When I was last on the grid, I was returning to NY from Boston on the Acela Express after the first TechStars Boston Investor Day. It was a tremendous experience and a great first year for TechStars in Boston that was captured nicely by Xconomy, Mass High Tech, TechCrunch, and Boston.com. There’s currently a ton of software / Internet entrepreneurial activity in Boston these days and it’s fun to be in the mix.
I’m back on the Acela Express – this time from NY to Boston after spending four days off the grid with Amy. We spent the weekend immersed in the US Open, spending the full day Sunday at the semi-finals and Monday at the finals. I think the experience was enhanced by being off the grid – I was able to focus 100% of my energy watching the tennis (which was amazing) and being with my wife as she celebrated another birthday (she’s a prime number again – which also means “she’s in her prime.”)
For those in Boston who emailed me about getting together, I’ve got a jam packed three days in Boston before heading back home to Boulder for the weekend. However, I will be back in Boston on 10/1 for the MassTLC Innovation 2009 Unconference. Bill Warner (the founder of Avid and Wildfire) – who was the motive force behind bringing TechStars to Boston – is at it again as this is the second year for the Unconference that Bill founded.
The event takes place from 7:30am – 5:00pm on 10/1/09 at the Sun Microsystems Conference Center in Burlington, MA. The list of “experts” (experienced entrepreneurs, VCs, and service providers) is extensive and includes a wide variety of Boston’s well known entrepreneurs. As with any Unconference, the attendees get to shape the agenda in real time. The focus is getting first time entrepreneurs together with the “experts” and see what kind of magic emerges. From the registration page:
“Four generations of entrepreneurs will gather on October 1, 2009 with the focus on early stage entrepreneurship and driving innovation. Unlike the planned sessions and passive audiences of typical conferences, MassTLC’s Innovation 2009 is an unConference where the agenda is formed organically by all attendees the day of the event. No podiums. No stages. Just small interactive sessions taking a deep dive into issues that drive innovation and the success of your company. A professional facilitator helps make it happen.”
So – if you are a first time entrepreneur in the New England area – come join us and apply to be a sponsored entrepreneur. And – if you are one of the people that reached out to me to get together “on my next trip to Boston”, I’ll be there all day.