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          Women's Network
          A Fireside Chat with Dr. Melissa Gilliam, Boston University

          This Women's Network event will offer an insightful conversation with Dr. Melissa Gilliam, the 11th President of Boston University and both the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the institution since its founding in 1869.

          06/18/2025

          11:30am - 1:00pm

          Fairmont Copley Plaza

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Special Event
          Talent and Competitiveness in 2025: Finding Opportunity in Uncertain Times

          Join the Chamber and Massachusetts Business Roundtable for a deep dive into employer insights, featuring analysis from McKinsey and a panel of experts.

          06/26/2025

          11:00am - 12:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Mass General Brigham

          Join us for our installment of the Pacesetters Doing Business series featuring Mass General Brigham on June 26, 2025.

          06/26/2025

          1:00pm - 2:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Insights
        • Transformational DEI Certificate

          This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
          Authentic Professionalism for Early Career Professionals

          Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
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          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          Read More
          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For over 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

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A Chamber Member Story

MK3 Creative

May 14, 2024

Welcome to our Member Spotlight Q&A series, where we turn the spotlight on the vibrant individuals and businesses that drive innovation and excellence in our Greater Boston region. Join us as we delve into the journeys, inspirations, and impact of our diverse members, highlighting the unique contributions they make to our thriving community.

How would you describe your business in a few sentences?

We are a creative services agency dedicated to providing digital solutions that help our clients tell their stories and build their brands. Our sweet spot is in videos and events, and we’re driven by a creative process that is defined by innovation and collaboration.

We are strategic in thought, transparent in purpose, and guided by integrity.  Our mission is for each project to be as successful as it is seamless – on time, on budget, and on target.

Can you share a memorable success story or milestone related to your business?

Last year on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a powerful and long-awaited memorial dedicated to the civil rights leader was unveiled on the Boston Common.  And MK3 was there.

The Embrace is a 22-foot sculpture inspired by a famous photo of King and his wife Coretta Scott King embracing after he won the Nobel Peace Prize. MK3 had the privilege of producing and managing the main stage for this historic unveiling event. Our team was on-site for 4 days to coordinate all aspects of the set-up and production for an in-person audience of over 1,000 and television audiences across the country.

In addition to our technical contributions, we also managed a diverse lineup of distinguished guest speakers, including Mayor Michelle Wu, newly elected Governor Maura Healey, and the King family; Martin Luther King III, his wife Andrea Waters King, and their daughter Yolanda Renee King.

The historic Embrace memorial now stands in one of America’s most historic cities in the nation’s oldest public park.  The event was important to the city of Boston and resonated well beyond. MK3 was there, ensuring the event was successfully produced and a legacy secured.

How is your business involved in the local community?

MK3 shows our commitment to the local community through our active support of local organizations and program planning throughout the year.

The following are three examples of the local organizations MK3 supports.

Loop Lab:

This organization is a BIPOC-led nonprofit social enterprise specializing in media arts internships and digital storytelling in Greater Boston. Their mission is to empower Womxn and People of Color in the media arts to develop careers in audio/video through job training and job placement.

  • MK3 team members have visited the Loop Lab location in Boston
  • MK3 had Loop Lab team members join our monthly Educational Meeting to speak about the program and what it offers to youth in the Boston community
  • We are currently setting up a Mentorship program

Junior Achievement:

This organization’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Their program focuses on high school students, teaching foundational leadership skills they can use as they move on to college and the workforce. MK3 has led seminars for Junior Achievement.

  • Presentation skills, led by Alexandria Hunter-Whalen, VP of Strategy and Operations
  • Sales skills, led by Joel Kaplan, Principal/Founder

Thompson Island Outward Bound (recently renamed Cathleen Stone Island Outward Bound Education Center):

Thompson Island Outward Bound is a program for school-age youth to boost their academic success and personal growth through S.T.E.M. education. Last summer, MK3 went out to the island for a day of cleanup and an educational session on their program; joined by 50 colleagues, family, and friends, MK3 helped promote the mission.

MK3 Member Story

What sets your business apart from others in your industry?

Collaboration and teamwork are the cornerstones of our company culture at MK3. We may not see each other every day, but we still make the effort to get to know and understand one another. We have weekly rotating team building meetings as a chance to get together, learn from each other and even just to have some fun! These meetings rotate between educational, creative, relationship management and our favorite, the fun meeting. We developed this back when COVID first hit to keep virtually face-to-face with the whole team, and it has continued to be a weekly favorite. Whether we’re teaching each other wellness tips, playing a game of charades, or celebrating a recent accomplishment for the team, these meetings have proved to be a morale booster and elevate our company culture.

To kick off every year, MK3 conducts a three-day strategic offsite for the entire team and their partners. It’s time for the MK3 team to reflect on the previous year, strategize on how to foster our creative offerings, and grow our business while bonding as a team.

MK3 is a small agency with only 15 employees. Our size does not matter; we work with some of the largest companies in the world, including several Fortune 500 companies.

What do you believe are 3 attributes to success for doing business in the Greater Boston community? 

Values: MK3 is built on a foundation of principles that guide us every day – qualities we value in our customers, our partners and ourselves.

  • Integrity
  • Accountability
  • Creativity
  • Customer Focus
  • Relationship Building
  • Collaboration
  • Quality
  • Innovation
  • Diversity
  • Passion

Education: MK3 is deeply and explicitly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in our organizational culture, our services and our talent practices. We embrace our differences, encourage unique perspectives and hold ourselves accountable so that each member of our team feels comfortable, valued, heard and respected. We participate in professional training to support agency-wide commitment to action and encourage participation to stimulate meaningful, open dialogue. We recognize that our commitment to DE&I requires a dedication to continuous learning – we will make mistakes, but we are determined to learn, grow from them and strengthen our existing efforts and practices.

Adaptability: The MK3 team had to learn to adapt to new working standards, to work in a different world. MK3 experienced our best growth following the pandemic. This growth shows our adaptability in the workplace.

How has your membership/involvement with the Chamber supported your business or contributed to your success?

The Chamber has helped MK3 grow our community engagement. Being introduced to new people and new companies has helped us develop relationships with others and grow our business. After receiving one of the Small Business Awards last year, MK3 has gained more visibility and outreach from colleagues and other companies.

Are there any Greater Boston businesses that have inspired your work? 

Small businesses are the driving forces behind the economy.

The MK3 team is active within the following business organizations within Boston and New England:

  • Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • Massachusetts Production Coalition (MPC)
  • Women in Film & Video New England (WIFVNE)
  • American Marketing Association Boston Chapter (AMA)
  • Ad Club
  • Hult International Business School – Cambridge

Since 2009, MK3 has conducted an internship program year-round with Boston University, Boston College, Babson College, Bentley University, UMass and Emerson College. Our team has participated in Emerson’s senior residency capstone program (BCE) for three years.

Every year, MK3 continues to do pro-bono work for local non-profits that support our community. These organizations include the following:

  • Family Reach Foundation
  • Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (Joel Kaplan is a former board member)
  • Joe Andruzzi Foundation
  • The Cat Connection (Joel Kaplan was a former advisory board member)
  • All Cats All the Time (Joel Kaplan is a current board member)
  • Fresh Films

MK3 feels it’s essential to support our local small businesses, college students and non-profit organizations within our community.

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