Magnetworks has been accepted into the Berkshire Innovation Center's Stage 2 Accelerator program
THANK YOU. Because of your support, we’re thrilled to announce that Magnetworks has been accepted into the Berkshire Innovation Center's Stage 2 Accelerator program. This program is designed for companies like ours—on the verge of something new, with a strong track record to show our vision is coming to life. It’s a validation of the community-driven recruiting model we’re building together, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this moment with you—our earliest customers and supporters.
With hiring season in full swing, we’re always here to be your partner. Whether you need advice on leveraging your social posts and email signatures, or are ready to implement a community referral program, we’re ready to help.
Thank you again for being an essential part of our journey.
Warmly,
Eric Singer
Founder, Magnetworks
P.S. We love referrals! If you know other businesses facing recruiting challenges, we’d love to connect with them. Feel free to introduce us!
Berkshire Innovation Center Stage 2 Accelerator 2024-2025 Companies Announced
Pittsfield, Mass. (September 12, 2024) - The Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), is proud to announce the second cohort of startup firms that have been accepted into the BIC’s Stage 2 Accelerator program. This 35-week hands-on and results-oriented program is designed to serve early-stage tech startups. The awardees will receive membership and a dedicated workspace at the BIC and will have full access to BIC labs, advanced equipment, digital media studio, educational programming, and internal team of subject matter experts, as well as broad and curated support from the BIC’s committed member community.
“We launched our Stage 2 Accelerator program last year to crystalize and expand our offerings so that we could provide the full range of BIC resources to more entrepreneurs,” says Ben Sosne, Executive Director of the Berkshire Innovation Center. “We had tremendous firms in last year’s cohort, most of which we continue to work with very closely as part of our community of BIC members. It is thrilling to welcome this next crop of entrepreneurs and to continue to build this program, which presents such an opportunity to fuel the growth of new firms and new jobs in sectors prioritized by the Commonwealth, and that strength of our regional rural economy.”
Magnetworks is a community-driven job referral platform and modern job feed that leverages technology and word-of-mouth to transform regional hiring. With automated referral tools and local rewards for successful hires, Magnetworks turns the job search into a collaborative, community-focused effort. The platform empowers employers with simple, automated tools to engage their networks and reward referrals with what the community values most - https://www.magnetworks.co/
Entrepreneurs in the cohort will also have access to the BIC Manufacturing Academy (BMA), a program built in partnership with MIT and local industry partners with funding support from the US Department of Commerce and MassTech Collaborative, that is gaining national and international attention.
Rebelo noted: “We see this program as an ideal way to provide technical problem-solving and human skills simulations to Stage 2 Accelerator companies before their actual process, systems, culture and decision-making about internal processes are set,” adding that “Entrepreneurs are ripe for learning through the BMA, and their perspectives provide added rich learning for our member companies already engaged in the Academy.” The BMA is directed by the BIC’s Chief Learning Officer, Dr. Dennis Rebelo.
In addition to the BMA and the BIC’s facilities, equipment and software packages, firms in the program will have extensive access to the vast network of experts that engage with the BIC regularly. Among the numerous mentors supporting the entrepreneurs and guiding the growth of the program is Sam Russo, co-founder of Dive Technologies, a firm that leveraged BIC resources to build their autonomous underwater vehicle prior to acquisition by Anduril Industries in 2022. Russo, a Pittsfield native, maintains an office at the BIC and serves as the program’s official “Entrepreneur in Residence.”
Russo added, “I’m proud of what the team at Dive Technologies was able to accomplish and am grateful for the support that the BIC and the BIC network provided along the way. I learned a tremendous amount as we advanced our product and grew our firm, and I am eager to continue to share my experiences with a new group of entrepreneurs, hopefully helping them grow their businesses right here in the Berkshires.”
About Berkshire Innovation Center:
The Berkshire Innovation Center serves as a catalyst to spark innovation and sustainable growth of technology-focused companies. We do this through programs that promote learning and enrich people in technology-led career paths, and by providing research and innovation space for people and companies to explore new technologies, all while convening and connecting a community of like-minded people.
For more information, please visit https://berkshireinnovationcenter.com