Local Innovators, CEOs and Change Makers To Share Experiences On Starting & Growing Successful Businesses
Somerville, MA, July 9, 2015 – Union Square Station Associates (US2), Somerville’s master developer partner for Union Square’s revitalization, and Greentown Labs, the nation’s largest cleantech incubator, today announced they are partnering on a speaker series to highlight Union Square’s future as an employment center.
Sponsored by US2, the events will be free to the public and will feature leading local innovators, CEOs and change makers, sharing their insights about starting and growing a successful business. Speakers will discuss a variety of topics from business trends, sustainability, and securing venture capital to scaling a business from start up to acquisition.
Somerville’s comprehensive planning document, “SomerVision,” calls for Union Square to be an engine for economic growth. To that end, US2 is working with the community and stakeholders to develop and implement a plan for evolving the neighborhood into an employment center focused on technology and innovation. US2’s partnership with Greentown Labs is another step the developer is taking toward fulfilling this vision. Last month, US2 announced it had formed a partnership with Boston-based Workbar to bring the coworking network to Union Square.
“Union Square, with the addition of the Green Line MBTA station and redevelopment investment, is poised to become a significant jobs center,” said US2 president Greg Karczewski. “We hope this speaker series will give workers, businesses and residents the chance to interact directly with local entrepreneurs whose successful experiences can help inform, inspire and connect Union Square’s next generation of innovators and job creators.”
As a result of its sponsorship, US2 will be recognized as a Greentown Labs “Megawatt Sponsor.” “Greentown Labs is a tremendous local success story and an important driver of the growth of Union Square as a place for creativity, innovation and employment. We are pleased to support its work which is helping to transform not only Union Square, but the world through cleantech innovation,” added Karczewski.
“We believe strongly that Somerville offers a fertile environment for innovation, not only because of geographic layout of the city but because of the human capital it attracts. Somerville is filled with young, educated, vibrant and entrepreneurial people who come with the ideas that have the potential to change the world,” said Emily L. Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs.
The events will be held alternately at Greentown Labs and US2-Workbar coworking center at 31 Union Square. The partnership is planning six events during the 2015 and 2016 calendar years. The first event is expected to take place this fall. US2 and Greentown Labs will announce details for each event as they are finalized.
ABOUT US2:
Union Square Station Associates (US2) is the City of Somerville’s master developer partner for the state-approved Union Square Revitalization Project that includes over 15 acres of redevelopment near the future Union Square MBTA Green Line Station. US2 is collaborating with the community to create a vital and viable redevelopment plan for Union Square that realizes the community objectives as laid out in Somerville’s long-term plan, SomerVision. These objectives include making Union Square into a destination for employers, creating public green space, achieving housing goals with a range of affordability, and preserving the historical character and authenticity that everybody loves today. For more information on US2, visit http://www.us2unionsquare.com, or find us on Twitter or Facebook.
ABOUT GREENTOWN LABS
Founded in 2011, Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Located in Somerville, MA, Greentown Labs is the largest cleantech incubator in the nation, operating a 33,000 sq. ft. facility that enables the entrepreneurs of 40 companies to solve today’s biggest energy and environmental problems. Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events and programs for the cleantech community and tours more than 5,000 visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing access to the space, resources, and funding needed to thrive. For more information, visit http://www.greentownlabs, or find us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.