Despite boasting one of the nation’s premier tech clusters — buoyed by abundant venture capital, world-class universities and a sizable Black population — Boston still trails peer cities in producing Black-founded startups. Nothing illustrates that gap more starkly than the impending shutdown of Hack.Diversity, the nonprofit that since 2016 has worked tirelessly to diversify the region’s innovation ecosystem.
On August 30, Hack.Diversity will cease operations. In just nine years the program matched more than 600 Black and Latinx fellows with paid internships, mentorship and technical training at marquee employers such as CarGurus, Rapid7, Liberty Mutual and dozens of others. Those placements translated into full-time roles across Greater Boston, proving that when diverse talent is given a real on-ramp, the entire ecosystem benefits.
In 2024, the majority of their fellows were making between $75,000 and $150,000 a year, far exceeding any control group. Over a lifetime, the investment in skill-building, time and resources to support those fellows had a return on investment (ROI) measured in earning capacity of over $1 million.
So why close?
1. Declining internships.
This year Hack.Diversity could place only 70 fellows across 15 companies — a steep drop from prior cohorts—revealing that many Boston tech firms’ public commitments to equity are, at best, paper-thin.
2. Eroding financial support. Consistent philanthropic and corporate funding never materialized.
3. Industry headwinds. A post-pandemic tech slowdown and rapid adoption of AI have shrunk entry-level programming roles — the footholds historically used to launch diverse tech careers.
Co-founder Jeff Bussgang rightly celebrates the program’s decade of impact, urging alumni and allies to continue the mission. But allowing the city’s flagship diversity pipeline to collapse is not merely the loss of one organization; it’s an indictment of Boston’s fragmented, episodic approach to inclusion.
Why this matters
First, technology generates high-quality jobs, and when equity is built in, it becomes one of the most powerful engines¬ of wealth generation available. Tech can create millionaires, revitalize neighborhoods and provide alternatives to displacement and gentrification. That’s why other cities are making deliberate investments in Black-founded, STEM-based startups: they see inclusive innovation as central to their long-term prosperity. They see it as key to their city’s future.
In Boston, the story is different. Our housing market is among the nation’s most expensive not only because of demand, but because participation in the innovation economy is so uneven. A largely white workforce benefits from tech’s prosperity, while many Black and brown residents are excluded. This divide drives up costs for everyone not fully plugged into the innovation economy.
Second, inclusive tech makes the world better. The challenges we face — climate, health, inequality — require the broadest possible set of problem solvers. When diverse founders gain capital and support, they not only expand opportunity but also generate solutions that mainstream markets often overlook.
Third, this is about national competitiveness. The real digital divide today isn’t who owns smartphones — it’s who builds the technology behind them. America will only remain competitive if we widen the circle of who gets to create, not just consume, innovation.
Finally, role models and returns matter. Representation creates a pipeline: successful Black founders inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and reassure venture capitalists that these deals are worth taking. And funds like Reinventure Capital demonstrate that investing in diverse founders doesn’t mean sacrificing returns — it can mean outperforming the market.
A practical path forward: Move Hack.Diversity to Roxbury Community College
Boston doesn’t lack talent, capital or institutions; it lacks resolve. Roxbury Community College offers the perfect home to reboot Hack.Diversity. RCC already delivers workforce training and has the facilities, faculty and community ties to scale technical programs quickly and equitably.
What would it take?
• Annual budget of $1.5 million: pocket change for a venture ecosystem that routinely writes $10–50 million Series A checks.
• Lead investors: Boston’s top VCs and innovation-driven corporates, who constantly tout their commitment to diversity.
• ROI: A deeper, more resilient talent pool; faster time-to-hire; stronger community relations; demonstrable progress toward equity goals.
From rhetoric to results
Boston prides itself on being a crucible of innovation and progressive values. Yet Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and the Bay Area outperform Boston when it comes to Black startup formation — largely because they invest consistently in diverse talent pipelines. Saving and relocating Hack. Diversity to RCC would signal that Boston has moved beyond lip service to sustained, systemic action.
The choice is stark:
• Do nothing and watch decades of diversity talk evaporate along with a program that actually delivered results.
• Step up — commit the modest capital required, embed Hack.Diversity at RCC and build the inclusive tech ecosystem Boston claims to champion.
If you or your firm are ready to act, email info@hackdiversity.com. The clock is ticking toward August 30. Boston’s innovation leaders must decide whether their legacy will be another missed opportunity — or the moment they transformed rhetoric into reality.
Ed Gaskin is the Greater Grove Hall Main Streets executive director and a graduate of MIT’s Sloan School of Managemen.
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