The backbone of Venture Café – come meet the community and make connections with all different kinds of innovators. How will you make your serendipitous moment come true?
Are you a technical founder that’s struggling with your story?
Accessibly and succinctly telling your story to articulate your vision is key to successfully pitching funders, scientists speaking at conferences, and, well, for pretty much anyone.
Simple changes can help you prep your deck and tell your tale better. Join Lisa Girard, PhD, Principal, Acropetal Science Strategy and Consulting and most recently head of communications at Whitehead Institute and scientific communications at the Broad for 1:1 coaching to polish your talk, deck, pitch, draft, or whatever you have.
Sign up for a spot here (first come, first served): https://calendly.com/lgirard-acropetalconsulting/30min
Building a great product is only half the battle—knowing how to bring it into the world is what determines whether it breaks through or gets lost in the noise.
In this fireside chat, Jeff Berman—founder of Berman Creative and a longtime architect of go-to-market strategies for more than 100 startups—shares insights from two decades at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and growth. With a background that spans astrophysics at the University of Chicago to leadership roles at Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, and Mullen, Jeff brings a rare perspective on how complex ideas become clear, compelling stories that drive traction.
Together, we’ll explore how founders can translate technical innovation into resonance, avoid common go-to-market pitfalls, and recognize the signals that indicate when a company is ready to scale. Expect a candid conversation on storytelling, timing, and the creative discipline required to turn early momentum into lasting impact.
Whether you’re launching something new or refining how the world understands what you’ve built, this session offers practical frameworks—and hard-won lessons—for finding your signal and cutting through the noise.
What does it take to turn a scientific breakthrough into a market-shaping company?
Join us for a fireside chat with Stacy Swider, Vice President of Investments at MassVentures, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ strategic venture capital arm. With a career spanning materials science, startup leadership, non-dilutive funding, and venture investing, Stacy brings a rare, founder-first perspective on what it takes to commercialize deep technology.
In this conversation, we’ll explore how early-stage deep-tech companies are evaluated, funded, and supported — from the earliest laboratory insights to scalable market impact. Stacy will share how MassVentures partners with visionary entrepreneurs, how founders can navigate equity and non-dilutive funding pathways, and what today’s investment climate means for science-driven startups.
Whether you’re a founder, researcher, investor, or ecosystem builder, this session offers practical insights into building durable, high-impact companies at the intersection of technology, capital, and public good.
Key themes include:
• Translating breakthrough IP into viable businesses
• Navigating early-stage funding in deep tech
• Equity vs. non-dilutive capital strategies
• Massachusetts’ role in the global innovation ecosystem
• Lessons from decades of working alongside founders
Join us!
This small-group roundtable is designed specifically for founders leading startups with 10+ employees who are navigating the real, often messy people challenges that come with growth. As teams expand, HR issues don’t wait for your next funding milestone — and neither should you.
In this confidential, founder-only space, you’ll have room to vent, pressure-test decisions, and exchange practical strategies with peers facing similar realities. The session runs from 6:00–7:00 PM and is capped at six founders to ensure honest conversation, meaningful feedback, and actionable takeaways you can apply immediately.
Bring your toughest people questions — from hiring and onboarding to performance management, compliance, and culture under strain — and leave with clarity, perspective, and a bit of well-earned catharsis.
No judgment. Just real talk and real solutions.
Meaningful innovation happens when corporations and startups move beyond transactional relationships and start building together. This panel will explore how collaborative business models—ranging from commercial partnerships and pilots to co-development and strategic investment—enable both sides to scale faster, innovate with purpose, and unlock new sources of value.
Panelists will share real-world experiences on how these partnerships are structured, what makes collaboration work in practice, and how aligned incentives, trust, and execution turn joint efforts into powerful outcomes. The conversation will highlight how startups gain access to scale, expertise, and markets, while corporations accelerate innovation, reduce time to market, and test new solutions with agility. This session is designed for founders and corporate leaders looking to understand how working together can make big ideas real—and make powerful things happen.
The backbone of Venture Café – come meet the community and make connections with all different kinds of innovators. How will you make your serendipitous moment come true?
Are you a technical founder that’s struggling with your story?
Accessibly and succinctly telling your story to articulate your vision is key to successfully pitching funders, scientists speaking at conferences, and, well, for pretty much anyone.
Simple changes can help you prep your deck and tell your tale better. Join Lisa Girard, PhD, Principal, Acropetal Science Strategy and Consulting and most recently head of communications at Whitehead Institute and scientific communications at the Broad for 1:1 coaching to polish your talk, deck, pitch, draft, or whatever you have.
Sign up for a spot here (first come, first served): https://calendly.com/lgirard-acropetalconsulting/30min
Building a great product is only half the battle—knowing how to bring it into the world is what determines whether it breaks through or gets lost in the noise.
In this fireside chat, Jeff Berman—founder of Berman Creative and a longtime architect of go-to-market strategies for more than 100 startups—shares insights from two decades at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and growth. With a background that spans astrophysics at the University of Chicago to leadership roles at Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, and Mullen, Jeff brings a rare perspective on how complex ideas become clear, compelling stories that drive traction.
Together, we’ll explore how founders can translate technical innovation into resonance, avoid common go-to-market pitfalls, and recognize the signals that indicate when a company is ready to scale. Expect a candid conversation on storytelling, timing, and the creative discipline required to turn early momentum into lasting impact.
Whether you’re launching something new or refining how the world understands what you’ve built, this session offers practical frameworks—and hard-won lessons—for finding your signal and cutting through the noise.
What does it take to turn a scientific breakthrough into a market-shaping company?
Join us for a fireside chat with Stacy Swider, Vice President of Investments at MassVentures, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ strategic venture capital arm. With a career spanning materials science, startup leadership, non-dilutive funding, and venture investing, Stacy brings a rare, founder-first perspective on what it takes to commercialize deep technology.
In this conversation, we’ll explore how early-stage deep-tech companies are evaluated, funded, and supported — from the earliest laboratory insights to scalable market impact. Stacy will share how MassVentures partners with visionary entrepreneurs, how founders can navigate equity and non-dilutive funding pathways, and what today’s investment climate means for science-driven startups.
Whether you’re a founder, researcher, investor, or ecosystem builder, this session offers practical insights into building durable, high-impact companies at the intersection of technology, capital, and public good.
Key themes include:
• Translating breakthrough IP into viable businesses
• Navigating early-stage funding in deep tech
• Equity vs. non-dilutive capital strategies
• Massachusetts’ role in the global innovation ecosystem
• Lessons from decades of working alongside founders
Join us!
This small-group roundtable is designed specifically for founders leading startups with 10+ employees who are navigating the real, often messy people challenges that come with growth. As teams expand, HR issues don’t wait for your next funding milestone — and neither should you.
In this confidential, founder-only space, you’ll have room to vent, pressure-test decisions, and exchange practical strategies with peers facing similar realities. The session runs from 6:00–7:00 PM and is capped at six founders to ensure honest conversation, meaningful feedback, and actionable takeaways you can apply immediately.
Bring your toughest people questions — from hiring and onboarding to performance management, compliance, and culture under strain — and leave with clarity, perspective, and a bit of well-earned catharsis.
No judgment. Just real talk and real solutions.
Meaningful innovation happens when corporations and startups move beyond transactional relationships and start building together. This panel will explore how collaborative business models—ranging from commercial partnerships and pilots to co-development and strategic investment—enable both sides to scale faster, innovate with purpose, and unlock new sources of value.
Panelists will share real-world experiences on how these partnerships are structured, what makes collaboration work in practice, and how aligned incentives, trust, and execution turn joint efforts into powerful outcomes. The conversation will highlight how startups gain access to scale, expertise, and markets, while corporations accelerate innovation, reduce time to market, and test new solutions with agility. This session is designed for founders and corporate leaders looking to understand how working together can make big ideas real—and make powerful things happen.