Emergent, Wistia, IdeaPaint, and SCVNGR are startups from Massachusetts. They are founded by entrepreneurs under 25. They are recognized by Bloomberg BusinessWeek Magazine as “America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs.” And they will be celebrated on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the VDC. “NEXT: A Celebration of the Commonwealth’s Emerging Entrepreneurs” will include an exhibition of resources and services available to young entrepreneurs in Boston. Register to attend by Monday, February 22nd.
Check out BusinessWeek’s profiles:
What’s so unusual about young, fearless, and smart entrepreneurs? It turns out it’s boomers, not twentysomethings, who start the most businesses. Over the past decade, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity belongs to the 55-64 age group. The 20-34 age bracket, by contrast, had the lowest rate. That’s according to a recent report by Dane Stangler, a senior analyst with the Kauffman Foundation, based on data collected from 1996 to 2007.
So not only are these entrepreneurs navigating the toughest economy many of us have ever lived through, they’re also vastly outnumbered by older, more experienced competitors, who usually have more contacts and capital. That’s reason enough to continue to give young entrepreneurs encouragement, respect, and support.
In a BusinessWeek interview, Stangler says: “The cachet of large, established companies has taken a hit. Job tenure has been falling for a long time. Employment is not going to recover in the very near future. People across all age groups are going to take the future into their own hands.”
If you are feeling inspired, check out BusinessWeek’s overview resources for young entrepreneurs.
Check out John Harthorne’s post about the event, in which he describes IdeaPaint’s John Goscha’s story about a fellow entrepreneur who attributed a spate of recent successes to a simple formula: “I get up. I hustle. I sleep. Then I do it again.”
Here is a summary of Tweets about the event.
The Venture Development Center is Boston’s leading startup incubator for technology and life science companies.
Also in common, two of these four businesses were founded at Babson College in the e-tower, a student run live-in business hatchery.
Congrats to the honorees. I am a Wistia customer. The product is fantastic, and they have always been very responsive on those rare occasions when I’ve needed help.
I also really enjoyed seeing SCVNGR in action at The Quest for Innovation event they ran in Boston last year. Great time, and really unique product with tremendous potential.
Also in common, two of these four businesses were founded at Babson College in the e-tower, a student run live-in business hatchery.