Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Boston Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
To energize Boston’s entrepreneurs and small business owners, the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program at the Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center offers free 1:1 mentoring and group workshops. The program elevates an outstanding entrepreneur and prepares Greater Boston’s entrepreneurs to enter Boston’s thriving innovation economy.
Challenge/Opportunity
- Advancing equity in Boston’s business community by providing entrepreneurs of color mentoring, advice, financial assistance, and opportunities to grow their skills and thrive in our innovation economy.
- Support Boston’s entrepreneurial community by elevating a qualified resident and offering them a platform for their work.
- Highlight KBLIC’s resources: free legal advice, patent/trademark support, access to business software, and BPL’s InnoLab, a space for podcasting, video editing, green screen & music production.
Key Elements of Innovation
The 2022-2023 Inaugural EIR is Dr. Allana Da Graca, a lecturer at Northeastern and founder of Turning on the Lights Global Institute, where she coaches people to launch or grow businesses.
A Boston native, life-long BPL patron, and entrepreneur herself, Dr. Da Graca is uniquely positioned to attract and support Bostonians seeking to launch new ventures.
Dr. Da Graca has helped residents create business plans, vision boards, and marketing plans.
Partners: Boston Public Library Fund and the Nasdaq Foundation.
Achieved Outcomes
- The Entrepreneur-in-Residence is expected to reach between 700 and 1,000 patrons over an 8-month residency, from September 2022-April 2023.
- BPL recorded 280 instances of patrons seeking entrepreneurial support in September and October of 2022.
- Dr. Da Graca held 95 1:1 appointments in the third quarter of 2022.