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IGNITING PHASE TWO Deep within downtown Boston's Bulfinch Triangle neighborhood, in a corner office overlooking a fluorescent-lit warren of cubicles and humming computers, Mark Atkins P'65, multitasks with gusto. In one fluid motion, the president and CEO of Invention Machine Corporation sends an email message on his Blackberry, troubleshoots an employee's problem and inspects sales figures on his laptop. As he edges the world's leading provider of corporate Empowering research and development teams around the globe to systematically conceive and design new and improved products, Invention Machine has thus far sparked innovation at more than 1,000 businesses in diverse industries. While the company may dominate in the market, its CEO comes across as anything but domineering in person. Both easygoing and infectiously exuberant, Atkins showers guests and business contacts with undivided attention and impeccable hospitality. After meetings, he has been known to follow them out the door with a complimentary lime seltzer. Perhaps that's one key to his three decades of success building startups and established firms in the computer and financial industries, and his effectiveness as a relatively young philanthropist on the boards of the American Jewish Committee, Combined Jewish Philanthropies and Hebrew College. In the past year, Atkins has applied his considerable entrepreneurial talents at Hebrew College, where he serves as chair of the Hebrew College Online (HCO) Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of the Board of Trustees. This fall he also became chair of the Development Committee, which is now formulating a strategy to raise $70 million to fund the second phase of the College's $100 million campaign to expand facilities and academic programs. "Mark knows what has to be done, he's willing to put the time and energy into it, and brings a very good business perspective to the campaign," says Ted Cutler. Atkins' expertise and commitment have made a strong impression on Trustee Ted Cutler: "Our mission is to make Hebrew College into the finest of its type in the country—to make it into a remarkable center of Jewish learning. Mark knows what has to be done, he's willing to put the time and energy into it, and he brings a very good business perspective to the campaign." For David Chivo, director of development, Atkins' appointment is timely. "Hebrew College is an entrepreneurial institution in a high-growth pattern that needs to be managed as a high-growth entity," he explains. "It therefore makes a lot of sense that as we reach a pivotal point in our history where we expect to grow phenomenally over the next three to five years, we have a person like Mark helping to lead the effort." A HIGH-TECH PHILANTHROPIST RISES FROM THE PROJECTS Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Atkins took what jobs came his way, working as a sales and financial manager for Polaroid and other large corporations. During a stint as senior vice president of Computer Solutions, which he helped transform from a startup to a major company, Atkins started longing to captain his own ship. So as the 1990s approached, he decided to build an international, $100 million high-tech corporation by the year 2000. "I figured that I would have to fail once, twice or three times," Atkins recalls. "I was willing to put all sorts of time and money into the effort, and if I failed, I would sweep floors." He subsequently launched Vality Technology, Inc., whose primary mission was to deliver high-quality data to corporate desktops. In 2002 Atkins sold Vality, by then a global company, for $100 million. At this point, he could have retired, but he had other ideas. "The '20s are for learning, the '30s for yearning, the '40s for earning and the '50s for returning," declares Atkins. "If you had a success like I did, you could afford to give back." In that spirit, he decided to use his accumulated wealth and expertise to positively impact both society at large and the Jewish community with which he strongly identifies. First, Atkins took over Invention Machine, because of its potential to improve the quality of life through new and improved products. Second, he started donating time and money to Jewish and higher educational organizations whose missions reflect his passions for strengthening civil rights and expanding Jewish educational opportunities. Inspired by President David Gordis's vision that lifelong Jewish learning opportunities should reach from the classroom to the desktop, Atkins chose to return to Hebrew College as a major donor and volunteer leader nearly four decades after his Prozdor graduation. "I hope they won't look at my transcripts at Hebrew College, because they were pretty sad," Atkins recalls. "I believe in payback in life, in closed-loop cycles. Maybe I'm coming back to contribute in ways that I didn't back then." APPLYING ENTREPRENEURIAL LESSONS AT HEBREW COLLEGE "Mark has been nothing less than an extraordinary chairman, cheerleader, manager and visionary at Hebrew College Online," says David Chivo. In the past decade nonprofits have increasingly adapted such disciplines to their own purposes, hiring administrators well-versed not only in their domain of expertise, but also in the dynamics of business. "The bottom line is that if you're not-for-profit, you still have to deal with your viability in challenging economic times," Atkins explains. "There's a lot of competition among philanthropic organizations for mind share and market share, as well as for contributions or donors." So at Hebrew College and other nonprofits of interest, Atkins devotes considerable attention to strategic planning and partnering, budgeting, branding, marketing and public relations. For instance, as chair of the HCO Strategic Planning Committee, he is now leading the committee's effort to prepare a business plan that pinpoints milestones and objectives for each function. Toward that end, he introduced a financial forecasting model that has enabled the committee to determine how many courses to offer and to project enrollment and tuition rates.
Deepening his involvement, Atkins now aims to help Hebrew College successfully reach its goal for Phase Two. As chair of the Development Committee since September, he is assembling a team of volunteers to develop a fundraising plan and to build strategic relationships with potential donors in the United States and beyond. For Board of Trustees Chair Mickey Cail, Atkins' enthusiasm for the campaign is paramount. "When you're with Mark," he observes, "you know you're with a live wire—a dynamic person who has been successful in business and knows how to put people together to get things done." Since 1997, Mark Dwortzan has contributed news and feature articles on science, technology, business and the environment to national magazines, websites and Boston-area universities and research centers. |
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innovation software and services a few steps closer to its financial goalposts, Atkins, 55, resembles a seasoned quarterback. His shoulders are broad, his handshake firm—and his gaze direct. Most importantly, his mission is clear. Above Atkins' desk a poster trumpets, "Sales Kickoff 2003: Domination Through Innovation."
Chivo, who has served on the HCO Committee for the past year, also credits Atkins with helping to upgrade the program's online courses in Jewish studies and Hebrew language. "Mark has been nothing less than an extraordinary chairman, cheerleader, manager and visionary at Hebrew College Online," he says.