Brian Hanna, operations manager of MIT Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), connects skilled volunteer mentors with MIT entrepreneurs looking to launch, expand, and enhance their vision.
MIT VMS is a free service, supporting innovation across the Institute, available to all current MIT students, staff members, faculty members, or alums of a degree-granting program living in the Greater Boston area. If a community member has an idea that they'd like help developing, Hanna and his team will match them with a team of mentors who can provide practical, as-needed expertise and knowledge to guide your venture.
VMS is part of the MIT ecosystem for entrepreneurs. VMS mentors are selected for their experience in areas relevant to entrepreneurs' needs and assist with a range of business challenges, including marketing, finance, and product development. As the program celebrates its 25th anniversary of serving MIT's entrepreneurial community, it has supported more than 3,500 ventures and mentored over 4,800 participants.
When Hanna began working at VMS in 2023, he was new to the program but not to the Institute. Prior to joining VMS, he served as the employer relations coordinator in Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD), where he worked with companies interested in recruiting MIT talent. His responsibilities included organizing career fairs, scheduling interviews, and building relationships with various local employers. After two years at CAPD, Hanna transitioned to the role of center coordinator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research . While Hanna does not claim to be a neuroscientist, his organizational skills proved valuable as he supported six different research centers at McGovern, with research ranging from autism to bionics.
As the VMS operations manager, Hanna supervises staff members who run events and boot camps and schedule an average of 50 mentoring sessions a month. Whether it's a first-time entrepreneur who comes up with an idea on their morning commute or an industry veteran with licensing and a patent in place, Hanna strategically matches them with mentors who can help them build their skill set and grow their business. Hanna also provides oversight to over 200 volunteer VMS mentors, half of which are MIT alumni.
In addition to processing all incoming applications (about 25 per month), Hanna also oversees a monthly mentor meeting centered around strengthening the VMS mentor community. During the meeting, the VMS team shares announcements, discusses upcoming events, hosts guest speakers, and invites a group of current ventures to give four-minute pitches for additional advice. These pitches allow mentees to receive input from the entire mentor network, rather than just their mentor team.
The relationship between mentees, mentors, and VMS does not have an expiration date. Hanna notes that a saying in the office is, "we are VMS for life." This rings true, as some ventures and mentors have been a part of the program for most of its 25-year existence.
When a mentee is ready to meet with their mentors for the first time, VMS aims to schedule an in-person meeting to create a strong relationship. After that, the program embraces the flexibility of meeting via Zoom to help make scheduling easier. One of the most valuable resources outside of the mentoring sessions is the theme-specific boot camps sprinkled throughout the year. These sessions are four- or five-hour events led by mentors who cover topics such as marketing, business-to-business sales, or building an IP portfolio. They serve as crash courses where mentees can learn the basics of important aspects of entrepreneurship. Another resource offered to active mentees is office hours with experts in areas such as human resources, legal, and accounting.
In December, VMS will celebrate its 25th anniversary with an event honoring current and former mentors. The event will look back on 25 years of impact and look ahead to the future of the program.
Soundbytes
Q: Do you have an MIT memory or project that brings you pride?
Hanna: At the McGovern Institute, I was part of a team that worked on the first board meeting and launch event for the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics , which was an incredible experience. It was a brand-new research center led by world-class researchers and innovators. Since it was the first board meeting it was a big deal, so we planned to host a celebration tied to the meeting. There were a lot of moving parts and collaboration between faculty, researchers, staff, board members, and vendors. It took place at the tail end of Covid, which was an added challenge. With such an important event you don't want to let anyone down. In the end, it worked out really well, was a fun event to be a part of, and something I never thought I would be able to do.
Q: How would you describe the community at MIT?
Hanna: Very welcoming. I was intimidated when I first interviewed at MIT because, as someone who isn't a STEM person, MIT was never on my radar. Then a job came up, and I thought, I'll apply for that. When I started working here, there was always someone available to provide assistance and point me in the right direction. Everyone is incredibly talented and innovative - not just in creating things, but also in problem-solving and finding ways to collaborate. Each time I changed roles, everyone I met was down-to-earth, kind, and extremely helpful during onboarding. It was never sink or swim - it was always nurturing.
Q: What advice would you give to a new staff member at MIT?
Hanna: Make connections with people outside of your immediate network. Get involved in the community by attending events or reaching out to people. For both jobs which I held after working at CAPD, I reached out to the hiring manager when I saw the job posting and asked a couple clarifying questions. Also, it's important to know that everything is numbered; the buildings, the majors, everything.
