In his book “Startup Communities” Brad Feld speaks of building startup communities as a “20 year journey” requiring a longer-term view and commitment to building an ecosystem. I started my journey 20 years ago when I moved to Pittsburgh from California and joined Innovation Works soon after. I have treasured my time at IW, having had the privilege of working with so many talented founders, colleagues and community partners and proud of the role we have played in the growth of the Pittsburgh startup community. So it’s with mixed emotions, I share that I have decided to leave Innovation Works at the end of this month.
I am looking forward to starting my next journey and exploring new ideas both personal and professional. My list already includes learning new technologies, building a website for the fantasy baseball league I started in college(!), and finally writing that next blog post on Pittsburgh as a Startup. I plan to remain active in the Pittsburgh tech ecosystem and will also look for ways to contribute to the Pittsburgh community, including beyond tech.
As I reflect on my time at IW, I feel blessed that I had the opportunity of working with hundreds of incredible founders — each working on solving tough, challenging problems and often developing world-class technologies or novel business models to bring solutions to market. I had a chance to lead initial investments in founding teams with a prototype and continue to support them through different stages of growth and in some instances, follow them to significant exits.
When we started AlphaLab in 2008, combining funding, mentorship, space and community in an immersive program aimed at first-time, often non-business entrepreneurs was a novel concept. AlphaLab was recognized as one of the first accelerators in the US, consistently ranked nationally and invited to be a charter member of the Global Accelerator Network (GAN). We continued to innovate with the launches of AlphaLab Gear, AlphaLab Health and now Robotics Factory, vertical accelerators designed to meet the unique needs of hardware, life sciences and robotics companies.
As I look around the region, I take pride in seeing the lasting impact of that experiment which began on East Carson Street. There are hundreds of companies and many more founders that got their start in one of our accelerator programs; numerous exits that have generated successful outcomes for the founders, and many more high potential companies on their way.
I see examples of alumni playing important leadership roles in the community, achieving success on their next venture or leveraging their startup experience into executive roles at larger companies. I see a strong community of founders who help each other; who co-found their next venture together and have formed the backbone of the local startup community.
I am proud that at IW, we were at the forefront of supporting entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and making entrepreneurship more accessible to those who don’t have the privilege of “Friends and Family” money or an already established network of mentors and investors. And I am proud that we have made these onramps available to teen entrepreneurs through our Startable program.
I want to thank Innovation Works for all of the opportunities afforded to me during my time here. Looking ahead, I continue to believe in IW’s mission and its ability to make an impact on the regional ecosystem. The organization is well-positioned to leverage its assets and strengths to deliver unique value to startup technology companies and I am excited to root for its continued success, from a new vantage point.
Finally, a thank you to all of the founders, colleagues, mentors, investors, industry and community partners who have supported me during this journey. I look forward to catching up with you for much overdue coffees, lunches, or drinks in the weeks and months ahead and am open to suggestions for points to explore on my next 20 year journey.
See you soon,
Jim
