On Tuesday evening, 120 businessmen and women will walk into a bar. Instead of looking for a punchline, these entrepreneurs will gather together at Clarke’s at Faneuil Hall to honor the past year’s experiences in the startup world. Failures included. Preferred, even.
News provider BostInno’s event, “The BostInno Departed: A Celebration of Failure and Other Outcomes” aims to provide an opportunity to share drinks and casual conversation with those entrenched in all stages of the startup process.
“We’ll drink to endings and beginnings, and we’ll conquer our fear of failure with loud talk and liquid courage,” the event reservation page states.
Since success is not the only viable ending for innovators and risk-takers, its counterpart, failure, also receives its due recognition. In an Irish funeral-esque remembrance, as described by BostInno’s General Manager Kyle Gross, the names of departed endeavors will be read off in succession. As the failures are celebrated, attendees are invited to sport “swag from a startup that has exited the scene,” according to the event page.
It’s a tale this city knows well. Named the No. 1 hub for startup activity in a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and startup incubator 1776 in May, Boston has become a stage for newcomers and seasoned businesspeople alike to pursue innovation and new opportunities.
Currently, hundreds of startups are making an appearance at this week’s Forbes Under 30 Summit held around Boston. As part of the conference, there is a startup village called the Ideas Hub, hosted in the Boston City Hall Plaza where attendees are invited to network.
“There’s just so much to immerse yourself in in the community of Boston now,” Gross said. “There’s so much fundraising. There is a ton of activity in terms of when you graduate, you’ll be able to, hopefully, have your pick of jobs because the Boston community, in terms of tech, is thriving and growing.”
In the midst of this booming business atmosphere, BostInno, a local branch of the national Streetwise Media company, continues to establish itself as a local leader in following and reporting on the startup sector’s status.
With help from sponsor Mylestoned, BostInno hopes to create an event that seeks stories, not profit, Gross said.
“We write about startups in the venture capital community every day, and we see a lot of companies that don’t make it,” Gross said. “We see companies that are purchased … [or] acquired and sold … We see companies that don’t have a great deal or they made a ton of money. And we think that it would be so fun for all of them to come to one place, good or bad, and just kind of celebrate what failure and success looks like in one place. I think it’s so clear that you learn so much from both.”
Instead of the conventional professional networking session, the storytelling will center around communication and informal education, described the general manager.
Gross declared one objective for the night for the attendees: “to meet another person that has a similar story.”
Michael Sheeley, the cofounder and CEO of Chef Nightly, shared his own story with the departed food delivery startup.
Sheeley shared his advice and experiences from his past endeavors, including his time working on his food delivery app, which ended its operations in March.
“One of the best parts of this is meeting people who also have the same passions and dreams and working with people who are dedicated to making these things happen,” Sheeley said.
Although Chef Nightly experienced a short lifespan, Sheeley still recognized the ripple effect of innovative ideas.
He said the reintroduction of new ideas and their respective real-world applications provide a passageway to “change people’s lives, make them better and have a huge impact on society as a whole.”
The theme continues with the chief creative officer of a new storytelling startup, Tabulit, Alex Park. He discussed his company’s role in creating a new form of publishing at the Boston Book Festival.
“How can we make more people read?” Park said. “How can we widen the pool? How can we make things more innovative in terms of the public sphere?”
By streamlining the public’s access to content, Tabulit aims to promote reading through segmented reading based on a token payment system to feel a piece out before committing and buying the whole work.
While Tabulit will not be represented at the event, his company continues to represent the heart and drive behind the concept of a startup.
The preoccupations and stresses will take the back seat for a moment of relaxation.
“I just want to see a room full of people having a great time, having a couple beers,” Gross said, “and sharing some great experiences.”
