This year, HC Launch has been connecting with the local Worcester startup community. Recently, the club visited MultiScale Systems, Geisel Software, and is planning a visit to Redemption Rock Brewery later this spring. As with many startups though, one of the companies we were working with only had a desk at a coworking space. This, we decided, wasn’t suitable for a site visit so we pivoted!
On Monday, March 20th, the HC Launch student group hosted local serial entrepreneur, Jonathan Lincoln. Rob Murner, director of the Ciocca Center and entrepreneur in residence, started the conversation and students were able to learn from Jonathan’s three ventures:
1) a Comedy Club in Boston,
2) moving to the creation of an Insurance Software Platform, and most recently
3) with his philanthropic business, goimagine, that he is starting out of Worcester’s own business incubator, WorcLab.
Jonathan described what he learned from both his mistakes and his successes, and students were able to ask questions and pick his brain along the way. He even provided students with individualized feedback based on each student’s start-up business.
One of the most influential takeaways from our time with Johnathan was how he sold his second start-up venture for $44 million and started his most recent venture as a way of personal fulfillment. This business is an online, handmade marketplace that donates 100% profits to charity.
Thank you to Katie Browne ’25 for sharing her takeaways!
