Worcester entrepreneur support organization seeks to turn city into global startup hub
Image | Courtesy of Venture Forum
Zachary Dutton, Venture Forum executive director
A Worcester-based not-for-profit is launching a series of new entrepreneurship-focused initiatives, with the intent of helping turn the city into a globally competitive startup hub.
The Venture Forum, an independent volunteer-led organization founded in 1991, will start a number of new initiatives for 2024, including a program seeking to match early stage startups with mentors, a business development resource platform, and two separate pitch competitions, according to a release issued by the organization on Wednesday.
“At Venture Forum, we believe that Worcester has the opportunity to become a globally competitive startup hub,” Zachary Dutton, executive director of Venture Forum, said in the press release. “As part of achieving that vision, we are growing and developing new programs intended to serve as catalysts for local entrepreneurs, enabling them to access mentorship, capital, and talent at every stage of growth.”
Venture’s Mentor Match Program is an eight-week initiative connecting startups with experienced mentors who offer support with business plans and capital raising. Venture’s first cohort is currently running, with a second cohort planned for later in 2024.
As another means of supporting startups, Venture has created Launch Worcester, a new free online platform connecting young companies with business development resources available in Greater Worcester. Participants can utilize the platform to access resources and information regarding available resources, jobs, and potential mentors. The platform is already online, but Venture will celebrate its official launch with an event slated for 5 p.m. on March 18 at Redemption Rock Brewing in Worcester.
Venture’s 2024 pitch competitions will be the WooTank Intercollegiate Showdown and the 5 Minute Pitch Competition. WooTank is a new competition featuring top student entrepreneurs from Central Massachusetts colleges competing to receive funding from local angel investors. The 5 Minute Pitch Competition will feature scalable startups competing for the opportunity to win non-dilutive seed funding. This is the third year in a row Venture has hosted the 5 Minute Pitch Competition.
Other Venture Forum-led initiatives in 2024 will include a speaker series featuring experienced entrepreneurs and subject matter experts, and the Spark Mentorship Program, a program which will see the organization partner with the Worcester incubator Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives to provide a free mentor program for early-stage life science entrepreneurs.
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