Wednesday, October 27, 2010

2010 All-Stars

MHT All-Star Kiki Mills: A people person

Who she is: President, Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange

Education: Bachelor’s degree in international studies, American University

In a nutshell: “I’m an evangelist. I help people understand the lay of the land.” 

On people: Mills loves meeting people. “I spent countless hours over the years trying to get to know every person in the industry. The most rewarding part of my job is all the people I’ve met.”

Leading by example: “Being a success is a shared responsibility between the employee and the employer. I look to myself first to make sure that I have provided the right environment, tools and encouragement for my employees to succeed. If I’ve done that right, then I’ve done my job.”

Mentors: Mills credits former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Paul Joubert with teaching her how to simplify things and think on a different level. Yankee Group’s Emily Green granted her confidence in her ability and the importance of understanding people. Holland Mark’s Chris Colbert educated Mills in strategic thinking. MITX founder Michael Barron reinforced her decisions and made her feel valued.

Renewable energy:  “What gets me up in the morning is helping people. I love building community. I love helping people. I get my energy from people.”

Young beginnings: “My mom loves to tell this story that up until preschool I was incredibly shy, did not like people very much and would never leave her side.

She would literally have to drag me into preschool and I would just hang by myself and not talk to anyone. Then one day, I did a complete about face. As she got out of the car to walk (drag) me into school, I just looked at her and told her that I would walk in on my own. After that, she couldn’t get me to shut up!”
What people don’t know: “I tried out for cheerleading three years in a row and never made it.”

The future: Mills will be moving to San Francisco, where her fiancé recently found a job. Her initial to-do’s include exploring San Francisco, reading a lot of books and figuring out what she wants to do. First though, she said, “I’m going to be a dog mom and walk my dog every day.”

Advice to her successor: “Three things: one, be passionate — there’s so much to be excited about for MITX and for the region; two, be a good listener — people want to be heard; and three, care. I have always been humbled by how much people care about the organization, how much people help us and want us to succeed. Care even more for them, and you will be rewarded.”

— Lynette Cornell

Emily Green on Kiki Mills
Yankee Group CEO Emily Green is vice chairman of MITX’s board of directors and has known Mills since 2001.

What people don’t know: “She power walks to work and will sometimes arrive at a meeting breathless.”

Her personality: “Whatever she tackles, she’s enthusiastic about. She’s a sponge for feedback.”

What she’s good at: “What she does try, she’ll do well at.”

In a word: “She is just completely unique.”