MIN February 2, 2026

Dear Innovator,

Thanks to everyone who reached out - texts, phone calls, emails and more - after we announced the return of Innovation Nights. We're super excited too.

Now we need to find the BEST, COOLEST, and MOST EXCITING new products to launch. We'll be assembling a committee to help us review the products for this first event.

Interested in bringing your product to a "night at the museum"? Submit your product today!

Meanwhile, a quick shoutout to Stephanie Roulic and the team from Startup Boston for a terrific ecosystem leaders meeting last week. Terrific conversations and a fantastic "Wall of Asks", allowing attendees to ask for what they needed and better understand what others wanted.

Bobbie

Mass Innovation Nights is back! We're returning to in-person events, relaunching in partnership with the Museum of Science in Boston. After a too-long pause during the pandemic, we’re bringing MIN back to what it does best: creating visibility and momentum for new products and connecting the Boston innovation community.

The first event in this new chapter will take place on:

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Museum of Science, Boston

Free with pre-registration | Adults 18+

·    If you’re working on a new product—or know someone who is—here's the link to submit your product! We're looking for museum-worthy products!

Lioness for the Female Entrepreneur is our digital magazine for women who are starting (or thinking about starting) companies. Lioness gives ALL entrepreneurs the latest news, tools and resources to launch and scale startups. Here are just a few of this week's features:

• Your Success Routine: Breakthrough Success with Daily Habits
• Marketing Trends for 2026: TL;DR Edition

February Lioness Networking: Bouncing Back From Rejection

📅 Date: Tuesday, February 24th

🕒 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET

Rejection is part and parcel of building a business. Join this month’s Lioness Networking for an honest conversation about rejection: how to process it, learn from it and move forward.

Navigating IP in 2026: Key Developments and Strategic Outlook – February 5



We’ve just wrapped up another eventful year in intellectual property developments. Wondering what happened in 2025 and how it could affect your business in 2026 and beyond?

Join the panel of IP attorneys from Lando & Anastasi, LLP for a focused discussion of some of the most impactful IP developments of the past year affecting innovators and business owners. This one-hour session will highlight the key patent, trademark, copyright, and litigation trends that will shape your future IP strategy. More information here.

Monday February 2

• Masterclass: The Inside Track to Fundraising - Think Like an Investor 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
• You Started a Food Business—Now What? 12:00 – 1:00 pm
• New Venture Workshop Series Part 1: PROBLEM DEFINITION & INTERVIEW PREPARATION 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Tuesday February 3

• Financials 101 12:00 – 1:00 pm
• Why & How to Certify Your Business as Woman Owned through WBENC 12:00 - 1:00 pm
• WBDC Ignite Grant Information Session 12:00 – 1:30 pm
• Leveraging Market Research For Government Market Opportunities (2026 Update) 1:00 – 2:30 pm
• GPS: A Guide to Plan for Success 5:00 – 7:00 pm
• Cofounder Matching: Meet Your Future Founding Team 5:30 - 7:30 pm
• Simple Steps for Starting Your Business 6:00 pm
• Cost, Pricing and Breakeven 6:00 pm
• Building the Board of Directors for Your Startup 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Wednesday February 4

• Coffee & Conversation (New London) 8:00 – 9:30 am
• MTLC CMO Peer Meeting 8:30 – 10:30 am
• Taking Your Business to the Next Level 10:00 – 11:00 am
• Tech Talks with Rob - Beyond Passwords: Untangling the Security Alphabet Soup 10:00 – 11:00 am
• POWERUp Monthly Series - Brand Building: Integrating Connection, Credibility, Community & Conversation 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
• The Hero's Shield: Psychological Safety as Your Superpower 12:00 pm
• Legal Considerations when Growing a Business 12:00 – 1:00 pm
• VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator "Ask Us Anything" Help Session 4:00 – 5:00 pm
• Boston Founder/Funder Meetup: Round 2 5:30 – 7:30 pm
• The Nuts & Bolts of Networking 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Thursday February 5

• The Future of the Workplace 9:00 – 11:00 am
• How to Use AI to Promote Your Business 12:00 pm
• Small Business Setup and Taxes 12:00 pm
• Navigating IP in 2026: Key Developments and Strategic Outlook 1:00 – 2:00 pm
• MedTech Ahead - by bene:studio 1:00 – 5:00 pm
• Connection Collider featuring Connexa 4:30 - 8:00 pm
• Waterbury Fast Track - March Track 5:00 – 6:00 pm
• Reverse Engineering the Language of Successful Books 5:00 - 6:00 pm
• Fractional HR Office Hours with Nicole Hart & Rachel Bracetest 5:00 - 7:00 pm
• PMs in AI (Boston): Product Leaders Panel + Curated Networking 5:00 – 9:00 pm
• EnergyBar: Looking Ahead Together 5:30 – 7:30 pm
• Building Creativity with Deyan and Kev 6:00 – 7:00 pm

Friday February 6

• 2026 Federal & Defense Contracting Matchmaking Event 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Coffee & Conversation + Cowork: All Day at HAYVN Darien 10:00 – 11:00 am
• Innovators in Practice: Entrepreneurial Mindset & Leadership 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
• Breakthrough Summit: Prepare 4 VC Graduation & Showcase 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Funding Opportunities to Advance Your Higher Ed STEM Innovation & Entrepreneurship Goals in 2026 12:00 – 1:00 pm

FOR THE FULL LISTING OF ALL UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT OUR BLOG!

Cultivate Small Business Cohort 13

Santander’s Cultivate Small Business helps early-stage entrepreneurs build and sustain businesses in the food industry, with a focus on historically underserved founders in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. The program is completely free for eligible entrepreneurs and provides a 12 week food-focused curriculum, mentorship, and capital grants. Applications are due TODAY, February 2. More information here.

Looking for more featured accelerator information, pitch contests, design contests, funding sources, or other resources for local entrepreneurs? Head over to our blog page for an updated listing of the latest events and resources from organizations like:

• The Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP)
• VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator
• 15th Annual M2D2 $200K Challenge