We’ve talked about the jobs, the opportunities and the Boston ecosystem as a whole. But who are the main people you need to know?
We’re a little more than halfway through the month of September and halfway through our month of Boston coverage.
From its world-renowned educational institutions to its vibrant start-up scene, Boston is filled with sci-tech talent.
We’ve already taken a look at the ecosystem as a whole and we’ve focused on the hottest jobs in the Boston area, but what about the people? Who are the movers and shakers within the brilliant Boston scene?
Here are just a few of the top sci-tech Boston influencers you need to know about.
Sarah Hodges (@hodges)
Sarah Hodges is a partner at Pillar, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Boston investing in blockchain, crypto and machine intelligence. Prior to working at Pillar, Hodges was a member of the executive team at Pluralsight.
Such a pleasure to chat #blockchain & #Crypto today w/ @TiemaeRoquerre @MattWalshInBos @scottsigel & @andrew311. Huge thanks to @startupBOSorg for pulling together an unbelievable week of events ?? pic.twitter.com/6UimZurRNN
— Sarah Hodges (@hodges) September 13, 2018
Hodges also founded Intelligent.ly, a leadership development company that has transformed more than 1,000 emerging leaders and continues to serve the Boston community.
Colin Angle (@iRobot)
Colin Angle is the chair and CEO of iRobot, the company best known for its smart vacuum cleaner, the Roomba.
Home is Where the Robots are with Colin Angle (iRobot) | Disrupt SF 2018 https://t.co/0OqVjNWeuO pic.twitter.com/r1fUqjurXs
— QDivision (@QDivision_US) September 14, 2018
An expert in the field of robotics, Angle is also a member of a number of scientific boards, including Robots in Service of the Environment and Science from Scientists. In addition to his work in robotics and smart homes, Angle is also passionate about STEM education.
Jennifer Lum (@lum)
Co-founder of data company Forge.AI, Jennifer Lum is an entrepreneur, angel investor and start-up adviser.
“The world is always changing. What’s your comfort level? Where do you thrive as far as rate of change?” Co-Founder of https://t.co/bvVOPBohV1 Jennifer Lum. #INFLUENCEHERWeek pic.twitter.com/oQqTDmOK4j
— Boston Globe Business (@GlobeBiz) July 18, 2018
Previously, Lum helped build four successful start-ups through to acquisition by public companies, including Quattro Wireless, which was acquired by Apple, and Adelphic, which was acquired by Time Inc.
Dharmesh Shah (@dharmesh)
Dharmesh Shah is one of the most successful angel investors in Boston as well as the founder and CTO of HubSpot.
Someone says something negative about someone else and adds "…and I mean that in the nicest way possible."
I think: You should expand your horizons for what's possible.
— Dharmesh Shah (@dharmesh) September 11, 2018
Shah is an active member of the Boston entrepreneurial community, an angel investor in more than 60 start-ups and a frequent speaker on inbound marketing.
Prior to HubSpot, Shah founded Pyramid Digital Solutions, which was acquired by SunGard Data Systems in 2005.
Jane Steinmetz (@Jane_Steinmetz)
Last year, EY appointed Jane Steinmetz as its Boston office managing principal and the New England markets leader. She became the first woman to lead one of the Big Four accounting firms in the city.
Proud to see @EY_TAS partnering with @UN_Women to reduce inequality, foster innovation & improve female representation! #genderequality @EY_WFF https://t.co/gWHKnKTy1A
— Jane Steinmetz (@Jane_Steinmetz_) September 12, 2018
Unsurprisingly, her history-making role is in line with her own beliefs and she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, mentorship, and women in leadership.
Scott Kirsner (@ScottKirsner)
Scott Kirsner is the editor and co-founder of Innovation Leader, an information outlet serving chief innovation officers and other innovation-oriented executives. He is also a columnist for the The Boston Globe.
.@alertinnovation & @shoptakeoff have raised 10s of millions in funding to introduce #robots to the local grocery store. Alert is already working on a pilot project with @walmart in Salem, N.H.: https://t.co/fmMSSPmSqK pic.twitter.com/iLpN98zr3L
— Scott Kirsner (@ScottKirsner) September 16, 2018
Kirsner co-founded the Nantucket Conference on entrepreneurship and innovation and the Convergence Forum focusing on healthcare, both of which are based in Boston.
Christina Chase (@cchase)
Entrepreneur and start-up adviser Christina Chase is co-founder and managing director of the MIT Sports Technology Research Group, working on the future of sports tech.
Thanks @htaneja and @scottbelsky for a great discussion! #ack2018 https://t.co/zAGtyrgZjs
— Christina Chase (@cchase) June 7, 2018
Chase is a lecturer at MIT in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She was also entrepreneur in residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.
Derek Christensen (@derekdac)
Derek Christensen is the innovation lead of Accenture’s Liquid Studio in Boston. The studio provides education and workshops, design-thinking facilitation, and rapid prototyping capabilities using the latest technologies such as AI, AR, VR, IoT and blockchain.
5 trends that will reshape the intelligent enterprise:
Trend 1: citizen #AI
Trend 2: extended reality (#AR / #VR)
Trend 3: data veracity
Trend 4: frictionless business
Trend 5: internet of things #IoThttps://t.co/HI9bsVnpru pic.twitter.com/OoQvp5axhS— Accenture Technology (@AccentureTech) June 30, 2018
Christensen also started a local Boston group called Think Group to explore different topics and have in-depth discussions.
