NEW INC was established in 2013 as the first museum-led incubator. Based in New York City at the New Museum, NEW INC sits at the intersection of art, design and technology working with an interdisciplinary mix of artists, designers, futurists, technologists and creative entrepreneurs. It’s not merely about business and funding like typical incubators: it’s everything from new business, to ambitious art installations, to provocative experiments in science and urban design.
NEW INC “reimagines how a museum could behave in the 21st century” and seeks to “infuse a cultural agenda back into words like innovation, entrepreneur, and incubator.”
– Karen Wong, NEW INC Cofounder and New Museum Deputy Director, from NEW INC’s Five Year Report
And, the stats are impressive:
- 100 creative entrepreneurs served annually
- 350+ in the alumni network and 175+ in the mentor network
- 50% women and 49% people of color (cumulative five year average)
- 175 businesses created or retained in NYC since 2015 and 392 jobs created.
- $17 million raised in investment capital
THE INTERVIEW
Samantha Diamond, CultureConnect’s CEO and NEW INC mentor, sat down with NEW INC’s Director, Stephanie Pereira and Head of Programs, Kelsa Trom to learn more about what makes this incubator unique, the growing Museum Technology Track, and what inspires their work today and their big plans for the future.
SD: At this year’s NEW INC Demo Day, we were really blown away by the members and their presentations. How do you select each year’s cohort?
SP: Thanks! Demo Day is a special moment in the year where we invite a small number of our members to present in front of an invite-only audience of investors, creative directors, prospective business partners and curators. We have some key criteria for inviting people to the stage on Demo Day – we assess who in the program is at a place where they’re ready for exposure and are at a pivotal moment in their project or business. We also look for diversity of presenters and of practice to show the breadth of disciplines and areas of expertise that our members embody.
How far along are concepts when participants first join NEW INC?
It varies – some folks apply to our program with just an idea, others with a proof of concept, others with a fledgling business that they’d like to grow or develop in a new way. For us, what matters most is the people – not just their projects. If an individual with a prior history of creative excellence applies to NEW INC with a new idea, they’re likely to find a home here.
What inspired the development of the Museum Technology Track and how did you make it happen?
The Museum Technology Track, now entering its third year, is a program funded by the Knight Foundation that addresses a perceived gap in access to accessible, off-the-shelf technology that any museum, regardless of size or resources, can use to improve audience engagement. Within the Track, our members spend a year researching and prototyping a new product in partnership with a museum that shares their vision.
This was certainly one of the reasons I founded CultureConnect! What’s your vision for how to solve this in the context of NEW INC?
Many of the small design and tech agencies in places like New York would love to be partnering with cultural organizations – but museums are rarely able to afford these bespoke agency services. We’re at a moment in which larger and more established institutions are outpacing small museums’ technological capabilities with more speed and agility than ever, and we feel that it’s crucial for the benefits and the experiences afforded by tech – whether in exhibitions and visitors’ experiences or behind the scenes in museum infrastructure – is crucial.
Our vision is to impact the capabilities and the future direction of the broader museum field. By working collaboratively with museums outside of New York City, we’re able to cultivate diverse perspectives among our Track members and their partners.
It’s been fantastic joining the NEW INC mentor community. Can you share more about how you see the role of mentors in the program? What makes for a really good mentor?
Mentors have a huge hand in shaping our members’ experience of NEW INC – and for many folks, cultivating a relationship with a mentor is considered the most valuable part of their time with us. This year every team at NEW INC will be paired with a dedicated mentor to coach them throughout the year. Mentors also offer Office Hours, during which they dive into a specific problem and have deeper one-on-one conversations to work through challenges and offer feedback. Additionally, we have engaged a Museum Technology Mentor in Residence to focus on the specific needs of developing a human-centered, scalable product. A good mentor is first and foremost a good listener. When it comes to creative entrepreneurship, there is no single script for personal and professional growth to follow. When mentors can offer pointed, specific advice on a consistent problem area, we see real opportunities for transformation among our members.
