Earlier this week I met with someone (I’ll call her Mary for convenience) who has extensive experience as a startup executive and is also active in various Boston area entrepreneurship organizations. An entrepreneur I met last fall referred me to Mary due to our common backgrounds in clean tech. Prior to our meeting Mary had taken the time to read this blog and my LinkedIn profile and came armed with good advice and specific actionable recommendations. This was truly amazing as I had never met nor spoken to Mary previously. I am very grateful that she invested the time to do this.
The main thing we spoke about is Mary’s observation that I need to establish my credentials in the startup community. Regardless of the strength of my background and of what I’ve accomplished in the corporate world I am not known in the startup world. Mary felt that the best way to address this is to get involved in organizations that provide mentoring services, run competitions, and offer other support for early-stage startups. Working in this capacity would be an excellent way to meet other entrepreneurs and investors and establish my credentials over time. The startups to which I would get exposed would not necessarily be ones where I find a role for myself but would serve as vehicles for learning and self-exposure.
Mary went on to provide three specific recommendations:
- Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTCC)
This is a state-funded organization within the University of Massachusetts whose charter is to facilitate the transfer of technology from Massachusetts research institutions to the state’s industries. Mary expressed high regard for this organization and thought I could be helpful as a coach within the MTCC’s advisory services. - MassChallenge
This is a Boston-area accelerator organization whose purpose is to support novice entrepreneurs. They provide mentorship and other services and also hold an annual competition with cash awards. There are both mentorship and judging opportunities in which I can get involved. - Cleantech Open
This is a national organization focused on accelerating clean technology startups. They provide training, mentorship and other support to entrepreneurs bringing clean technology to market. As with the above there are opportunities to get involved as a mentor.
These are all excellent suggestions and ones I am following up on immediately. Mary’s advice resonated strongly and convinced me that I need to just dive in and start getting involved in the startup community.