Stepping Back, Scaling Up: Celebrating Success and Welcoming New Leadership
To the Startup Bucks Community:
It is bittersweet to share with you all that as of this month I am stepping out of the role of President & Executive Director of Startup Bucks to pursue new ventures. I am greatly looking forward to continuing to serve on the Board of Directors and advise the organization in the role of President Emeritus.
I’m very excited to share that one of our founding Board Members and a leading representative of the startup ecosystem, Det Ansinn, will be assuming the role of President effective October 2023. More below on the incredible experience Det brings to the role.
Since I first touched down in Bucks in 2018 it has been a privilege to play a part in the growth of the startup ecosystem in the County. From its roots as a weekly meetup at Stacks Co. in 2019, Startup Bucks has gone on to support over 400 startup founders and the Bucks Built Startup Fund has facilitated over $1 million in investment and grants to over two dozen local startups enabled by partnerships forged with the Bucks County Industrial Authority Authority, the County of Bucks and Commissioners, the PA Venture Fund, Penn Community Bank, the Small Business Administration via Congressman Fitzpatrick’s office, as well as many other sponsors and donors. Collaborations with local institutions including Bucks County Community College, Delaware Valley University, and Penn State Abington have further amplified the impact of the Startup Bucks mission to support new entrepreneurs with community, resources, and capital.
Bucks Built startups have gone on to raise a total of over $15 million in aggregate and have created dozens of new jobs. It’s incredible to think that the startups from Bucks County and beyond that have taken part in Startup Bucks programming such as Founder’s 30 have since raised nearly $100 million in aggregate, that we know of. While we certainly can’t take any credit for the hard work of those founders, it’s an honor to know that Startup Bucks may have played at least a small part in their journey.
As we usher in the next phase of Startup Bucks, that mission is in good hands with incoming President, Det Ansinn. Det is an entrepreneur through and through. He’s the CEO of Bricksimple, the groundbreaking Doylestown-based product development firm he founded in 2002. He has also played an active role on President Obama’s White House Business Council and served as as an elected official as Borough Council President in Doylestown. As an angel investor and leader of startups with multiple exits, Det brings a wealth of experience to support entrepreneurs and economic development in Bucks County.
I’m extremely grateful for all that Startup Bucks has accomplished, for the direction from our Board Members past and present, for the contributions of all in our community, and foremost to all the startup founders who put in the hard work and pay it forward to their peers.
I’m fortunate and pumped to be able to continue to take part in and witness the next generation of startup entrepreneurship in Bucks County.
Stay starting,
Jon Mercer
President Emeritus
