Startup Swashbucklers Wanted.
Turn your ideas, your research, or your vision into something real. Boatswain helps you navigate the wild seas of early-stage startups — with tools, strategy, and crew by your side.
Your Idea Deserves a Fighting Chance.
Most ideas never leave the dock. Not because they're bad — but because founders lack the tools, crew, or confidence to set sail. At Boatswain, we believe bold ideas deserve to be built. We help entrepreneurs and innovators go from scribbles to strategy — with startup maps, triple-bottom-line thinking, and tools that are smart, not shiny. Whether you're a solo founder with a spark, a university with untapped research, or an investor looking for better signals, Boatswain helps you navigate the journey ahead.
People, Planet, Profit
The best companies don't just make money — they make meaning.
Learn by Doing
We're not a course platform. We're a hands-on crew. You learn by building, breaking, and steering.
Human + Machine
AI is just a tool. The real magic is what happens when people and machines work together — with judgment, intuition, and soul.
The Logbook: Dispatches from the Edge
We're a learning organization. That means we share what we're doing — what works, what doesn't, and what we're still figuring out. Read founder Q&As, investor stories, deep dives into startup tools, and transparent updates on our own voyage as we build this thing.
Startup Lessons from the Edge of a Torn and Bloodied Map
6/17/2025
The original startup kings weren't wearing suits in boardrooms. They were vision-drunk madmen with compasses in one hand and scabbards in the other. Think Magellan and Shackleton: They sailed into the void with incomplete maps, unreliable crews, and the kind of audacity that makes gods nervous.
How to Win the Future: Career Advice for My College-Aged Daughters (and their peers) in the Age of AI
6/16/2025
The old career playbook is broken. In the age of AI, success won’t go to the best résumé — it’ll go to the best question. The future belongs to those who are curious, connected, and unmistakably human.
Gen X: Your Time Has Finally Come — And AI Is Why
6/15/2025
For decades, Gen X was the Jan Brady of the workforce—sandwiched between boomer dominance and millennial disruption, playing it cool while everyone else got the spotlight and the think pieces. But here’s the plot twist nobody saw coming: the overlooked middle child of modern work may be the most perfectly positioned generation to own the AI revolution.
Latest Venture Opportunities
These are the latest Intellectual Property Business opportunities from top universities.
Enhances decentralized learning systems by addressing communication inefficiencies and straggler issues in resource-constrained environments.
AI software using video analytics to detect early signs of wildfire smoke, enhancing response time and environmental safety.
Chart Your Course.
You don't need an MBA or a VC connection to start something meaningful. You just need the right map, and someone to help you read it. Here's how we help:
Startup Spyglass (Free)
Use our guided AI tool to structure your early idea, clarify your customer, and outline your unique advantage.
Build the Ship (Paid)
Generate a business plan and pitch deck, customized to your mission, market, and voice — no templates, no BS.
Captain the Voyage
Join a live founder cohort, get 1:1 support, or work directly with our crew to raise, launch, or grow.
Join the Fleet
Become part of our long-term founder network — and potentially access investment, partnerships, or IP licensing deals.
Meet the Crew
Boatswain is built by founders, operators, storytellers, and toolmakers. We've raised money, missed payroll, launched things that worked (and some that didn't). Now we're building what we wish we'd had when we first set sail.
Michael Penwarden
Co-Founder / Chief Storyteller
Award-winning tech journalist, founder, operator, scuba diver, startup whisperer. Michael leads vision, content, and founder engagement.
Gerald Dion
Co-Founder / System Navigator
Architect of systems. Builder of engines. Gerald makes sure the Boatswain platform runs smoothly — from tool logic to tech stack.
Got an idea that won't leave you alone?
Boatswain is for the early-stage rebels — the ones building something new, or the ones ready to finally start. Whether you're a founder, a university tech transfer officer, or an investor who's tired of fluff, we're here to help.