It has been an especially busy stretch for us at CHEN PR. That’s really saying something given our usual schedules.
We’re moving it on over – to our new digs in Boston.
By this evening, we’ll be unpacking our stuff in our new digs. We’ve affectionately nicknamed our home base The Penthouse at 71Summer, since it’s
the top floor of a six-floor building.
We couldn’t be more excited.
We looked at dozens of places during the past six months, tromping through snow, rain, sleet and hail – and the odd sunny day. They ranged from regal to ramshackle, from brand-spanking-new to old-and-untouched. They spanned the Innovation District, the Financial District, Copley Square, North Station and just about every block in between.
It was the combo of the space and the feel of the ‘hood that won us over for 71 Summer. We sought a location we could put our stamp on. We’ve laid out our footprint to be exactly what we want.
The hum outside the office was at least as much of a draw.
We weren’t thinking about Downtown when we started our search. Tell folks you’re in tech and you’re on your way to the Innovation District faster than you can say “get the lease out.”
There’s good reason for that, too. Like many pockets in Boston and Cambridge, it’s a thriving ‘hood with lots of companies moving in, restaurants and bars opening, and a great buzz.
To us, Downtown feels like the Innovation District did 3-5 years ago. That – and the 1/5 mile walk to South Station – hooked us. In fact, we made our decision the week before @ScottKirsner published his Sunday Globe piece, Increasingly, tech firms are crossing river. He captured things perfectly…
We welcome being in-building neighbors with companies like @Apptopia, across the alley from @BoltBoston, a couple buildings over from @Kinvey, out the window from @Mobee, and a few minutes’ walk from @Localytics and @Directr and lots of others.
Notably, we’ve already christened a number of the ‘hood’s dining and drinking establishments – boasting one for whatever mood you’re in. Team meetings while walking through the Commons and Public Gardens will become a ritual.
Tough to get better than this.
Many of our ‘burbs-based clients are envious. We’re telling ‘em to come on in!
And we’ll be throwing a welcome to the new office bash in the coming weeks and once we get settled in.
I’ll miss the old place, though. I’ve spent 15+ years – half my working life – in Waltham at Reservoir Place. Great building. Great landlords. And just an exit down from Green Papaya! Put on your way-back-hat: we negotiated our first sublease with Narrative, which had extra space. Narrative got acquired by @Home, which merged with Excite and, ultimately, went away. We remained.
If these walls could talk, they’d tell some incredible stories (a handful of which we’d smack ‘em for doing!) While here, under the direction of some of the best pros in the business, we teamed with Electronic Arts to roll out the world’s first massively multiplayer game (Ultima Online). Brought Sycamore Networks through one of the world’s most successful IPOs. Blazed new paths in infosec and privacy with Palo Alto Networks, Blue Coat and RSA while establishing one of the industry’s most respected practices in this sector. Did the same – and with the same results – in networking and telco.
We grew up with Forte Software as it got acquired by Sun, then continued on with Sun for years. We partnered with Phase Forward to raise its brand and ultimately get acquired by Oracle. We enjoyed an equally productive relationship with Acme Packet, to which Oracle also took a shine. We witnessed the surge in clean tech including Boston-Power raising hundreds of millions in growth capital and today thriving by addressing the China market for EVs and energy storage. We’ve had the tremendous treat of working with the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge for years, promoting and curating panel sessions on a wide scope of innovation trends and topics.
We’re even busier as we relo into the city.
One thing is for sure. Technology – and the business and leisure time activities it permeates –is forever changing. We love living in the midst of this innovation ecosystem, helping companies from startups to multinationals define new markets, redefine existing ones – and change the world. We’re incredibly thankful for the people we get to work with and for and around.
And we’ll be flat-out giddy when we head to one of the many industry events we attend – next time on foot versus driving to same on the Expressway, Pike or 128!
In the memorable words of Buzz Lightyear…To Infinity and Beyond!