Do I have to be a Supporter to join Venture Café’s Thursday Gathering?
Thursday Gatherings will always be free for every member of our community and beyond. We believe that innovation is for everyone , and freely accessible Thursday Gatherings are a vital part of Ecosystem Activation.
For more support and feedback on your Supporter account, please visit our Venturer Support Page.
How is Venture Café Cambridge Structured and Funded?
VCGI, legally the “CIC Venture Cafe Global Institute”, is structured as a Delaware public benefit corporation (PBC) which reinvests all of its income in its mission. It was founded by Tim Rowe and incubated by Cambridge Innovation Center (a global operator of shared workspaces for innovators it calls innovation campuses). Later, it was spun out as a separate organization. CIC remains a close strategic partner and sponsor, including donation space for events within its locations.
Each Venture Café is typically funded by leading innovation players in its location: universities, consortia, governmental agencies, and operators of innovation-focused buildings and districts. Individual cafes may either be directly owned and operated by Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI), as is the case with Venture Café Cambridge, or may be a licensee operating under VCGI guidelines and frameworks. Funding for Venture Café Cambridge primarily consists of a mix of sponsorships and grants, which remain a key priority of Venture Café Cambridge however these can be prone to fluctuations in economic conditions.
Is my Supporter Contribution Considered Tax Deductible?
No, contributions to a public benefit corporation are not considered tax deductible. Please let us know via the feedback form if this is important to you.
How to install the Venture Café app
Once you check in at an event as a supporter, you will automatically come to the browser version of the app, displaying the event you just checked into with all the live events details. There you have instruction exactly how to install the app.
If you want to install the app before you check in, you can click this link on your phone and follow the instructions.
Android: Just tap three dots icon and then “Add to Home screen” and “Install”
iPhone: Just tap the share button and then “Add to Home screen“.
Where can I find the match making?
You will only be matched with other people that have checked into the event, so the matchmaking is only available during the event itself under the “Live now”-tab (The tab right next to the Home tab). When you check in, you will automatically be directed to “Live now” tab in the web version of the app. If you have the app installed and notifications on we will ask you if you want to view in the app instead.
Once you have checked in you will find the matchmaking under “Connecting Innovators” section.
