The first decision that Mike Cole had to make as the new head of TUGG was whether to enjoy the spotlight or get down to business.
He went with the latter.
A native of Pawtucket, RI, Cole took over the role of executive director of TUGG– a ten-year-old nonprofit that serves local under-resourced youth with the help of the Boston’s tech community – on June 1st. In the last 45 days, he has been talking with everyone who has been involved with TUGG over the years, he said, meeting with the majority of TUGG's nonprofits and donors.
"I really wanted to hear what their challenges were, what they love about TUGG and what TUGG can do better," he said. "It helped me to... understand where TUGG stood in the ecosystem."
With BostInno, Cole shared a little more about his background and his plans for the future of TUGG. His passion for the local innovation ecosystem, for example, played a huge role in his decision to accept the position. After spending years in Atlanta and New York City as a brand strategist for various companies, including Reddit, he was ready to come home: "You can ask any of my co-workers that I've ever worked with, I'm the most obnoxious New England lover," he said.
So far, Cole's major focus is on Tech Gives Back, TUGG's annual event that encourages members of the Boston tech community to volunteer at local nonprofits. For the first time, the mid-October initiative will be over a 3-day period, with Oct. 17 and 18 as the actual days of service.
Why did you accept the position of executive director at TUGG?
I grew up in Rhode Island. It's always been a goal of mine to live and work in Boston. After having spent the last five years in New York, I was ready for a change. I saw the role: it seemed to be this really special mashup of the tech community, the city of Boston and, really, just doing something good. And those are three, obviously, main passion points of mine.
You spent the last five years working with startups in NYC. As a Rhode Island native, what do you think are the differences between the Boston (and New England) ecosystem and the New York startup ecosystem?
The biggest difference that I've seen is that Boston has such a healthy balance between capitalism and giving back. Not that New York doesn't have that; New York holds a very special place in my heart. But in Boston... everyone that I've talked to, from CEOs down to entry-level employees, they are passionate about their city and about helping give back to help it grow. And a lot of New Yorkers are transplants... so they don't have that dedication to the city.
What are your concrete plans for the future of TUGG?
Right now, my major focus is on Tech Gives Back, which is our largest event of the year. Particularly, this year is going to be the largest Tech Gives Back ever. We're aiming for 2,000 volunteers, 60+ nonprofits. While I do have longer-term plans, because I came in a little bit later in the year, it's difficult for me to go anything beyond my very short-term radar, which is on Tech Gives Back. But I can say that TUGG is going to be exploring a new model around skilled-based volunteering that is going to do a better job of connecting Boston tech with TUGG's nonprofits.
What are the most pressing challenges that TUGG should solve immediately?
The most pressing challenge that TUGG faces is how much important work there is to be done and the limited resources to be able to accomplish all of those things. Between growing the largest Tech Gives Back event, on-boarding companies and nonprofits for TUGG's new model and identifying and highlighting Boston's most impactful young nonprofits, there's a lot of good stuff that is happening. The challenge that we face is being able to focus on everything equally.
Let’s fast forward one year: what will make you think that your tenure at TUGG is a success?
The ideal situation for TUGG is for TUGG's nonprofits to be lifted up by the Boston tech community. If TUGG can almost be... taken out of the equation, that would be amazing. I'm focused on helping our nonprofits rise and grow, and I'm focused on helping our tech partners building the next generation of Boston philanthropists.
Anything else you may want to add?
TUGG is always on the lookout for volunteers. There's a lot to be done; anyone that shares that goal can reach out to me directly at mike@tugg.org.
