2 8 T H E BOSTON GLOB E MAGAZ INE TECH POWER PLAYERS Boston Tech ata Glance Here are some charts that take stock of the Boston-area tech scene, including how its diversity compares with other metropolitan areas. 23% 18% 29% Tech wby meLOS ANGELES DALHISPANIC ATLANTA WASINGD.C WOMEN ATLANTA WASINGD.C BLACK OR33% 18% 39% 12% 50% 28% 23% 18% 29% SOURCE: COMP
workforce demographics etro area in 2023 LLAS SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE NEW YORK CITY CHICAGO WASHINGTON, D.C. SEATTLE BOSTON ATLANTA COR LATINO SHTON, CHICAGO BOSTON SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK CITY DALLAS LOS ANGELES SEATTLE SAN JOSE SHTON, DALLAS NEW YORK CITY CHICAGO BOSTON LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE SAN JOSE R AFRICAN AMERICAN SHARE OF TECH WORKFORCE SHARE OF TOTAL WORKFORCE SHARE OF TECH WORKFORCE SHARE OF TOTAL WORKFORCE SHARE OF TECH WORKFORCE SHARE OF TOTAL WORKFORCE %24% 11% 16% 8% 15% 8% 14% 4% 8% 4% 7% 3% 7% 3% 6% 2% 4% %27% 8% 25% 6% 24% 9% 20% 8% 19% 6% 13% 5% 11% 4% 11% 5% 9% %50% 27% 50% 26% 51% 28% 49% 26% 51% 27% 48% 26% 49% 25% 48% 24% 45% PTIA, STATE OF THE TECH WORKFORCE 2024
Jobs $75.2billion ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE BOSTON METRO AREA'S TECH SECTOR IN 2023 Leading tech occupations in the BostSoftware, programmers,web, aNetwork,cloud engineers,architects, administration 13,346 JOBS ITsupportspecialist &repairtechnicians 17,088 JOBS Net tecby met600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 LOS ANGELDALLAS 2018 SEmployment in Boston 11,983 NUMBER OF TECH BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS IN BOSTON METRO IN 2023 $10.1billion VALUE OF VC DEALS FOR MASS.-BASED TECH COMPANIES IN 2023 SOURCE: PITCHBOOK
M a y 12, 2 0 2 4 2 9 ton metro area in 2023 andqualityassurance| 69,092 Database, datascience, analytics, &computer science 7,776 JOBS Emerging tech, IT project management, & other 9,333 JOBS Cybersecurity& systems engineers 13,207 JOBS ch employment ro area NEW YORK CITY ES WASHINGTON, D.C. SAN JOSE SEATTLE BOSTON CHICAGO ATLANTA 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 270,775 JOBS 268,934 JOBS SAN FRANCISCO nfell slightly in 2023. THE 10 CITIES REPRESENTED ARE THE METRO AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST NET TECH EMPLOYMENT.
3 0 T H E BOSTON GLO B E M A G A Z I N E TECH POWER PLAYERS More women are taking the lead with influentiapositions in the local tech sectorBY AA RO N P RESSMA N
al er. I LLUSTR AT I O N F ROM ADO B E STOCK
M a y 12, 2 0 2 4 3 1
3 2 T H E BOSTON GLOB E MAGAZ INE TECH POWER PLAYERS Agenerational shift is sweeping through the startup ecosystem in Boston and across the country as investors and entrepreneurs who were active for decades retire, opening the way for a new, more diverse generation. At Boston venture capital firm Underscore VC, for example, partner Lily Lyman will lead the firm as founder Michael Skok steps back. Lyman, 38, who has worked at Underscore for six years, is the youngest person and first woman to head the company. She is one of several women moving into top posts and influential positions at VC firms, startups, and other tech-focused organizations, a trend captured by the Globe’s Tech Power Players list. Nine new women were named to the list for 2024 — the third annual installment of Tech Power Players — after 12 were added last year. Still, Boston’s startup community has a woeful reputation for diversity. As just one example, only $160 million of VC backing, or 1 percent, went to local women-founded startups last year, down from $267 million in 2022, according to PitchBook. “The numbers are really bad,” Lyman says. “We need more women writing checks, in seats that have decision-making power.” Lyman and others, including Leah Ellis, chief executive of cleantech company Sublime Systems, and Sarah Hodges, a general partner at Pillar VC, hope to change that. They, among others, have stepped into leadership roles even as "We needwomen..that havemaking p
Boston has lost some pioneers of its innovation sector. Bijan Sabet, who cofounded Spark Capital in Boston almost 20 years ago, departed in 2022 as US ambassador to the Czech Republic. Mackey Craven and Ricky Pelletier, who founded OpenView Venture Partners in 2006, left last year. Ryan Moore, cofounder of Accomplice, left a few months ago, leaving just one of the original partners in place. Lyman came to Underscore in 2018 after working almost five years at Facebook, where dmore . in seats decisionower." P H OTOGRAPHS: LYMA N BY L IN DS EY MI CH EL LE W IL LI AMS; H O DG ES BY SAM MO O DY; E LLIS BY BOB O ’CO N N O R
she helped lead an effort to expand internet connectivity around the world. At Underscore, she continued to expand networks, connecting with women founders, encouraging women to become VCs, and investing in women-led startups such as e-commerce company Wonderment in Boston. She also is a leader of the Boston chapter of All Raise,anonprofit working to increase female involvement in venture investing. Lyman says she is confident that the Boston area’s academic institutions and growing roster of public tech companies will provide the diversity of people and ideas to keep the startup ecosystem vibrant. “We’re bullish on the qthe innovation that’s comgreat institutions here,” sSuch talent includes Elime Systems. While workresearch in materials sciefessor Yet-Ming Chiang, Ereduce carbon emissionsturing. Cement making aglobal emissions. In 2020, Ellis and ChiaSystems to commercializ;
M a y 12, 2 0 2 4 3 3 quality of talent and ming out of the labs and she says. Ellis, 34, the CEO of Subrking on postdoctoral ences at MIT with proEllis hit onamethod to from cement manufacaccounts for 8 percent of ang founded Sublime e the process, which replaces fossil-fuel powered kilns with an electrical process powered by renewable energy. Last year, Sublime’s pilot plant in Somerville came online. Next up: a commercial-scale plant in a former paper mill in Holyoke. Sublime recently won an $87 million grant from the US Department of Energy to help finance construction of the plant, which is expected to open in 2026. Sublime has raised about $50 million from investors and $140 million in government grants, but it wasn’t easy. Ellis says venture capital investors seemed particularly negative about her company’s prospects, which she ascribed in part to her being a woman. VC investors tend to focus more on risks and downsides of startups founded by women while concentrating on the potential for success of companies founded by men, research shows. About 13 percent of startup founders nationally were women in 2023, down from 15 percent in 2022, according to market researcher Carta. Ellis says she takes it in stride when investors focus on what could go wrong. She replies that she will add any concerns to her list of risks to avoid—which is not necessarily a bad thing. “Being aware of the thousand ways that things will fail is just as important as understanding the one way that something can work perfectly,” Ellis says. “Because accidents are less likely to happen when you expect them.” Hodges, a partner at Pillar VC since 2016, is gaining recognition for her role in backing women-led startups such as Waeve,aSomerville online wig retailer founded by three Black women. But Hodges, who was head of marketing for fitness app Runkeeper (among other roles at local companies), is concerned that the changing of the guard by itself will not build a more diverse startup and investment industry. She notes that pioneering women VCs are among the generation leaving the sector. An answer is likely to be found on local college campuses, Hodges says. There, diverse groups of startup-minded students and faculty are looking to launch new companies and bring new faces and ideas to Boston’s innovation economy. And successful founders often become investors in ensuing generations of startups. “I’ve been blown away by all the energy on campus,” Hodges says. “There’s been a real evolution. It feels like there is such strong momentum right now.” ª Aaron Pressman is a Boston Globe technology reporter. Send comments to aaron.pressman@ globe.com. Clockwise from left: Lily Lyman, Leah Ellis, Sarah Hodges
3 4 THE BOSTON GLOBE MAGAZINE Play all new games and puzzles at globe.com/games. 1234 5 6 20 23 26 27 30 31 32 36 37 46 47 52 53 54 59 60 66 67 68 74 75 80 85 86 93 98 99 100 101 105 106 114 115 121 122 123 130 134 137 ACROSS 1 Magic word? 7 Black suit 12 “’Till nexttime, my man” 20 Spotted 21 Red Hat OS 22 “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” singer 23 Head covering made with shellfish? 25 FSU athlete 26 Vitamin bottle info 27 Gush 28 Things that lubricate and shock? 30 Dracula’s target 32 “Darn it!” 34 Show Alec Baldwin has hosted the most 35 Lingerie item 36 Links legend Sam 38 Made a case 40 Reality star Giudice 45 Brian in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 46 Compete in a regatta 48 Prefix with beat or punk 50 Online discussion site 51 It ends in Nov. 52 Stop someone from goosing? 57 Before surgery 59 Prefix with punk or core 60 Cry loudly 61 Spin around 63 Mexican beau’s words 66 Small amounts 68 Rocker’s rival in the ’60s 70 Horace, for one 72 La Scala cheer 74 Woman’s unflappable quality? 78 Sew together parts of a coat? 80 Vietnam’s capital 81 The Who’s drummer Moon 83 Rapa __(island off the coast of Chile) 84 Turmeric, e.g. 85 Geeky stans 87 Walks in the woods 90 Pampering, initially 92 Artist Applebroog 93 Early computer 95 Dumpsawhole Lego set all around? 98 Hosp. area 101 Some female singers 103 Blackthorn tree 104 Half a dozen 105 “I Can”rapper 106 Cheerleading prop 108 Concerning 110 Circus chairman? 114 Globe section 116 Skater Babilonia 118 Saintly glow 120 God __(unbeatable video game setting) 121 Dirty up Sherlock’s creator? 127 Spencer of Good Morning America 129 Energetic dance 130 Fishy sub 131 Racket made by one’s son? 134 Like some exercise 135 Screenwriter Sorkin 136 2,000 pounds 137 Flip-flops 138 $1,000 bill 139 “Just. Stop! DOWN 1 Looks down on 2 Actress Panettiere 3 __-Lorraine 4 It might be too on the nose 5 Air Force heroes 6 Change shape 7 Sarcastic show of support 8 Code at a 94-Down 9 Irish pirate __ Bonny 10 Some showdowns 11 Range 12 “__ we forget” 13 State confidently 14 Crime writer Hoag 15 Big story 16 House makeovers, briefly 17 Prepared brochettes 18 Punk rock icon Henry 19 Buck 24 Rush hour sound 29 Musical staff symbol 31 First name in Communism 33 Yogurtlike Russian drink 37 A Fijian has three ofthem 39 First Bond film 41 Enlists for the job 42 Be off 43 Bird-feeder food 44 Microscopic organism 47 Trounce, but good 49 Prefix a er hepta52 Orderto a boxer 53 Certain Cornhusker 54 First-aid item 55 Bit of light reading? 56 Pilgrimage to Mecca 58 Make really dry 62 Univis64 Arrive65 Run ingroun67 Pointsboard 69 One klosers 71 Toolbfasten73 Held i75 Seize76 Title fSteve77 “Whehere?79 Stuns 82 Placeholste86 Stora88 CountMcCa89 Move water 91 Vouch94 Place8-DowROYAL TALK/ Brendan Emmett Quigley
Solutions on Page 3 78910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 24 25 28 29 33 34 35 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 48 49 50 51 55 56 57 58 61 62 63 64 65 69 70 71 72 73 76 77 78 79 81 82 83 84 87 88 89 90 91 92 94 95 96 97 102 103 104 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 116 117 118 119 120 124 125 126 127 128 129 131 132 133 135 136 138 139 Fill in the grid so every row, column, and 3x3 box hasthe digits1-9. Tips at sudoku.com. SUDOKU 1 7 6 1 4 9 6 2 2 4 8 9 8 3 6 3 8 7 5 2 9 7 5 4 8 5 sion uncle e, in a sense nto the nd s on the dkeeping sin check? box ners in check for ransom for director e McQueen en U getting ?” guesses satthe altar s for ers ge site try singer nn through rher for a wn 96 Much less 97 Midterm, for one 98 All worked up 99 Paintthe town red 100 Spartacus Oscar winner Peter 102 Juan ofthe Yankees 107 Bosch rival 109 Clinique rival 111 Rum cocktail with mintleaves 112 Lightbulb inventor 113 University o cer 115 Roofing material 117 Representative Omar 119 Director Welles 122 Hammer-wielding deity 123 Layers on the farm 124 Great Lakes city or lake 125 Word files 126 Architect Saarinen 128 The “A” of “A.D.” 132 Droid 133 Ref. that added “fan service” in 2024
CONNECPeacetimChristmas TBY DOREEN IMy mother and relationship. Wabout somethiwhen she was was old enough to see the gers—coming. For good osticky glue that held us toBut there were two plaway, where we curbed ocouple of hours on Saturdcery store, where we indufood, and the Christmas Ttiated our love of the ridiLynnfield or Somerville (my mom’s home), we’d pugrab our carriages, each oposite directions, relieved But something magicastores. The jam-packed aright-must-haves transforeventually bump into eaclonger adversaries, but twining the extreme cutenebargains— in each other’sscented candle or a bag odidn’t like. It was enchanting to bwhere the words “This lothis the cutest?” turned ousugary. When we’d get baand unload our treasureswith jellies and jams, coopoos and solvents, and thmaking room here and thhouse votive or a festive sI always saw many moters at what we called thesimilarly. It was an espectake an older loved one ocould feel a part of sometcartful of cheerful little bTELL YOUR STORY. Email your 650-word unpublished essay on a relationship to connections@glo
MAY 12, 2024 3 5 CTIONS me at the Tree Shops UDICA VIGUE ILL U S T R A T ION B Y SHAR O N CHEN I had a contentious We were always battling ing, even later in life sin her ornery 80s and I edaggers—and the trigor bad, friction was the ogether. aces where all that fell our war of words for a day afternoons: the groulged our sublime love of Tree Shops, where we saiculous. Whether it was the closest locations to ull in hot to the lot and of us zipping away in opdto separate. al happened in those aisles of shiny, pricedrmed us. When we’d ch other, we were no wo giggly gal pals examess—and bragging rights s carts. We never met a of sea-salted popcorn we be caught up in a mood ooks delish!” and “Isn’t ur typically salty tongues ack to her apartment s, we’d fill her cupboards okies and chips, shamhen start redecorating, here for a mini lightspring wreath. others and adult daughe Tree Shop, bonding cially perfect place to on a fixed income—they thing fun and revel in a argains. For about $10, my mother once scored a trio of small plates that hung in a row on a metal rack. Written in script on one was LIVE, the next LOVE, the other LAUGH.Iwould make itapoint to shuffle them around and dramatically declare, “But Ma, what if firstIwant to LOVE and then LAUGH and then LIVE?!’” This amused us both no end. BeforeIwalked out the door,Imade sure to put LAUGH first, a subtle reminder to us both to stay in the happy place. My mother, Helen Grzywa Iudica, passed away in 2017. I miss her the most on Saturdays. I found solace in keeping up my weekly Tree Shop excursions, asking her to point me toward “the good stuff.’’ Inevitably, it would be some item with her initial H for Helen on it, or my D, or my sister’sCfor Cindy. I’d laugh to myself and quibble with her in my head. Ma,Idon’t need that! But she—and the magic—would always win out. During my last foray through the Hyannis store in August, days before the last of the Tree Shops in New England tragically closed, I called upon my mother to guide me to my final purchase. “What will it be, Ma?” I whispered. “Do not bring me to the paper plates. I’m all stocked up!” As I strolled along feeling sad, my eyes suddenly landed on a bin full of jumbled this and thats, and there, placed neatly on top as if positioned by caring hands, were three pristine white kitchen towels emblazoned with the initials H, D, and C. I gasped, scooped them up to my chest and held back tears. Where will she keep me company on Saturdays now? I wondered, as I paid and took in the place for the last time. The answer came days later, asImindlessly tossed two bags of sea-salted popcorn into my Market Basket cart. The grocery store, of course. Doreen Iudica Vigue is a writer on Cape Cod. Send comments to [email protected]. obe.com. Please note: We do not respond to submissions we won’t pursue.
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