Worcester Business Journal

S6 Worcester Business Journal | May 24, 2021 | wbjournal.com S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : W O R C E S T E R E M E R G I N G W hen Becker College in Worcester announced it will be closing its doors in August, the Mas- sachusetts Digital Games Institute had a big question to answer. e statewide center for video game entrepreneurship, known as MassDiGi, had been based at the college since its start a decade ago. Where would it go now? "We were flat- tered by the range of institutions that were interested in talking with us," said CEO Timothy Loew. "We had op- portunities across the common- wealth, and really great ones." Ultimately, though, MassDiGi decid- ed to move just a few blocks away, to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. e decision reflects WPI's world-re- nowned video game development programs, but it also speaks to a larger theme: the strong and growing ties between the city's colleges and the development of new businesses with students or new graduates at their helms. Jeanine Belcastro Went, executive director of the Higher Education Consortium of Central Mas- sachusetts, said in an email local colleges have a range of programs to support students' development of business ideas. Some offer access to startup labs and fabrication labs, and many have business development tracks built into their curriculum. "In the past, several HECCMA col- leges have worked with students to tap into local startup locations like Running Start, Idea Lab, and Technocopia to help develop and incubate their entrepre- neurial ideas," Went said. Building partnerships Karen Pelletier, the Worcester Region- al Chamber of Commerce's executive vice president, said her first role at the chamber when she arrived seven years ago was promoting partnerships be- tween business and institutes of higher education. "e chamber took on that new po- sition recognizing that retaining college student talent was just a critical issue for our community," she said. Pelletier and others have worked to ensure students have chances to intern at local businesses, get support from established entrepreneurs, and take ad- vantage of the city's programs for small business owners. She said the Worcester Business Resource Alliance, a coalition of local groups, can help connect prospective student founders with help in navigating licenses and regulations, financing their From grads to CEOs In the past decade, Worcester's college have fostered a startup ecosystem to help students become business owners BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal Clark University students walk to class. Timothy Loew, MassDiGi CEO Jeanine Belcastro Went, HECCMA College Year founded 2019 enrollment Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1865 5,643 Quinsigamond Community College 1963 5,333 Worcester State University 1874 4,251 Clark University 1887 3,273 College of the Holy Cross 1843 3,142 Assumption University 1904 2,113 Becker College* 1982 1,661 MCPHS University 1823 1,526 UMass Medical School 1962 1,163 Worcester colleges *Closing at end of current school year Sources: Individual colleges PHOTO | WBJ FILE

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