On August 13, 2014, Stephen Boyd, Founding Chair of the Berkshire Innovation Center, stood before the Pittsfield City Council presenting on his proposal to build an Innovation Center in the William Stanley Business Park. He recounted a research study that he had read which had overwhelmingly concluded that “effective collaboration was best done in person because people engage when they can hear and see each other the same way humans have done so for a thousand years”. That same study, Boyd explained, also concluded that “the primary reason that people collaborate is to innovate – that they are interrelated.”
Last month – more than ten years since Boyd first presented the concept for an Innovation Center to City Officials – the BIC was recognized by MassEcon with an Innovation Excellence Award. Only the second ever recipient of this “special award,” MassEcon selected the BIC in recognition of its role “in driving innovation and sustainable growth of the technology-focused economy of the Berkshires.”
In the decade between his presentation to local officials and the recognition by the State’s champion for business growth, Boyd served as Chair of the BIC’s board of directors and dedicated countless hours to turning an idea into a very real and thriving catalyst for growth in our regional economy. This included building a vast coalition of industry, academic, and governmental leaders who provided key input to shape and mature the idea, lobbying for private, local, and state funding necessary to realize the dream of a new Innovation Center, overseeing the design and construction of the new facility, developing a sustainable business and staffing model and making the first hires for the organization, cutting a ribbon to open the doors of the new facility, and guiding the new organization through its first five years with the facility in operation – which happened to coincide with a global pandemic.
Throughout this, Boyd held together a coalition of fellow leaders who embraced the vision and threw their time, energy, and expertise behind the effort at every turn – and there were plenty of ups and downs along the way. Founding board members who continue to serve to this day include Doug Crane, Ellen Kennedy, Peter Stasiowski, David Allen, Bryon Sherman, David Valicenti, Jim Brosnan, and Phil Dore. Countless others from our community have leaned in along the way, whether by joining the board, serving on a committee or in an advisor capacity, signing up as BIC members, supporting the effort financially, or just by actively engaging in this mass effort of “innovation through collaboration.”
I’ve known Steve Boyd for a very long time, but when I first heard of the Berkshire Innovation Center I had not seen or spoken to him for close to 20 years. We were reacquainted and started meeting every few months as the project was coming together and construction began. I didn’t quite “get it” at first, but Steve’s passion and vision were energizing and inspiring and when he asked me to serve as the BIC’s Executive Director in June of 2019, I quickly jumped at the opportunity, and I’m glad I did. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both because of the impact we are making and because of the leaders who have become mentors to me – none more so than Steve Boyd. In stepping in, I didn’t know much about advanced manufacturing or the “innovation economy,” but Steve has locked arms every step of the way, patiently supporting and always teaching, while also giving space for me to grow as a leader in my own way.
Earlier this year, Boyd and longtime vice-chair Peter Stasiowski passed the chair and vice-chair role to new leaders – James Kupernik and Giovanna Fessenden-Fairbank. Boyd and Stasiowski are both remaining on the board and both will continue to drive major new initiatives, but both recognize that transitioning to new leadership is good for the long term health of the organization. The process was thoughtful and gradual and the organization is in great hands. Embedded into every fiber of the organization is Boyd’s fundamental belief in the importance of community connectedness and the power of collective wisdom.
Kupernik and Fessenden-Fairbank have embraced this, have hit the ground running, and are eager to build on the strong foundation that has been laid over the last decade plus. I’m looking forward to working with them and excited for this next chapter.