Emily Knight, chief executive officer and president of The Engine, the incubator created by MIT, will leave next month to become the economic development chief for the City of Boston.
Knight has worked for The Engine since its launch in 2017, progressing through increasingly senior operations roles until a promotion to COO in May 2022 and, finally, CEO and president in March 2023.
The Engine initially functioned as an accelerator and venture fund, but the latter was spun out in 2023 and rebranded to Engine Ventures. It is currently raising a $500 million fund, The Next Leap revealed in May.
Knight will officially take on her new role on 19 October. Announcing her departure on LinkedIn, she wrote: “It wasn’t an easy decision to leave a place and a team I love, but The Engine taught me that great companies don’t succeed alone. They need an ecosystem of talent, infrastructure, capital, and people willing to solve problems together. Now I get to take that thinking to the scale of a city I have cherished my whole life.”
Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston, added in a separate press release: “Emily Knight has spent her career bringing people and institutions together to turn ambitious ideas into companies, jobs, and lasting economic growth. Emily understands what entrepreneurs and businesses need to succeed—and how to ensure that success reaches every neighbourhood in our city.
“I’m thrilled to welcome her to our team and look forward to her leadership to grow our economy, strengthen our communities, and make Boston the best place to build a life and build a business.”
