New Power, by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms, feels like it was written for Kendall Square, one of the world’s most powerful epicenters of technological innovation. Kendall Square has fundamentally transformed over the last 20 years as hundreds of companies have grasped that their ability to innovate hinges on connecting with other innovators. Old power models for building strategic partnerships and research collaborations have their place, but new power holds even more possibility.
Organizations such as Alnylam, Facebook, Microsoft, Philips, Sanofi, and Takeda flock to Kendall because they want to realize the best of what New Power offers — open, peer-driven learning and collaboration. But Kendall Square’s New Power-driven operating system didn’t just auto-install one day.
Ten years ago, a group of leaders from a variety of Kendall Square institutions gathered because they wanted to meet one another. They understood that, while their organizations had selected Kendall intentionally, they had a “last mile” problem. Long imagined research collaborations didn’t just spark out of thin air; relationships had to be established. Moreover, space had to be created for sharing and learning.
By the end of that breakfast, the Kendall Square Association was established to foster New Power in order to steward this place as not just another business district, but as a preeminent innovation district. Today, the imperative has never been stronger, and the KSA continues to be the platform enabling people to meet across Kendall so that they can make connections and drive forward the work that matters to them.
Get Smart on New Power at KSA’s Annual Meeting
We invite you to save the date for our Annual Meeting on April 3rd (7:30 to 9:30 AM at the Boston Marriott Cambridge) to meet New Power author Jeremy Heimans and to celebrate KSA’s 10th anniversary year.
The next decade will be about pushing this social experiment to new levels and we thought that New Power co-author, Jeremy Heimans, would be the perfect guide and provocateur to set the stage for what’s coming.
Through that lens, we’ll also share updates on the collective work the KSA is championing including transportation reform, placemaking, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The KSA is here to help us all up our game and advance our goals around the issues that mark the difference between Kendall being a place with an assortment of innovation-driven companies, and it being the world’s definitive and most cutting edge innovation community.
Power as a Current vs Currency
Old power is a currency held by few; new power is a current that flows through crowds. Old power operates in private; new power is radically transparent. Old power cultivates expertise; new power thrives on a “do it yourself” ethos.
Kendall Square knows New Power intuitively. Studying New Power and its drivers allows us to be even more intentional in designing an innovation community that reflects our values and ambitions. We hope you’ll join us on April 3rd to galvanize more energy for radical connectivity and collaboration across and with Kendall Square — together.
About the KSA
The Kendall Square Association is a next-generation community platform that connects, advocates for, and advances the goals of the world’s leading innovation ecosystem. Learn more about our mission, initiatives, and events at www.kendallsq.org and subscribe to our @KendallNow weekly newsletter.