About Paul
Paul Cheek is a serial tech entrepreneur, entrepreneurship educator, author, and software engineer. He is the Executive Director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the MIT Sloan School of Management, the and the author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics.
Bio
Paul Cheek is a serial tech entrepreneur, educator, author, and software engineer. He is the Executive Director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics.
In his role as the Executive Director of the Trust Center, Paul is responsible for the development of the Trust Center’s strategy and operational plans for MIT’s entrepreneurship programs and courses. He serves as an ambassador of entrepreneurship education to students, alumni, and members of the local and global entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Paul was MIT’s first Hacker in Residence and has since taught, mentored, and advised thousands of entrepreneurs around the world. Paul designed and now leads a new advanced course he developed to help student entrepreneurs build their businesses called “Venture Creation Tactics”. Additionally, Paul teaches hundreds of MIT and Harvard undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students each year in the historic "New Enterprises" course.
Paul’s book, Disciplined Entrepreneurship Tactics, will be released on April 2nd, 2024. The book provides a systematic approach for entrepreneurs to learn the skills needed to turn their ideas into businesses. It details much of the content covered in his esteemed Venture Creation Tactics course.
Prior to his work at MIT, Paul was the co-founder of Oceanworks and Work Today. Oceanworks is a for profit company with a mission to end plastic pollution. Work Today is a venture backed digital staffing and recruiting company. Through his leadership at these companies, Paul was recognized in 2021 by Forbes 30 Under 30, the definitive list of young people changing the world. Paul has also built technologies for and consulted with LogMeIn, BlackRock, Prudential, Mazda, and more. Paul serves on the CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Board and the MIT Sandbox Funding Board.
You can learn more about Paul on his website, PaulCheek.com, or follow him on LinkedIn.
Short Bio
Paul Cheek is a serial tech entrepreneur, entrepreneurship educator, software engineer, author, and patented inventor. He is the Executive Director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics. Paul was MIT’s first Hacker in Residence and has since taught, mentored, and advised thousands of entrepreneurs around the world. Paul was named to Forbes 30 Under 30, the definitive list of young people changing the world. Paul is a co-founder of Oceanworks, a for-profit company with a mission to end plastic pollution and previously co-founded Work Today, a venture-backed digital staffing and recruiting company. Paul advises startups and both speaks and consults with Fortune 500 companies and universities globally to advance entrepreneurship. You can learn more about Paul on his website, PaulCheek.com, or follow him on LinkedIn.
Currently
Executive Director & Entrepreneur in Residence, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management
Co-Founder & Advisor, Oceanworks
Co-Founder & Advisor, BillPayLater Inc. (Willow)
Recent News
MIT News
May 3, 2024
3 Questions: Paul Cheek on tactics for new startups
Duct Tape Marketing
April 29, 2024
How to Be an Entrepreneur in 2024: 15 Tactics Revealed
Inc. Magazine
April 16, 2024
Why You Might Be Hiring Engineers Too Soon
MIT Ideas Made to Matter
April 10, 2024
Startup Tactics: How and When to Hire Technical Talent
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
April 9, 2024
Ask the Board: Starting a Small Business? How To Find Your First Customers
Entrepreneur Magazine
April 2, 2024
Want to Test Your Business Idea Without Spending Much Money? Use the "Mousetrap" Model
MIT Sloan
April 2, 2024
MIT Sloan professors lay out tactical roadmaps for entrepreneurs
Financial Times
June 11, 2023
Schools boost efforts to encourage entrepreneurial mindset in finance
The Economic Times, The India Times (India)
Sep 15, 2022
Successful entrepreneurs now deploy cutting-edge tech tools, venture creation tactics — and a social vision that extends beyond profit maximisation
Handelsblatt (Germany)
Jul 18, 2022
Top US Universities and Their Founding Turbo: Why so Many Successful Companies are Emerging There (German)
MIT News
May 18, 2022
MIT Sloan students learn about civil rights history with a tour of the Deep South
Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
May 9, 2022
Paul Cheek Named Trust Center Executive Director
MIT Sloan Management Review (Poland)
March 12, 2022
Tactical Approach to Technology
Pivot (Japan)
March 15, 2022
Climate Change and Entrepreneurship
MIT News
March 11, 2022
Historic Entrepreneurship Course Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
Sustainable Brands
February 24, 2022
From Shores to Shelves: Codifying Ocean Plastic Supply Chains
Forbes
December 21, 2021
Meet The Forbes Under 30 Leading The Green Energy Transition
Business Because
May 27, 2021
The Rise Of TikTok Entrepreneurs: How Useful Is Their Business Advice?
Wall Street Journal
April 9, 2020
Hackathons Target Coronavirus
Patents
Awards
Change Agents Sustainability Award - Earthfirst Award for Operational Excellence in Sustainability (Oceanworks)
Forbes 30 Under 30 - Energy
Cisco Spark the Industry - Best in Sales