On Tuesday evening, businessmen and women will stream into the Courthouse MBTA station in the Innovation District. But they won’t be there to hop on the Silver Line. Rather, the crowd will come to join in a conversation on The Future of Boston’s Startup Culture, led by some of the city’s most creative minds – that, and to check out the Seaport stop’s new “techno meets hipster intellect” nightclub-like look, of course.
As an aspect of Boston Idea Week, companies and organizations from all over the city have banded together to give the Courthouse station a new look, all in the name of innovation. From June 17 till June 19, the drab MBTA post will be redubbed "The Idea Lab," and redesigned as a central spot for meetups and networking for Idea Week. Because yes, there’s a bar built in, too.
Starting at 6 p.m., Tuesday’s event will explore the evolution of startup culture in companies within the Boston-area, and feature an impressive line-up of panelists, such as PayPal Media Network COO and Start Tank Founder David Chang, dunwello Co-founders Matt Brand and Matt Lauzon, and Startup Institute Vice President Allan Telio, among others. See the full panel here.
As proof to the Idea Lab concept, the 500-person event is already sold out, a mere two days after the City of Boston announced it. What’s more, the thought for an innovation-themed gathering in the belly of South Boston first arose only two and a half weeks ago. Since then, the Mayor’s office and a slew of generous sponsors – including Gilbane, IdeaPaint, Zipcar, PBD Events, Budweiser, MMB Advertising, MassDot, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Coalition Boston, Central Wharf Co. and General Assembly – have worked doggedly to put their plan into action and transform the T stop into a sleek, modern cave.
And we got to take an early look.
