New England event connects local innovators in fun atmosphere

Posted by Daniel Kobialka

The Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation (CRMI) hosts monthly steampunk meetups to give innovators an opportunity to display past novelties made from authentic Victorian objects.

CRMI volunteer, Bobbie Carlton, acknowledged the museum’s idea helped her as she started Mass Innovation Nights (MIN), a monthly social gathering designed to provide innovators with ways to connect with one another.

“I thought we could get a whole new audience if we showed off today’s innovations,” Carlton said of her decision to start MIN.

Carlton founded MIN in March 2009, hosting the first MIN event at the CRMI. The CRMI volunteer emphasized she wanted to the event to offer a unique experience to attendees.

“We tried to make it fun and entertaining so people would come back,” Carlton said.

Past MIN venues include the Maynard’s Clock Tower Place and Cambridge’s Microsoft New England Research & Development Center.

Carlton noted MIN allows companies to showcase their new products to a live audience featuring potential customers.

“We’re very focused on new products from any sized company,” Carlton said.

The complimentary MIN events take place on the second Wednesday of each month.

“It’s a good networking opportunity in a relaxed venue,” Boston Entrepreneurs’ Network (BEN) Chairman Rob Adelson said.

BEN helps entrepreneurs use technology to transform a product or idea into a successful venture. Adelson said BEN’s partnership with MIN has been mutually beneficial.

Carlton acknowledged Twitter and Facebook have played a significant role in helping spread the word about the monthly gathering.

“Social media has become so prevalent,” Carlton said, “our goal is to leverage social media to help local companies.”

MIN allows product developers, product managers and marketers to showcase their new products online to an audience who can share information about the innovations to the online community.

MIN hosted a food night at the Waltham, Mass. IBM Innovation Center on Aug. 10. The event allowed local food innovators including Perfect Fuel Chocolates, Kettle Pizza and Edible Arrangements to showcase new products in a casual environment.

“It was a really cool experience,” Perfect Fuel Chocolates founder Nicolas Warren said of the most recent MIN event on Aug. 10.

The August event included presentation from experienced marketers who could help people in the food industry become successful.

“I don’t think I’m on the fringe of food marketing,” Janet Morgenstern Passani, Founder of Boston Eco and Jute Marketing, said in her presentation to attendees. “I’ve been doing it for quite a while.”

Passani said she can help food companies develop and implement their marketing plans.

“I think the most important thing is that you have so much to say,” Passani said, noting she helps brands and consumers connect with one another.

The next MIN event will celebrate FutureM, the Future of Marketing week, and will take place on Sept. 14 at Cambridge’s SCVNGR HQ. Those interested in attending can RSVP online.

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