Innovate413 Looks to Fuel New Startups for the Region
They’re calling it VVM 2.0.
And that nickname for a new initiative called Innovate413 says a lot, said Paul Silva, who will be leading this effort to spark new, tech-based startups in the region, while not repeating some of the mistakes of the original VVM, Valley Venture Mentors.
Chief among them is getting into the real estate business, said Silva, noting that he was president of VVM when many of its board members pushed for a physical presence, and got one in the form of a building on Bridge Street in downtown Springfield that now bears no trace of the agency, which exists essentially on paper as an affiliate of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, but hasn’t been active for years.
“One of the things that killed VVM was getting that space, because then you become a landlord, and then you’re tied to all the challenges of having space, as opposed to being focused on entrepreneurs — we’re not doing that again,” said Silva, quickly moving past the problems that visited the once-impactful nonprofit and focusing on the positive energy and dozens of startups it fostered in its better days.