CIC Captains of Innovation

Climate change solutions demand a convergence of diverse minds - from scientists and tech innovators to policymakers and community leaders. Let's unite across disciplines to pioneer transformative climate tech solutions and foster sustainable innovation. Read more from our latest blog at https://lnkd.in/epd3mfTq. 🌍💡 #CollaborateForChange #ClimateTech #Innovation #InnovateForClimate #CollaborationIsKey #FutureFocusedLeadership #innovation #climatetech #sustainability #climatechange #innovationconsulting #innovationdistricts

Applications for CIC Massachusetts’ Social Impact Cohort open from September 23 - October 15! This program is supported through funding by the Minority Business Development Agency. Who should apply? Underrepresented founders in growth-stages of business across all industries, with companies based in Massachusetts or the Greater Boston area. For more details about eligibility, visit the website. What does the cohort include? 6 months of programming plus an additional 3 months of free membership at CIC, with all-inclusive services and amenities 24/7 access to CIC's Innovation Campus, coworking space, and global community Educational, curated programming to support growth and development Expanded network of mentors, investors, and business contacts Find out more and apply! cic.com/sip-ma The cohort will begin on January 14, 2025. Please send any questions to socialimpact-ma@cic.com

Explore examples of interdisciplinary collaboration and the important role it has in shaping the future of climate tech solutions. Learn how diverse fields are uniting to confront the challenges of climate change head-on. Embrace the power of collaboration and its ability to transform and speed up the climate industry's search for solutions in our latest blog post, "Uniting Across Disciplines: Spearheading Climate Tech Solutions through Collaboration. https://lnkd.in/epd3mfTq #ClimateTech #Collaboration #Innovation #climatesolutions #sustainability #innovationdistricts

  🎤 Exciting News! We're tabling at #SBW2024! 🚀 Get ready to dive into the resources we offer the startup community and see how we can support YOUR journey. Plus, we're eager to answer all your questions about our program. Join us at the 8th annual Startup Boston Week—the ultimate conference connecting the vibrant Greater #Boston and #NewEngland #startup ecosystem.   🔥 100+ sessions   🔥 5 days of immersive learning   🔥 7,000+ connections   All industries, all stages, all FREE! Don’t miss out—secure your free ticket today!   https://lnkd.in/efN9Wg3E Samantha Garciaand I can't wait to see you in-person at Suffolk University on September 9 from 12-1:30pm (you can also catch us with CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) at the opening and closing parties 🎉 )!

“When it comes to innovation districts, parking can get in the way of progress,” Julie Wagner, President of GIID, often argues. Innovation districts—which covet every parcel and every block to create a concentration of R&D, community uses and activities, and programs—often find themselves working around surface parking lots to build connections. Expansive, undeveloped parking areas create a "vertical silo effect," where the separation between organizations hampers collaboration. These vast spaces often leave buildings disconnected, reducing interactions among employees and companies. In hot climates, they generate excessive heat, making outdoor activities uncomfortable—especially for young children and the elderly, who are more vulnerable to these conditions. The question then is: How can districts without mass transit, or those that still rely on some parking, consider how and where to use this asset when it interrupts crucial connections? GIID conducted a geospatial analysis across 23 districts in ten countries to understand the extent to which they include large plots of land devoted to parking. Here’s what we found:   ▸ The presence of on-the-ground parking sites does not differ substantially across districts in the Global Network.  ▸ Parking areas occupy an average of 8.8% of total district land. ▸ In approximately 74% of the districts analyzed, there is at least one extensive on-the-ground parking site in close proximity to key R&D actors, measuring 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres)—an area roughly the size of seven Olympic-sized swimming pools! A subset of districts is exploring their surface parking to better understand whether parking can be moved to other locations. Others are starting to consider how much additional density and market value would be needed to create stacked parking and charge a fee. We are now exploring how parking can be moved, redeveloped, or adapted to become an asset that propels progress.  The map below represents on-the-ground parking areas in a district that reflects the global network's average amount. Take a look and see how your district compares to this one. #InnovationDistricts #UrbanPlanning #DistrictDevelopment #SmartDevelopment

After 6 incredible months, our first Social Impact Cohort is wrapping up. More thoughts on this soon, but please join us for our final Demo Day THIS THURSDAY!

Venture Café Cambridge in collaboration with CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center)'s Social Impact Program, hosted a recent Fireside Chat: DEMOCRATIZING ACCESS: BREAKING DOWN INNOVATION BARRIERS featuring Crissi Cole, #founder of Penny Finance. Moderated by Kris Mondlane of CIC Captains of Innovation, the discussion centered around Crissi’s journey as a #startup founder looking to expand access to financial literacy, particularly for women, through her startup work with Penny Finance. After beginning her carrier and spending 10 years at Goldman Sachs, starting Penny Finance was based on the premise that there was a problem with access to financial literacy and support. Crissi built Penny Finance out of the passion to solve this problem. Some points in the discussion that spoke to this included: ➡ Women retire with half the wealth of men. ➡ 83% of consumer spending is made by women. This became the target demo for Penny Finance. ➡ The only way an advisor can make money is to work with people that have money, that leaves too many people on the outside looking in. Women are disproportionately affected by this. ➡ The impact of Covid all but ended her Mom’s business. The struggle to save the family business became a key driver to the creation of Penny Finance. Key background came during her time at Goldman where the COO requested her to pivot into Product development. This gave a background in systems that provided the backdrop to create Penny Finance. Once the process of building the platform was in motion, in three months time an MVP was built (which by Crissi’s own account was not great) and pushed it out the door with the question ‘Can a machine replace a human’. 6k people later, that question was answered ‘yes’ and the intent to build the business pushed forward. Throughout the process of prototyping, MVP roll out, recruiting friends on Linkedin for staffing, going after funding, and coming harrowingly close to the whole thing going bad, some key takeaways included: ➡ Networking no. Relationship building yes. Know who you need in your corner. Give before you take. Try to seek out people who are not like you. ➡ Bottom line on finding funding is ‘How do you make money?’. At the end of the day, it’s the VC world. Accept it. ➡ Investors have bias, can’t help it. ➡ Once Crissi accepted that the potential for failure is a reality, so long as the family was good, so was she. Focus on the things that love you back.

We are delighted to be featured in the latest edition of Magurele Science Park (MSP)'s Magazine! Join us as we discuss the importance of community-focused programming, the significance of connecting local needs with global ecosystems, and the absolute must-haves for a successful district with our Head of Innovation Districts, Dougan Sherwood. Thank you to the team at MSP for featuring our insights and work within innovation ecosystems. https://lnkd.in/eT-37X9C #innovationdistricts #innovationdistrictconsulting #ciccaptainsofinnovation #cic #innovationconsulting #innovationecosystems

The 2024 Startup Genome report is now live! Home to CIC Innovation Campuses, Boston ranked #6, Tokyo #10, and Berlin #15. 🚀🌍 Exciting news this year: Tokyo made a huge leap forward, climbing five spots from 15th place in 2023. Download the report and keep an eye out for mentions of CIC Japan here: https://ow.ly/clpV50Sj62i For more insights into Tokyo's rise, read CIC Tokyo's recent article: https://ow.ly/zoMI50Sj62g #GSER2024

🎉 Venture Café Global Institute has just announced its newest location: Berlin, Germany! 🇩🇪 Set to open at our latest Innovation Campus, CIC Berlin, in late 2024, Venture Café Berlin will serve as a dynamic hub for the local and international innovation community with free high-impact programming and events. Learn more: https://ow.ly/R7NL50ShWop