093: Stephanie Roulic, Startup Boston founder/CEO

Guest Stephanie Roulic is the founder and CEO of Startup Boston where she’s become a driving force behind Boston's startup ecosystem. Through Startup Boston, Roulic is on a mission to bring networking opportunities that bridge connections between people from different industries and companies from all stages. She leads a team of dedicated volunteers who are all aligned in fulfilling Startup Boston’s vision to establish a more connected Boston business ecosystem. Since co-founding the martech company nDash in 2016, she recognized the need for meaningful connections in the local startup community. This led her to also launch Startup Boston Week in 2017, an annual event that brings together thousands of attendees and hundreds of speakers, including industry luminaries such as Brian Halligan and Jules Pieri. Throughout her journey, Roulic's leadership and passion have shone brightly. From being the first non-engineering hire and employee number 11 at Goldcast, she built out and managed customer success and support teams. She's played an instrumental role at MassChallenge and nDash as well, demonstrating her expertise in community-building and client support. Her accomplishments extend to education where she advises Suffolk University's Management & Entrepreneurship Career Community Advisory Group. In 2022, her efforts with Startup Boston were recognized by the Boston Business Journal as she was named one of BBJ’s 2022 40 Under 40 Honorees; and prior to that was named to BBJ’s Power 50 for 2020. Her strategic prowess is evident in securing sponsorships, developing onboarding strategies, and creating year-round initiatives and events. With a commitment to diversity, her leadership has resulted in Startup Boston Week drawing a majority representation of women and people of color among speakers. Roulic's journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dedication to her craft and community led her to embrace roles at Geek Girl, where she served as Program Coordinator as a dedicated volunteer. From nDash's inception to the birth of Startup Boston, Stephanie Roulic's profound impact on Boston's startup ecosystem is truly commendable.