Editor's note: BostInno's 3rd annual State of Innovation brings together more than 1,000 business leaders and professionals for keynotes from high-profile speakers, cutting-edge panel discussions with industry leaders, engaging workshops and endless networking opportunities. This year, a series of workshops with partner General Assembly will focus on skills needed to fuel Boston's growth, including design thinking.
It's fitting that the vice president of business development at IdeaPaint – a Boston-based company that produces covering materials that turn surfaces into dry-erase facades – is a visual learner. A graduate of Babson, Jeff Avallon's ocular style has helped propel IdeaPaint into one of the city's most forward thinking startups. And, the same holds true for its clients who, thanks to IdeaPaint, can collaborate in a non-traditional manner.
Avallon's success caught the eye of Bostonians, who last year nominated him as one of the finalists for BostInno's Alumni Impact Awards. To get a sense of how Avallon kickstarts his creative process, and where his entrepreneurial spirit stems from, we asked him 5 questions about him, his company and how he spends his leisure time.
Nick DeLuca: Where did you grow up? What was the absolute deciding factor for you to attend Babson?
Jeff Avallon: I grew up on the North Shore, in Beverly, Massachusetts. Living near the water led me to start my first business, which was a commercial lobster company, with my younger brother when I was 12. We started small, but by my Sophomore year in high school, we had grown to 500 lobster traps, catching 300-800 lobsters a day. We knew then that we wanted to be lifelong entrepreneurs, and our goal with lobstering was to gain business experience and save enough money so that we had 5 years of financial freedom after college to find what we loved to do.
It was my experience lobstering that drove my decision to attend Babson. I knew when applying to schools that I wanted to study business – specifically entrepreneurship – and I wanted to be at a school that encouraged students to have businesses while attending. I also wanted to be surrounded by students that had an entrepreneurial energy. I ended up going early decision to Babson and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Prior to IdeaPaint, how did you organize your ideas? Did you already use dry-erase surfaces?
I have always been a visual thinker, and tend to organize myself visually. In high school my desk was filled with post-it notes and visual cues to remind me of tasks. Additionally, while studying at Babson I would always lay out all of my work on a table, chalkboard or whiteboard, and gather a group together to study and attack the problem.
Describe your work space.
With our new showroom at 40 Broad street in Boston, we’ve finally been able to build out a space that truly represents the IdeaPaint brand and ethos. We’ve grown the company by collaborating on some of the largest, most exciting and innovative office designs imaginable, and were fortunate to be able to take those experiences and learnings and incorporate them into our own space design.
First, we picked an incredibly central location on the first floor of a building in downtown Boston, so we could feel connected to the city and feed off of its energy. Then, we designed the interior space to foster and fuel collaboration, creative thought and teamwork throughout the company. With IdeaPaint coating every wall, we’ve maximized every inch of the space and created a truly energetic and open environment.
What's your go-to when you need to recharge your creative thinking? Coffee, a walk, music, etc. etc.?
When I need to recharge creatively / in general I seek out new experiences, places or conversations. I am constantly traveling, so this is not hard. It could be as simple as exploring a new part of a city, going somewhere totally new and remote, or setting up a dinner with someone in the startup world I have never met before. I am a startup addict, and some of my most invigorating conversations happen by simply hanging with startup friends or meeting new ones.
What can we most likely find you doing this summer when you're not in the office?
You will almost always find me around the ocean or mountains in the summer, and most likely on the lobster boat. I still leave about 100 lobster traps in the water and bring new and old friends out each weekend to go lobstering, followed by beers and a lobster bake at the house afterwards. It’s a great time and anyone in the startup world is always welcome on the boat!
