Innovator Stories
Andrew Fitch is Lever’s new Community Engagement Manager, and he’s ready to hit the ground running.
An “extreme extrovert,” Fitch has worked to build community and support startup founders in a few different capacities, from leading community and inclusion programming at software development bootcamp Galvanize to directing diversity, equity, and inclusion at web performance and security startup Cloudflare.
At Lever, Fitch will lead community engagement efforts for the Massachusetts Founders Network (MFN). He’ll work closely with founders, entrepreneur support organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure MFN is meeting its audience where they are with resources, networking opportunities, and tools to grow their startups.
Innovator Stories
Meet Andrew Fitch
Andrew Fitch is Lever’s new Community Engagement Manager, and he’s ready to hit the ground running.
An “extreme extrovert,” Fitch has worked to build community and support startup founders in a few different capacities, from leading community and inclusion programming at software development bootcamp Galvanize to directing diversity, equity, and inclusion at web performance and security startup Cloudflare.
At Lever, Fitch will lead community engagement efforts for the Massachusetts Founders Network (MFN). He’ll work closely with founders, entrepreneur support organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure MFN is meeting its audience where they are with resources, networking opportunities, and tools to grow their startups.
“It’s always my goal to make sure every voice is heard–and that people are encouraged to contribute and feel empowered to share,” he said. “If we aren’t hearing those unique ideas, we’re losing out on potential success.”
During his time in Silicon Valley, Fitch was inspired by how many different paths can lead someone to the tech space. “At Galvanize, there were so many people running with their passions. They had gone from chef, artist, painter, teacher, to learning how to become web developers. A lot of them were doing it to launch startups,” he said.
At Cloudflare, he worked to empower and engage employees through resource and discussion groups and culture changes informed by DEI work. “During the pandemic, our virtual content kind of became the culture of the organization,” he said. During America’s 2020 racial reckoning, those groups became important spaces for folks to share their experiences, and for leaders to listen. “It was a hit, and it was the right thing to do,” he said. “It ended up driving a lot of social connections. People wanted to be part of it.”
Fitch is originally from Marshfield, Mass., and spent years living and working in Boston. He ended up in North Adams during the pandemic, a small city with an inclusive community where he could put down roots. North Adams’ can-do attitude appealed to him, and since moving here full-time in 2021, he’s become an active community volunteer, helping facilitate LGBTQIA+ events as a leader of North Adams Pride and organizing downtown events as a part of North Adams’ First Fridays events. He also is redeveloping a couple of commercial buildings downtown, and was recently elected to the North Adams City Council.
Fitch learned about Lever through his North Adams volunteer work, and was excited when he saw a listing for his new gig. “This is exactly the kind of thing I like to do,” he said. “I’ve always worked in community engagement, in every role I have had. Lever focuses on quality and providing value to entrepreneurs, and I’m excited to be part of that.”
Andrew said he is particularly eager to leverage the breadth of his community engagement work and pan-Massachusetts experience to unite the state’s entire entrepreneurship ecosystem through MFN: “Startups across the MA are doing incredible things, and I am confident that we can help deliver equitable access to resources, and enable their success no matter where in the state they are located.”
“It’s always my goal to make sure every voice is heard–and that people are encouraged to contribute and feel empowered to share,” he said. “If we aren’t hearing those unique ideas, we’re losing out on potential success.”
During his time in Silicon Valley, Fitch was inspired by how many different paths can lead someone to the tech space. “At Galvanize, there were so many people running with their passions. They had gone from chef, artist, painter, teacher, to learning how to become web developers. A lot of them were doing it to launch startups,” he said.
At Cloudflare, he worked to empower and engage employees through resource and discussion groups and culture changes informed by DEI work. “During the pandemic, our virtual content kind of became the culture of the organization,” he said. During America’s 2020 racial reckoning, those groups became important spaces for folks to share their experiences, and for leaders to listen. “It was a hit, and it was the right thing to do,” he said. “It ended up driving a lot of social connections. People wanted to be part of it.”
Fitch is originally from Marshfield, Mass., and spent years living and working in Boston. He ended up in North Adams during the pandemic, a small city with an inclusive community where he could put down roots. North Adams’ can-do attitude appealed to him, and since moving here full-time in 2021, he’s become an active community volunteer, helping facilitate LGBTQIA+ events as a leader of North Adams Pride and organizing downtown events as a part of North Adams’ First Fridays events. He also is redeveloping a couple of commercial buildings downtown, and was recently elected to the North Adams City Council.
Fitch learned about Lever through his North Adams volunteer work, and was excited when he saw a listing for his new gig. “This is exactly the kind of thing I like to do,” he said. “I’ve always worked in community engagement, in every role I have had. Lever focuses on quality and providing value to entrepreneurs, and I’m excited to be part of that.”
Andrew said he is particularly eager to leverage the breadth of his community engagement work and pan-Massachusetts experience to unite the state’s entire entrepreneurship ecosystem through MFN: “Startups across the MA are doing incredible things, and I am confident that we can help deliver equitable access to resources, and enable their success no matter where in the state they are located.”