The Underground

Last Tuesday, Mitch MacCombie, ’11, launched an organization called The Underground that is “an inclusive community... creating a new type of entrepreneurial ecosystem.” The Underground (not to be confused with Brown's coffee shop) will highlight the experiences of anyone underrepresented in entrepreneurship. It also will have a guide of resources that can connect members with people and groups that have opted in to be supporters of the organization, along with speaker series and programming to build skills. Although there is an application process, MacCombie says already having a successful business is not a prerequisite.After his own experience in entrepreneurship (where he was meeting with “95% straight white males”) and his experience teaching entrepreneurship with the NYC non-profit BUILD, MacCombie saw there was a need for a something to change the narrative around entrepreneurship. “There should be nobody, in an ideal economy… who does not see success simply because they don’t now the right people,” MacCombie said. Therefore, part of The Underground is trying to fill the gap of relationships and connections to capital entrepreneurs needed to scale their ideas. MacCombie explained that he knew he had a good idea when people were willing to spend their Friday nights working on the project with him. He also wanted to emphasize that The Underground recognizes the existence of other resources and guides for underrepresented groups, but his organization compiles it in one place and fosters the community and connections vital for business.Like any good entrepreneur, MacCombine took Engine 9 at Brown with Professor Hazeltine, who taught him not about making money, but how to change the world. From his larger experience at Brown, he learned that entrepreneurship is not a career, but a way of thinking.After their launch last week, The Underground is sifting through applications for its initial group and planning on hosting their first event in two weeks. The programming is going to “highlight lessons, experiences, and actionable knowledge of people whose representation in entrepreneurship is below the general population.” The biggest challenge getting to the starting line of the launch was scaling support, MacCombie mentioned. In a new business, he said, you have to fight for each endorsement; it’s not going to scale like you think.His advice to those aspiring entrepreneurs in Engine 9? “Make sure you have something that people want.” He learned from The Underground’s steering committee that what they want is not always what the people want, and you have to continuously refine your message. “It all comes down to how you frame the story,” MacCombie said. Having something that is emotionally resonant and easy to understand, he said, is the difference between idea and actuality.