(781) 786-2662

Massachusetts High Technology Council 2022 Year in Review

December 19, 2022 | Massachusetts High Technology Council

2022 Year in ReviewIt has been an incredible year for the Massachusetts High Technology Council. As the High Tech Council celebrates 45 years of fostering and preserving innovation, economic prosperity, and job creation in the Commonwealth, we reflect on the many accomplishments and milestones achieved in 2022. These achievements would not have been possible without the support and engagement of our member organizations, whose commitment to maintaining Massachusetts’ quality of life and competitive position made it possible for the High Tech Council to make an impact where it matters. From hosting thought-provoking events and panel discussions to advocating for policies that support innovation and job growth, we are proud of the work we have done together to nurture a thriving innovation ecosystem in Massachusetts. As we look back at some highlights of 2022, we express our deepest gratitude to all our members, partners, and collaborators for their contributions to the many successes we’ve achieved on behalf of the Commonwealth’s innovation economy.

In 2023, we will remain laser-focused on our core mission: supporting conditions that enable Massachusetts’ private sector to grow and create economic opportunities for all amidst significant obstacles and headwinds. The High Tech Council is well-positioned to plan and execute multi-year strategic initiatives to help employers navigate the political transition, the fallout of the Tax Hike Amendment, and significant economic uncertainty, and are eager to build on another year of impact by continuing to support conditions that enable Massachusetts’ private sector to grow and create economic opportunities for all.

So, let’s dive in and see what an impactful year it has been for the High Tech Council and the Commonwealth.

45 Years of Impact

On May 24, the High Tech Council celebrated its 45th anniversary during the 2022 Annual Meeting with the generous support of presenting sponsor PTC. The luncheon event featured Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s final High Tech Council keynote address as the Commonwealth’s Chief Executive, as well as the presentation of the 2022 Ray Stata Leadership & Innovation Award to Massachusetts Institute of Technology President, L. Rafael Reif, Ph.D. In addition to these notable highlights, innovation scholar Neil Thompson, Ph.D., Director of the FutureTech Research Program at MIT’s Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, shared his insights into deeper trends in technology that complement our MassVision2050 initiative.

The Annual Meeting agenda also included the election of the High Tech Council leadership team. Members re-elected five incumbent Officers, eight incumbent Executive Committee members, and 31 incumbent Directors, and elected the following five new Directors:

Julie Chen, Ph.D.

Julie Chen, Ph.D.

University of Massachusetts Lowell

About

Julie Chen is currently UMass Lowell’s Vice Chancellor for Research & Economic Development and a professor of mechanical engineering. She was named Chancellor of the nearly 18,000-student national research university in May 2022, a role she will assume for the academic year.

As the Chief Research Officer, Chen directs UMass Lowell’s nearly $95 million research enterprise, which also includes industry partnerships, technology transfer, startups & innovation, core research facilities, and economic development programs. She has facilitated numerous innovative collaboration models that bring together industry, government, and academia. As a member of the Executive Cabinet, Chen has helped lead the implementation of the 2020 Strategic Plan, resulting in an expansion and modernization of physical infrastructure, the recruitment of outstanding faculty and students, increases in retention and graduation rates, advances in diversity, equity and inclusion, and historic growth of revenues from research, online programs and the endowment.

She was the 2010 Technical Program Chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition and served in several leadership roles on the Congress Steering Committee, Nominating Committee, and in her technical division.

Chen has served on many editorial boards, advisory committees, and review panels for journals and federal agencies, including NSF, the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. Based on her expertise in materials, nanomanufacturing, and advanced manufacturing, she has testified before Congress and represented the United States in several international workshops.

Chen serves on the board for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and the MassTech Collaborative, as well as on the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.

A strong advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, Chen serves as the co-lead for the university’s Council on Social Justice and Inclusion. Additionally, she was one of the co-principal investigators on a $3.5 million NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant to help support and elevate women faculty in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines at UMass Lowell.

Chen received her PhD, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering where she was a student athlete and academic all- American. In 2019 she was awarded an honorary degree from Queens University Belfast and is a recipient of the U.S. Army Public Service Commendation Medal – its fourth-highest civilian honor – in recognition of her leadership in developing the innovation ecosystem.

Chen and her spouse, Susu Wong, reside in Wilmington.

Brent Chrite, Ph.D.

Brent Chrite, Ph.D.

Bentley University

About

Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite is an experienced higher education leader with a background in global economic and business development. He was named the ninth president of Bentley University in 2021 and previously served as the president of Bethune-Cookman University. As the president of Bethune-Cookman University, Dr. Chrite led the institution though one of the most challenging periods in the institution’s history. During his tenure, he led the university through an accreditation review that strengthened institutional governance and fiscal integrity and secured continued accreditation while eliminating deficits and achieving institutional stability. Dr. Chrite also served as the dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and as the dean and professor of management at the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Chrite has assisted public and private sector enterprises, policymakers and higher education institutions in individual and institutional capacity building efforts in emerging and post transition markets across the globe. His work has been aimed at strengthening private sector development, enabling environment creation and entrepreneurism toward the reduction of poverty. Dr. Chrite has worked on behalf of the World Bank Group, the U.S. State Department, the Eurasia Foundation and others to strengthen economic conditions and improve business education across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Dr. Chrite is currently an independent director at Gordon Food Service, a privately held $18B North American enterprise, where he chairs the risk committee and at AVESPA, a revolutionary photobioreactor-technology company. He holds a PhD from the University of Michigan, MS from the University of Missouri-Columbia and BA from Michigan State University.

Grace H. Lee, Esq.

Grace H. Lee, Esq.

M&T Bank

About

Grace has combined over twenty-five years of public and private sector leadership experience in Massachusetts. As Regional President, Grace is responsible for the coordination of the region’s strategic development and growth through its community banking activities that advance the bank’s localized focus to deliver more value for customers, businesses, and communities. 

In addition to her responsibilities as Regional President, Grace also manages the Government Banking & Finance division for the New England area.  Grace joined People’s United Bank in August of 2014 from Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot, LLP, where she was Special Counsel and Vice Chair of the Public Finance Group. 

Previously, Grace was General Counsel and First Deputy Treasurer of the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General from 2003 to 2011, where she managed the operations of the State Treasurer’s Office (“Treasury”) and was responsible for managing the Treasury’s legal affairs.  Notably, while at the Treasury, Grace was instrumental in the passage of the legislation that established the Asian American Commission and served as the Commission’s first Executive Director. 

Prior to joining the Treasury, Grace was with Morgan, Brown & Joy, concentrating her practice in employment discrimination, labor law and commercial litigation. Grace’s other public sector experience includes her work as a civil rights attorney for the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and an assistant district attorney, Chief of the Civil Rights Division, for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Mike Plisinski

Mike Plisinski

Onto Innovation

About

Michael Plisinski is the chief executive officer of Onto Innovation and has over 25 years of semiconductor capital equipment experience. He previously served as the chief executive officer and member of the board of directors for Rudolph Technologies since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Plisinski served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Rudolph Technologies since October 2014 and was the vice president and general manager of the data analysis and review business since 2006 when Rudolph Technologies merged with August Technology Corporation. From 2004 to 2006, he was August Technology’s vice president of engineering and its director of strategic marketing for review and analysis products from 2003 to 2004. Mr. Plisinski joined August Technology as part of the acquisition of Counterpoint Solutions, a supplier of optical review and automated metrology equipment to the semiconductor industry, where he was both president and sole founder from 1999 to 2003. Mr. Plisinski has a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the University of Massachusetts and completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School. 

Chris Zannetos

Chris Zannetos

Covered Security

About

Chris Zannetos is an entrepreneur, education activist, and high tech leader with deep experience in cybersecurity, privacy, and business process automation. As a serial entrepreneur, Chris founded three successful companies including Covered Security, the world’s first personal security assistant, where he is the CEO and co-founder. Covered Security’s app uses habit creation science combined with the automation of IT security solutions to motivate and empower users to strengthen their online security. Prior to Covered, he was the CEO and co-founder of Courion, a market-leading Identity & Access Management software company, reaching $40 million in revenue, over 200 staff members and global expansion. Before that, Chris was a member of the team which founded Onsett International, a strategic IT infrastructure consulting company.

A passionate believer in STEM education as a powerful tool to drive economic advancement and battle generational poverty, Chris founded STEMatch-a non-profit that brings companies and schools together to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Math opportunities more accessible to marginalized communities, which has already served more than 700 Boston Public Middle School students.

Zannetos earned his bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his master’s degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

We are grateful for the strategic insights these senior leaders bring to our organization, reflecting diverse perspectives and decades of experience across many industries, and unified around our mission of growth and state competitiveness. For highlights and videos from the 2022 Annual Meeting, click here.

Mass High Tech Council Membership Grows

Throughout the year, the High Tech Council welcomed several new members to the organization, all of whom have been actively involved in key programs and initiatives from the start, bringing valuable expertise and resources to the table:

AJS Consulting Company Logo
Brick Marketing
Brooks Automation
Bullhorn, Inc.
Hollingsworth & Vose
IPG Photonics
The RMR Group
Wentworth Institute of Technology

2022 Advocacy & Impact

Our advocacy agenda contributed to many promising developments for Massachusetts’ innovation economy, while also helping to stop the advancement of proposals that would have hampered our business climate. We helped galvanize focus on novel approaches to workforce development and bring new education models to Massachusetts.

In 2023, amidst political shifts, heightened state competitiveness, and the fallout from the voter-approved passage of an 80 percent tax increase on personal income over $1 million in our Constitution, we are eager to build on another year of impact by continuing to support conditions that enable Massachusetts’ private sector to grow and create economic opportunities for all.

New & Improved MATTERS

MATTERSOne highlight of the year was the launch of our new and improved “MATTERS” data dashboards, including a revamped version of our 50-State Competitiveness Dashboard and a new Technology Workforce Dashboard in February. Data from MATTERS provided an important fact base and illustrative data points for Council commentary on several salient policy challenges in Massachusetts today, including STEM workforce development and tax policies. The analytics from our dashboards likewise informed our testimony, statements, and other advocacy vehicles to produce data-informed commentary.

We look forward to announcing new partnerships that will sustain MATTERS’ purpose as a valuable tool—one that helps us generate a powerful empirical picture of policy challenges we face in the Commonwealth, and where we need to direct our efforts for maximum impact.

Passage of the Tax Hike Amendment (Question 1)

Is Massachusetts Headed Back to Taxachusetts? Examining the Damaging Impacts of the Legislature’s Tax Hike AmendmentThe narrow passage of the Tax Hike Amendment in November is a turning point for the Commonwealth [read our statement on the passage of Question 1 here]. As we have warned since the introduction of the proposal, the Amendment will have a significant negative economic impact, including exacerbating our already burdensome tax environment and accelerating trends in the outmigration of talent and high-wealth earners.

Our litigation and the ballot campaign produced important takeaways to inform how the business community must unify and organize for future efforts. 2023 will be an important year to reset and re-up with a focus on generating greater preparedness for supporting policies, research, and programs that support restoring Massachusetts’ diminished competitive standing as a result of the new tax policy.

Legislative Advocacy for the Innovation Community

The High Tech Council has long been a voice for industries producing products and services with transformative market impact and potential for commercial growth and job creation. In 2022, we fought hard on myriad legislative initiatives in support of our membership, some of which culminated in promising steps forward, while others were left at the altar as a result of legislative inaction.

Sports betting passage is a win for Massachusetts

After years of advocacy efforts, we were pleased that the Massachusetts legislature came to a compromise on a governing framework for sports betting—including the resolution of key questions regarding mobile- and desktop-powered platforms for wagering. Massachusetts, while late to the game relative to the 30+ states that had passed sports betting legislation before us, now stands to benefit from a coherent set of policies and regulations for sports betting operators and millions more in tax revenues.

No progress on key app-based services policies

In another important area of our technology industries, a legislative solution on portable benefits for app-based drivers did not materialize. The High Tech Council advocated for legislation to help Massachusetts retain the successful transportation network-enabled business model while ensuring workers maintain flexibility as independent contractors and receive robust benefits and protections. As we noted in our testimony in support of House Bills 4375 and 4376, establishing a portable benefits framework is critical in advancing Massachusetts’ competitiveness.

On a separate track, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down a ballot question with similar provisions to the legislation we advocated for. As a member of the Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers Coalition, we were disappointed in the decision but remain committed to supporting solutions to ensure that app-based driving companies can continue to operate in the Commonwealth and drivers can continue to get the flexibility that the majority seek in app-based services.

Legislature punts on tax relief and key economic development investments

Despite vigorous support from the High Tech Council and a diverse coalition of associations and businesses, the state legislature did not advance any tax relief or reform measures this year. The economic development bill that passed in November also excluded all the critical state investments in our Research & Development ecosystem to position us to pursue federal grants through the CHIPS and Science Act.

Read our commentary on the end of the formal legislative session and takeaways from the economic bill passed in November here.

High Tech Council’s impact illuminated in Tax Growth Limit

One significant development towards the end of the formal legislative session in 2022 was the announcement that, for the first time since 1987, Chapter 62F (the Tax Growth Revenue Limit) would be triggered. The law, passed by voters in 1986 via a ballot question, requires that the Department of Revenue issue a credit to taxpayers if total tax revenues in a given fiscal year exceed an annual cap tied to state wage and salary growth. Given historic tax revenues in recent years, the Commonwealth has been sending rebates worth $2.94 billion back to taxpayers since October.

Some lawmakers have already proposed plans to either eliminate 62F or revise it to redistribute total credits by changing the provision that credits be issued proportionally to income. The High Tech Council is prepared to defend and enhance this important taxpayer protection.

Education & Workforce

In 2022, our advocacy was instrumental in several key initiatives for Massachusetts’ education and workforce development policy and programs.

The High Tech Council, along with partnering organizations like the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE), successfully advocated for proposed amendments to state law to introduce new and improved standards for students taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test. Read our June public comment to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education here.

Our advocacy helped bring a new and proven education model to Massachusetts: P-Tech schools. The Baker Administration recently announced $5 million for five schools ($1 million grants for each), which the Administration is calling “STEM Tech Academies” to administer the programs. Council President Chris Anderson was a speaker on an October 20 panel hosted by MBAE, which explored the value of the P-Tech model for augmenting the STEM pipeline in Massachusetts.

Student Pathways to SuccessThe High Tech Council also joined several significant coalition efforts to advance evidence-based programs with promises to augment our technical talent pipelines, including MBAE and the Student Pathways to Success Coalition. As a cross-sector coalition of organizations committed to educational equity representing students, parents, educators, and employers, Student Pathways to Success aims to universalize access to a meaningful and relevant high school education for all students that puts them on a pathway to college and career success.

Legislative Commission Work

The High Tech Council continued its participation as an appointed Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Study Commission member through the first half of 2022. Unfortunately, the Commission did not produce a realistic and balanced set of reforms because how the Commission and its charge were written into law precluded key areas influencing solvency. While the Commission missed the opportunity to enact long overdue reforms to holistically address the issue of solvency, we were successful in preventing effective tax increases for businesses.

As 2022 comes to a close, the High Tech Council starts participation in a different legislative Commission. In November, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (First Essex and Middlesex) appointed President Chris Anderson to serve on the Tax Expenditures Review Commission, which was created in 2018 to review each tax incentive every five years and evaluate its purpose, intent, goal, and effectiveness. We look forward to contributing to the Commission’s important work in evaluating Massachusetts’ tax incentives and making recommendations to enhance those that support and extend our competitive strengths.

Policy-focused Programs

In 2022, the High Tech Council organized and contributed to several roundtable discussions and programs to discuss salient policy challenges, notable legislative developments, political shifts, and the future direction of the Commonwealth. We are grateful for the policymakers, candidates, and experts who joined us to share their insights and engage in open dialogue with our members.

U.S. Bipartisan Innovation Act Roundtable Discussion

On June 27, High Tech Council members joined an impromptu roundtable discussion with U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL 16th District), hosted by Bob Reynolds at Putnam Investments. The conversation covered developments in the U.S. Bipartisan Innovation Act and its implications for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, including a productive discussion on federal developments that have important implications for one of Massachusetts’ most important industries—and U.S. competitiveness more broadly.

Legislature's Tax Hike Amendment
Back to Taxachusetts? A Policy Discussion on the Legislature’s Tax Hike Amendment with Pioneer Institute

Pioneer Institute Senior Fellow Charles Chieppo joined the High Tech Council on July 19 for a Policy Series program focused on the Institute’s book, Back to Taxachusetts?, a distillation of 24 studies conducted by the Institute examining the impact of the Legislature’s Tax Hike Amendment. Chieppo discussed the strong evidence-based case for how damaging the Amendment would be to Massachusetts’ economy.

Member-only Gubernatorial Candidate Roundtable Discussions

Ahead of the 2022 statewide election, the High Tech Council hosted member-only roundtable discussions with Maura Healey (D) and Geoff Diehl (R), their party’s respective nominees for Massachusetts Governor. We are grateful to both for joining our leadership team to discuss their policy goals and how to sustain Massachusetts’ economic and business competitiveness.

The High Tech Council congratulates Governor-elect Maura Healey and looks forward to partnering with the incoming administration to address new economic and competitiveness challenges the Commonwealth faces.

Assessing State Competitiveness: A Discussion with CNBC's Scott Cohn on Massachusetts' Business & Economic Climate

On September 28, CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn joined us for Assessing State Competitiveness: A Discussion with CNBC’s Scott Cohn on Massachusetts’ Business & Economic Climatea virtual discussion focused on Massachusetts’ current business and economic competitiveness. Cohn, the creator of CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business, the widely cited ranking that scores all 50 states on over 85 measures, provided insights into how Massachusetts fared in the 2022 rankings and explored key factors influencing the direction in which the Commonwealth is trending relative to other states. Cohn’s presentation followed an overview of MATTERS™ data showing Massachusetts’ competitive standing on talent, tax environment, and other factors.

Board Co-chair John T.C. Lee, Ph.D., President and CEO of MKS Instruments, and Director Jane Steinmetz, Managing Principal of EY’s Boston Office, joined Cohn for a panel discussion exploring areas where Massachusetts is well-positioned to lead in the future and areas that are cause for concern amidst growing outmigration from the Commonwealth and concerns about the business exodus. Panelists shared perspectives on salient factors for employers in the post-COVID environment, the unique strengths of Massachusetts’ workforce, the importance of affordability and quality of life to attract talent, as well as the threat of uncompetitive tax policies.

2022 Signature Events & Programming

From the launch of our forward-looking MassVision2050 initiative and an update to our Representation and Equity Ambition survey to a three-part mental health series featuring an Executive Roundtable on Burnout & Mental Health in the Workplace, the High Tech Council has hosted a wide range of events this year. Our talent strategy and corporate culture initiatives, complemented by MassVision2050, highlight the diverse interests of our members.

MassVision2050: Positioning Massachusetts for Global Economic Leadership

MassVision2050To enhance our 45-year-long history of influencing public policies that support a tech economy and skilled workforce that is the envy of the nation, the High Tech Council launched MassVision2050, a sustained, multi-year collaboration between private, public, and academic leaders to generate bold ideas for Massachusetts’ future. Working alongside Knowledge Partner McKinsey & Company and our Executive Committee, we identified 10 sectors and three cross-cutting topics that will be critical to the success of Massachusetts in the next 20-30 years.

Currently, we are facilitating small group discussions with industry leaders and experts from across our member organizations for each sector, using a first-of-its-kind analysis to develop robust, fact-based recommendations for public, private, and academic leaders to keep Massachusetts at the front line of innovation. We have also hosted three open-to-the-public events—two examining challenges and opportunities in certain sectors, including Blue Tech & Climate Resilience, Cybersecurity & Cyber Resilience, and a context-setting program, A Bold Vision for the Future: Positioning Massachusetts for Global Economic Leadership.

Last month, Board Chair Robert Reynolds, CEO of Putnam Investments, and Director Navjot Singh, Ph.D., senior partner at McKinsey, detailed our strategic vision for maintaining Massachusetts’ leadership position, in an Op-Ed published in the Boston Business Journal (BBJ). In the piece, Reynolds and Singh walk through both the “defense” and “offense” necessary to grow the state economy and position Massachusetts for unequivocal leadership in the innovation sectors where we excel. The BBJ Editorial Board set a valuable frame for understanding the bigger context of MassVision2050 and urges “business and political leaders alike to pay attention to the findings so our state can prepare for the coming decades.” We are excited to continue this forward-looking initiative in 2023.

Talent Strategies & Corporate Culture

As an organization, we are committed to advancing talent strategies that help grow our workforce, meet the needs of our innovation ecosystem, and expand opportunities for all Massachusetts residents. This year, we offered, hosted, and amplified a range of initiatives and programs that reflect our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and opportunity, including:

Women in Leadership: Recruiting, Retaining, & Promoting Women into Leadership Responsibilities

Leadership Development Opportunities

As part of our Women in Leadership (WIL) Initiative, we held the second of the two-part Leaders for the Future Series, a cutting-edge training program focused on business strategy development and driving innovation offered exclusively to our members, on February 2. Facilitated by Knowledge Partner McKinsey, the sessions were made possible by WIL Annual Sponsor PTC.

The High Tech Council also piloted an innovative Group Mentoring Program to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in our community while creating more meaningful connections within our membership base. We look forward to exploring similar opportunities in the future and are grateful for the enthusiasm and engagement of our inaugural cohort for making the experience a success.

Three-Part Mental Health Series

Burnout and mental health continued to be a focus of WIL, with a three-part mental health series that kicked off in September with a webinar focused on the unique challenges women face in the new workplace. Featured experts discussed why organizations must pursue a preventative, systemic approach focused on addressing the roots of the problem instead of remediating symptoms and provided practical strategies and systemic interventions employers are pursuing to foster well-being in the workplace.

Following the context-setting program, Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business (CWB) hosted the High Tech Council for an invitation-only executive roundtable discussion centered on making employee mental health a strategic priority, with support from PTC and program sponsor Onto Innovation. Facilitated by CWB Executive Director Yaro Fong-Olivares, the session examined intersectional impacts of burnout, COVID-19, microaggressions, and other mental health challenges, systemic factors affecting employee well-being, and the critical role of leadership in creating workplace cultures that support employee mental health, retention, and performance.

The third session in the mental health series will take place virtually on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 12:00—1:15 p.m. EST. Bentley’s CWB has developed a unique offering for employees of MHTC members that will share the business case for the benefits of mindfulness practice for long-term success and resilience at work and in life. In this 90-minute introductory workshop with Bentley Associate Professor of Management, Effie Stavrulaki, Ph.D., participants will practice strategies to cultivate self-awareness, improve focus, and manage difficult yet very common emotions in the workplace.

Building Resilience and Self-Awareness with Mindfulness is a complimentary, member-only training program. Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required.

2022 Women in the Workplace Report

Last week, the High Tech Council closed out the year with Women in the Workplace: The State of Women in Corporate America. The hybrid program, graciously hosted by PTC, examined the findings from the 2022 Women in the Workplace report, The Great Break Up, which revealed that companies have a new pipeline problem with women leaders switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen. The action-oriented agenda explored what women can do to advocate for themselves and other women, navigate transitions to advance their careers, and help to improve the culture within their organizations.

The School Series: Addressing Educational Opportunity Gaps

By ensuring that all students, regardless of their ZIP codes, have access to high-quality education, particularly in STEM, we can help to break down barriers and create a more diverse and vibrant innovation workforce. The High Tech Council remains committed to working with partners and members to expand access and create more opportunities for underrepresented students to get involved in STEM studies as a means for building a more robust, diverse, and inclusive pipeline of future tech talent in Massachusetts. Along with Analog Devices (ADI), the 2022 Annual Sponsor of The School Series, and close collaborator MITRE, the High Tech Council focused on scalable programs that help to nurture early interest in STEM studies and inspire future career pursuits in high-demand tech fields.

High School Internship Programs

During a School Series webinar on November 17, we explored the impact of high school STEM internships, showcasing two successful internship programs and the educational institutions our members are engaged with. Leaders from ADI shared the organization’s experience of starting its program with the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. Available to O’Bryant School juniors and seniors, the unique, cohort-based summer internship program for juniors and seniors is designed to encourage qualified students to pursue careers in engineering and technology, expand student opportunities for higher education, and increase diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. Panelists from MITRE and Mercury Systems discussed their well-established partnership with Notre Dame Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study program, which enables all students to earn the majority of their tuition by working in entry-level positions at one of over 75 companies throughout Merrimack Valley, Route 93/128North Corridors and Southern New Hampshire.

STEMatch: Making STEM Opportunities Visible & Accessible to All

Through an exciting new partnership with nonprofit STEMatch, the High Tech Council is amplifying STEMatch’s COMPETE program, which brings together employers and community colleges to create systemic, sustainable new pathways to STEM career opportunities for underrepresented groups—meeting both the demand for skilled tech talent and organizational diversity objectives. The High Tech Council also introduced members to the nonprofit’s Career Day Program during a June 29 virtual roundtable. Through this program, STEMatch matches Boston public middle schools and tech companies, delivering programs inside and outside of the classroom to inspire early interest in STEM subjects and help build a brighter future for all in our Commonwealth. Following the Council-hosted roundtable, STEMatch expanded its footprint and is now working with organizations in the Lowell and Lawrence areas. Not only is it a light lift for companies, but it is also a rewarding engagement for their employees, and a deeply impactful experience for the students who participate. For more information on either of these programs, visit www.stematchma.org.

We hope you join us next year for more informative, must-see events.