Bill Aulet, an MIT professor and author of "Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup," will be the keynote speaker at the Launch 603 event on Oct. 22. (Courtesy photo)
More people are pursuing their dreams of entrepreneurship and launching businesses at a faster rate than before the pandemic. The Harvard Business Review reported earlier this year that Americans started businesses at record rates during the pandemic and the trend is still going strong with Americans filing “59% more applications to start new businesses than they were before the pandemic.”
To assist these new ventures, Business NH Magazine launched its Guide to Startup Success in 2023 and is now bringing that expertise to an interactive event aimed at helping startups that launched in the past five years as well as budding entrepreneurs who are considering starting a business.
Launch 603, a half-day accelerator program featuring 20 startup experts under one roof, will be held Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. It is being presented by Business NH Magazine and its partners, the NH Small Business Development Center and the NH Tech Alliance.
“We are excited to gather so many experts to help startups launch or take their businesses to the next level,” says Business NH Magazine Editor Matt Mowry. “Entrepreneurs will gain valuable information and learn about available vital resources through panel discussions, breakout sessions, a keynote speaker and networking all focused on helping startups launch and grow their business.”
The keynote speaker will be Bill Aulet, the MIT professor who literally wrote the book about how to have a successful startup. Aulet is the author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup and Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook. He is also a Professor of the Practice of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and managing director at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship serving all of MIT for the past 15 years.
Business NH Magazine will also recognize the 10 “Startup Stars” featured in the Guide to Startup Success in its July issue.
Launch 603 will feature one panel which will focus on the free and low-cost resources that NH entrepreneurs can tap into and another called, “Startup 101,” which will focus on common challenges and issues startups face and how to avoid or overcome them.
The “Available Resources” panelists will be:
- • Kyla Brustin, north and central regional director for the NH Small Business Development Center
- • Julie Demers, executive director of the NH Tech Alliance
- • Chandra Reber, director of the Center for Women & Enterprise
- • Heather Turner, SCORE Granite Region co-chair and event manager, assistant district director NH/VT for SCORE
- • Chris Walkley, senior VP commercial banker and team leader for Bank of NH
The “Startup 101” panelists will be:
- Adam Coughlin, co-founder, CMO and managing partner of York IE
- Julie Glosner, southern regional director for the NH Small Business Development Center
- Nathan Pascarella, director of Hypertherm Ventures and a board member for NH Tech Allianc
- Emily Penaskovic, corporate attorney at Sheehan Phinney
The event will also include four break-out sessions. For the first session, attendees can choose to attend either “Tales from the Trenches” a panel featuring successful business owners sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and lessons they’ve learned, or a panel focused on “Financing Your Startup.”
The “Tales from the Trenches” panelists will be:
• Amy LaBelle, founder and winemaker at LaBelle Winery
- Josh Velasquez, founder of Shire's Naturals
- Joe Whitten, CEO and co-founder of Apparel Impact
The “Financing Your Startup” panelists will be:
• Amy K. Bassett, district director, NH District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Liz Hitchcock, principal of Orbit Group
• Edward Miles, seacoast regional director for NH Small Business Development Center
• Katie Reid, VP commercial banker for Bank of NH
• Jamie Simchik, co-founder of Launch NH
• Latonya Wallace, NH Community Loan Fund Director of Community Relations and vice chair of The Business Alliance for People of Color
During the second round of break-out sessions, attendees can choose between “Marketing Your Startup” or “Hiring Your First Employees.”
The “Marketing Your Startup” panelists will be:
- Rachel Ballatori, Founder and CEO of Mill & Co.
- Mackenzie Fraser, senior VP at EVR Advertising
- Stephanie McLaughlin, principal of Savoir Faire Marketing
The “Hiring Your First Employees” panelists will be:
- Andrea Chatfield, an attorney with, Sheehan Phinney
- Alison Milioto, founder and consultant at Blue Lion
Registration for Launch 603 is $35 and includes lunch. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit https://www.businessnhmagazine.com/events/launch-603.
Launch 603 is sponsored by Bank of NH, Sheehan Phinney Boost for Startups, and Granite State Development Corp.