BOSTON, MA — (Marketwired) — 04/21/15 — Today, a Boston-based coalition is announcing the creation of CityStart Boston (), a program focused on extending Boston–s innovation economy across the entire city, beyond the City–s Innovation District and the other areas where startups and entrepreneurs cluster.
CityStart is an extension of ThinkTank Boston, an annual student-only one-day event started in 2012. The coalition steering this year–s event includes representatives from: The Capital Network, The City of Boston, Constant Contact®, Inc., District Hall, Innovation Nights, MassChallenge, Microsoft, Startup Institute, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
“Innovation cannot be constrained to just a few neighborhoods in Boston,” said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. “My administration has already taken action to ensure that innovation begins to spread into every neighborhood with the upcoming opening of the Roxbury Innovation Center and the formation of the Neighborhood Innovation District Committee. I–m excited that CityStart will continue the conversation about how every neighborhood in Boston has the potential to become an innovative neighborhood.”
CityStart Boston begins Saturday, May 30, 2015 with a one day “Hackathon” at MassChallenge (21 Drydock Avenue, Boston). It will bring students and start-ups together to work on solutions. Findings from the Mayor–s Neighborhood Innovation Steering Committee and insights from key stakeholders in Boston–s innovation economy will guide the participants– thinking. Participants will form teams, and then work on designing prototype solutions and business concepts that they will pitch to a team of judges for feedback and ranking.
Teams who choose to continue will proceed to the “Boot Camp” phase of the program, which begins May 31 and lasts for three weeks. Teams will further develop their ideas through a series of , high-quality mentoring, and introductions facilitated by participants throughout the Boston startup ecosystem, all focused on refining their ideas for actual execution.
CityStart Boston culminates on Saturday, June 20 at the Fairmount Innovation Lab (584 Columbia Road, Dorchester) with teams making their final pitches to an audience of potential investors, partners and supporters. Top performers will receive both financial and in-kind rewards designed to help make their venture a reality.
From students to startups to local community activists, if you are passionate about bringing innovation to Boston–s neighborhoods, you should attend CityStart Boston. Specific examples of those who might benefit from attending include:
Students across all disciplines interested in innovation and social impact
Executives and employees looking to learn innovation skills
Existing startups interested in leveraging their current business models
Anyone interested in helping to bring innovation to Boston–s neighborhoods
Advisors and mentors
A broad range of attendees is encouraged to apply, but attendance will be capped at 100 participants.
Bobbie Carlton
Carlton PR & Marketing
781-718-7619
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