Entrepreneur stars bring glamour to tech industry

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Created on Friday, 16 September 2011 16:03

Written by Michelle Lang

Nerds, geeks, and otherwise outside-the-box thinkers should be proud today – Cambridge salutes you. Well, specifically, the city salutes the ideas that come from people like you. 

Today’s unveiling of the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame marks the achievements of seven entrepreneurs who have been catalysts for new businesses, jobs and technological culture. The inaugural class includes Thomas Edison – General Electric; Bill Gates – Microsoft; Bill Hewlett – HP; David Packard – HP; Steve Jobs – Apple; Mitch Kapor – Lotus; and Bob Swanson – Genentech. The seven men will be honored with Hollywood-style sidewalk stars in Kendall Square.

While it’s fantastic that the ingenuity of the inaugural class is recognized for their accomplishments, it’s not like Bill Gates should have any self-esteem issues when it comes to wondering what mark he’s left on the world. What’s more exciting with the Entrepreneur Walk of Fame is the ingenuity of the outside-the-box thinkers who made this happen and the potential impact it may have.

How many panel discussions, networking events and awards banquets have you gone to and seen the same faces? In a community of entrepreneurs, you know the standouts. But outside the industry, the names and faces of entrepreneurs go unnoticed – especially with kids. For all the talk of STEM education, what kid wants to aim for a job where – they think – they go unnoticed in a lab or cube? No, many of them initially look to the basketball courts or the stage to make a name for themselves. Well, this Entrepreneur Walk of Fame starts to make role of techies, dare I say, sexy. 

That link between entrepreneurial insiders and the rest of the world is getting more approachable. The Museum of Science Boston introduced last April a one-hour Segway tour through Cambridge to show off the science, tech and engineering landmarks. 

Kendall Square itself is becoming a hotbed for new restaurants and living spaces – adding again to the glamour of geekiness, or at least being around geekdom.

Here’s a suggestion for the entrepreneurial community (though not for the kids) – bike tours combining the best of Cambridge’s tech connections with its breweries. 

What ideas do you have for glamorizing entrepreneurship for the rest of us?

Source: http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2011/09/12/daily54-Entrepreneur-stars-bring-glamour-to-tech-industry.html

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