BOSTON-The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) and the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) announced that they are joining forces in an acquisition that will result in MITX becoming an exciting new platform within the Chamber for businesses new and old, large and small, that are applying innovation and technology in their growth strategies.
“The Chamber is investing in MITX, because we see tremendous value in growing its content, programming, and community,” said James E. Rooney, president & CEO of the GBCC. “MITX offers us another opportunity to be more reflective of the region’s broader tech and innovation ecosystem and, as a convener, to bring leaders from all industries in this space together to reassert Boston’s global leadership in technology and innovation.
“Since I arrived at the Chamber, I have been repeatedly asked how our organization can navigate both the old and new Boston business community. My answer is always to say that there is, in reality, only one Boston business community. Regardless of age and size, we all need to embrace the changing demographics of our workforce and the way businesses are changing with the rapid growth in technology.”
Founded in 1996, MITX is a community of restless knowledge seekers who collaborate and drive how technology is shaping the future of customer experiences. MITX members range from early-stage technology startups to leading global technology giants to companies and individuals from every sector who are leveraging technology to innovate and better serve their customers. MITX curates and develops content, experiences, and interactions to keep members ahead of the pace of change. As of today, MITX is now a program of the GBCC, and all existing MITX members are now GBCC members.
In this new partnership, the MITX brand will remain intact and its programs will continue as scheduled. The MITX Board of Directors will become a MITX Advisory Board that will meet regularly to help the GBCC continue to elevate the MITX brand, grow MITX offerings, and advise on issues facing the tech and innovation industry. Three current MITX board members will also join the governing board of the Chamber: Jessica DeVlieger, Rob DeSalvo, and Sarah Fay.
MITX President Amy Quigley will work closely with the Chamber for the next several months to oversee the transition; MITX’s other full-time staff will join the GBCC team.
“Twenty-four years ago, MITX was started with the goal of promoting the growth of businesses focused on commercializing the Internet as part of the innovation economy in Massachusetts,” said MITX founder and Board member Michael K. Barron. “Today, MITX plays an important role in the Massachusetts technology innovation ecosystem, and I am excited that MITX will continue to serve the innovation community now with the resources of the Chamber.”
MITX and the GBCC will officially launch and celebrate this partnership with a half-day April 15 program at Reebok in the Innovation and Design Building, centered on the thematic question: What will it take for Boston to assume its role as the next global tech capital? The event will feature a panel discussion featuring leaders of companies built in Boston, facilitate design-thinking roundtables focused on pressing policy issues facing tech and the broader business community, and a networking reception to foster idea-sharing and collaboration. Learn more about the event here.
“MITX has a passionate and engaged community,” said Amy Quigley, President of MITX. “As we considered what was next for MITX, we recognized there was an opportunity to better serve our members if we could amplify their voices to impact greater change and forge Boston’s position as a tech and innovation hub. Joining forces with the Chamber enables our community to have a bigger seat at the table – with the added benefits of advocacy and professional development – in addition to the content and community that make MITX special.”
“Becoming a part of the Chamber is a game-changer for this organization,” said Jessica DeVlieger, Chairman of the MITX board and President of Americas, C Space. “Jim, his team and the Board are committed to preserving the MITX brand while also providing us with a much broader platform and greater access to affect the issues that are most important to our community. I speak for the entire MITX Board when I say we couldn’t be more excited for what’s next!”
“The Chamber is known for being the leading convener of the region’s diverse and collaborative business community, and we are excited to grow that reputation with the addition of MITX and its membership,” said Paul Ayoub, Chairman of the GBCC Board of Directors and Partner at Nutter. “We know that businesses have become more discerning about their engagement with the many business organizations in our region. We believe that the MITX acquisition reinforces the GBCC as the 21st-century model and the leading business association in the region.”
