co-Founder, Adelphic Mobile Coffee Break Reconvening Remarks: John Harthorne, Founder and CEO, MassChallenge Panel Discussion: Making the Most of Boston’s Human Capital - [Moderator] Sarah Green, Senior Associate Editor, Harvard Business Review Patricia Boyle-McKenna, Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics Matt Lauzon, EIR @ Matrix Partners & Founder, Gemvara Carlos Martinez-Vela, Executive Director, Venture Cafe Foundation Closing Remarks: Mitch Weiss, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office
Audience participation played a key role in the discussions. Event attendees were encouraged to tweet comments, photos, and questions for panelists using #startupcity, and leave any comments on the walls of the MassChallenge space. These interactions led to great conversation about innovation, both in-person and online! The topics covered this morning were diverse, and included:
- how to “break into” the start-up community - getting involved with a start-up without a tech background - how to make start-ups accessible to everyone - harnessing the young talent available in Boston - unpaid vs. paid internships - economic diversity & disparity within Boston - the differences between mid-sized start-ups and larger corporations - building a supportive & inclusive start-up community - how to expand your network, in the innovation community and beyond
Many thanks to all who participated and continue to follow the conversation over on twitter using #startupcity!

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