Growing up, reading and writing were my jams. I inhaled books, and I dreamed of becoming an author. I’ve also always loved to learn and understand how things work. Content is the best of both worlds—there’s nothing like diving into a new topic and learning tricks of the trade from an expert as you craft a compelling narrative around their story.
That’s why I’m so excited to be joining Underscore VC as their Content Manager. The role gives me the opportunity to work closely with the Underscore Core community and portfolio companies, capturing their expertise to share with the larger Boston startup ecosystem.
I came to Underscore from Solve, an MIT initiative that accelerates the work of tech entrepreneurs solving global challenges. At Solve, I worked closely with founders and the Solve community to produce inspiring content that highlighted the work of Solve’s portfolio startups. In a typical day, I might have interviewed and profiled a founder, scripted a case study video, or curated a panel discussion for an event.
It was thrilling to learn about all the creative ways these innovators were using tech to tackle complex social and environmental problems. I have loved working in the startup ecosystem, and my move to Underscore is a phenomenal—and natural—next step.
I originally studied linguistics and languages in college, and after graduating, I spent a year teaching English at a high school in France. During school breaks, I traveled around Europe and launched a blog to record my stories. This blog became my writing portfolio and helped me land a content role at Lionbridge, a translation and localization firm, when I moved back to my hometown of Boston.
I got my first taste of Boston’s powerful startup ecosystem when I joined LogoMix, a bootstrapped startup building a branding platform for small businesses. I managed LogoMix’s global content marketing strategy, producing content that helped small business owners grow their businesses. It was inspiring to see the passion that these entrepreneurs had for their work.
I feel this same energy at Underscore. From the start of the interview process, I could see the team’s passion for helping early-stage founders succeed. Plus, the depth of expertise and experience in the Core is amazing. Just as Underscore’s portfolio companies enjoy sourcing talent from the Core, I too will have access to nearly endless amounts of wisdom to tease out, package—and then share with bold entrepreneurs in Boston and around the world. How cool is that?
I’ll be focused on building out Startup Secrets: featuring insights from experts across the Core, tackling a wide range of topics, and creating informative resources that help founders scale their businesses. I’ll also be learning and writing about the cutting-edge B2B SaaS startups in Underscore’s portfolio.
Outside of work, you can usually find me running along the Charles, giving weekend tours at the MFA, or learning a new fiddle tune.
If you’re a founder, tell me what you want to learn! What challenges have you been running into? What do you wish you knew more about? I’ll bet other founders have similar questions, and I can almost guarantee there’s a Core member who could share insights.
If you’re part of the Core, I would love to hear stories about your own business successes and struggles, so we can find creative ways to share your hard-learned lessons. Send me a note at claire.crowther@underscore.vc.
