Plenty of people laid the groundwork for the now-booming tech corridor that is the South Boston "Innovation District"—but Mayor Thomas Menino perhaps deserves the most credit of all.
As news spread Thursday of the longtime mayor's sad passing, entrepreneurs and other leaders in the Boston tech community offered their tributes.
See more on Boston's reaction at our special Mayor Menino tribute page.
Matt Lauzon, dunwello/Gemvara:
I will never forget the first time I met Mayor Menino. He came to our office warming party to show his support and was so amazing in his ability to connect with each and every person there - literally hundreds of people. He and his staff played a large role in getting me to choose Boston as where I wanted to build Gemvara and Dunwello and I know I'm not alone in feeling fortunate to be in a city that has been shaped by such a great leader.
John Harthorne, MassChallenge:
I was very saddened to hear of Mayor Menino’s passing. He was a huge advocate for Boston, and was a major inspiration for and supporter of MassChallenge.
Mayor Menino paved the way for a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Boston. He was a valued friend and mentor and he will be sorely missed.
— John Harthorne (@jharthorne) October 30, 2014
C.A. Webb, New England Venture Capital Association:
Mayor Menino was a faithful and tireless leader who led Boston into a new era of prosperity. His leadership in expanding the breadth and depth of our technology community resulted in the Innovation District, a dynamic neighborhood that rose up from the parking lots of South Boston. Thanks to Mayor Menino's leadership, hundreds of tech companies and thousands of workers now call Boston home.
"He truly transformed the city's Fort Point Channel district and has created an incredible hub for innovation."
Art Papas, Bullhorn:
Mayor Menino had a profound impact on the city of Boston. He truly transformed the city's Fort Point Channel district and has created an incredible hub for innovation. This will be a wonderful legacy for decades to come.
Steve Kraus, Bessemer Venture Partners:
I was at one of the first meetings that Mayor Menino organized to discuss the idea of creating an Innovation District. I distinctly remember his passion for and belief in the idea in the face of many skeptics. As he did so often during his tenure as our mayor, he and his talented team worked tirelessly to turn this vision into a reality. And what a success it has been and how lucky we are to have had Tom Menino as our mayor.
Of course we - the tech sector - are just one of hundreds communities across the city that the Mayor worked so devotedly for. What I appreciate most as a citizen is that this legendary leader cared deeply and worked tirelessly for ALL of Boston. This was his city - every part of it - and he made everyone feel like he was our Mayor. Thank you Mr Mayor for all that you did to make Boston such a special place to work and live.
Phil Beauregard, Objective Logistics:
Mayor Menino was synonymous with Boston, and since I've been here, a staunch supporter and active advocate for all things tech. He was a great man - and will be sorely missed.
Brian Del Vecchio, Digital Lumens:
No single person has had more effect on Boston as a city in our lifetime than Mayor Menino. #RipMyMayor
— brian del vecchio (@Hybernaut) October 30, 2014
And here is what Mayor Menino himself said about the Innovation District just before leaving office (via the BBJ):
The whole South Boston waterfront — that could have been developed seven, eight years ago. I was looking for a special type of development. I wasn’t looking for just anything. I didn’t want to have a strip mall. It turns out my vision of it was proven right. The Innovation District? ... 5,000 new jobs (there). Vertex was really the one who made it happen. When Vertex said they were going there, everyone else said, ‘It must be a good place.’ ...
My younger staff... came with the idea of the Innovation District. And I was like most people, what’s the Innovation District? Another branding thing, nothing is going to happen? I’m very weary of that, just naming something. I wanted something to happen. They said, no, no, no, there’s great possibilities. So I hung in with them, I supported everything they did. Then I became a real cheerleader for it. But in the beginning I was a little hesitant about it, but it’s really proven to be a boon to our city. And do you know what happened too? It’s because of MassChallenge. MassChallenge was our partner when we came into the Innovation District. Joe Fallon was good enough to get them free rent for so many years, and a lot of the companies that were there are down in the Innovation District now. It’s a partnership, collaboration, what we had. I give a lot of credit to my staff on the Innovation District.
Photos used with permission from MassChallenge.
