For a deeper dive into the startup world, students in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation program took a field trip to MassChallenge in Seaport, Boston. MassChallenge provides resources to socially responsible startups in the Boston area and worldwide through their accelerator programs.
Start-up companies must go through a competitive application process, and once they’re in, MassChallenge helps them grow and improve their business through the organization’s extensive network of mentors.
At the start of our tour, we heard from community manager Madison Sowards about the nonprofit’s history and various programs. To date, MassChallenge has supported 2,458 startups across 54 countries with networking opportunities and other resources from both staff and field experts.
We heard from Mingze Wang, the founder and CEO of Hype Dating and a MassChallenge program participant, who told us about his plans to revolutionize the dating world with his new app, Hype. The hallmark feature of his app is the “hype them up” feature which allows one’s friends to publish short videos on their profile sharing reasons why they’re “dateable.”
Tyler Mantel, the founder of TVP Health and a MassChallenge alum, stopped by to tell us about his FDA-approved ventilator company that he started at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He recently sold his company and continues to work in the MassChallenge office on new ventures.
This trip to MassChallenge showed me that forward-thinking entrepreneurs and their businesses have the power to create a positive social impact in an ever-changing market. It was inspiring to hear from these entrepreneurs as they have each persevered through challenges with their respective businesses to pursue their goals.
