BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX), the premier organization representing the digital marketing, media and internet technology community, today announced its newest initiative, MITX Up. MITX Up is a marketing mentorship program providing pre-screened startups access to marketing and communications experts who help them increase their probability of success.
The first of its kind nationwide, MITX Up brings together the local marketing and innovation communities in a way that has never been done before. Through group mentoring sessions called “marketing hackathons,” startups are assigned a team of marketing and communications experts from a variety of disciplines to examine their business and deliver practical and actionable advice.
MITX Up was created by MITX President, Debi Kleiman, a seasoned marketer, along with marketing agency veterans Peter C. Andrews from Ogilvy (Feinstein Kean), and Brent Turner, formerly from Boathouse Group, now with MIT’s Technology Review.
“We wanted to provide unique value to the start-up world, and we saw the opportunity to deliver something really special to these young companies,” said Kleiman. “Historically, through the accelerator programs, participating companies had access to mentorship as it relates to raising money and product development, rarely has it been focused on marketing and communications, which are important building blocks for startups working to engage new customers, investors and employees.”
Andrews adds, “MITX Up is exciting for everyone involved. The startups now have access to advice and knowledge that ordinarily would be difficult for them to tap; and the experts have a chance to roll up their sleeves and flex their creative muscles in new ways, which is both inspiring and game changing for the innovation community.”
MITX Up had its beta session at TechStars Boston earlier this month, with 12 marketing experts mentoring three start-ups over the course of four hours. “Our first session was a huge success – the energy in the room was infectious. We were blown away by the passion and enthusiasm on both sides of the table,” Turner reported.
MITX Up will hold the next “marketing hackathon” in July with MassChallenge companies. The initiative will continue growing its team of marketing and communications experts, and MITX invites other Massachusetts-based professionals interested in contributing to the local startup community to contact Debi Kleiman (debi@mitx.org).
About MITX
Established in 1996, MITX -- the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange -- is the leading industry organization focused on the web and mobile, bringing together the digital marketing, media and technology community to engage in what's next and how it will impact the marketing and business worlds. Connecting more than 7,500 professionals in New England, MITX is a dynamic community of thought leaders and collaborators in search of insight, education and opportunity. Creator of FutureM, MITX is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit http://www.mitx.org/.