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Paul Cheek

Paul Cheek

Entrepreneurship educator, tech founder, and MIT senior lecturer

pcheek
Boston, Massachusetts
Joined August 2025
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Summary

Practitioner-educator who translates startup engineering experience into classroom practice. Cheek has moved between founding technical startups and teaching MIT students; he designs coursework (e.g., 15.388 Venture Creation Tactics, New Enterprises) and executive programs to deliver tactical, repeatable methods for early-stage founders. mit+2
Hands-on technical founder and product builder with a sustainability angle: co‑founder and technical lead for Oceanworks, a marketplace and supply‑chain platform for recycled ocean plastics, showing a mix of platform engineering and mission-driven product work. paulcheek+1
Public-facing author, speaker, and ecosystem leader: Cheek authors practical startup guidance, speaks widely (executive education and conferences), and has held leadership responsibilities at the Martin Trust Center, positioning him as a connector between students, corporates, and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem. wiley+2
Builder of community and tooling for entrepreneurship education: as MIT's first Hacker in Residence he developed Orbit to digitally scale mentorship, team formation, and program access—an example of combining product engineering with educational outcomes. mit+1

Work

Education

Projects

Writing

Disciplined Entrepreneurship: Startup Tactics

March 1, 2024

Practical playbook of 15 tactical approaches for founders to move from idea to operational startup — covers user research, early sales/marketing tactics, scrappy product testing, equity distribution, and related founder practices.

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Notes

MKMegan Kensleasaid they've seen
PCPaul Cheek
lead an AI company in a way that stands out in the tech community.

May 5, 2026

SHSaul Holdingsaid
PCPaul Cheek
has played a pivotal role in shaping a startup's visual identity or messaging in a way that resonated with its target audience.

Feb 11, 2026

SHSaul Holdingsaid that if they were picking someone to write the ultimate forward for a book on AI, business, and organizational design,
PCPaul Cheek
would be at the top of their list.

Feb 11, 2026

SHSaul Holdingsaid
PCPaul Cheek
played a key role in delivering valuable insights or solutions on AI consulting projects.

Feb 6, 2026

SXSanil Xaviersaid
PCPaul Cheek
is an author whose recent book release in the US they'd highly recommend to others.

Feb 5, 2026

GGGanatra Ganatrasaid that if they had to pick someone to lead a new B2B SaaS venture,
PCPaul Cheek
would be at the top of their list.

Jan 26, 2026

GGGanatra Ganatrasaid
PCPaul Cheek
is one of the most genuinely passionate ocean advocates they've met, both in and out of work.

Jan 6, 2026

MVMax von Wolffsaid
PCPaul Cheek
is regarded among their peers as a significant dealmaker or a source of strong deal flow.

Oct 3, 2025