Jaylen Brown Testimony — Boston XChange, Boston Creator Accelerator (SPARK Act)

Summary

Written testimony of Jaylen Brown, dated February 9, 2026, addressed to a Ranking Member in support of the SPARK Act. The testimony identifies Brown as a Boston Celtics player and as the founder of the Boston XChange and co-founder of the Boston Creator Accelerator. The testimony describes the accelerator as a collaboration with MIT, Harvard Business School and Suffolk University that supported 10 founders over multiple years in communities such as Roxbury and Dorchester. It states that the SPARK Act would fund accelerators and incubators for five years with the possibility of renewal, require partnerships among universities, lenders and community organizations, and give founders access to capital.

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                        JAYLEN BROWN TESTIMONY

Ranking Member, thank you for having me.
My name is Jaylen Brown. I play for the Boston Celtics, but I'm here today as the founder of the
Boston XChange and co-founder of the Boston Creator Accelerator.
I want to talk about why the SPARK Act matters, not from a policy perspective, but from what
I've seen firsthand in the communities I care about.


Why I Started Boston XChange
Over the years I’ve witnessed minority communities face challenges, not because people weren't
talented or hardworking, but because the systems weren't built for us. Jobs disappear. Businesses
close. Wealth continues to leave our neighborhoods instead of staying and circulating.
When I got to Boston, I wanted to do something different.
Not charity or a one-time donation.
I wanted to build infrastructure, a platform where people could own, create, and build businesses
that last.
That's why I founded Boston XChange, to create pathways for entrepreneurs, artists, and creators
to access the resources, networks, and support they need to succeed.
But I knew that alone wasn't enough.
Founders need mentorship. They need access to capital. They need partners who understand the
barriers they're facing and can help them navigate.
That's why we partnered with Jrue and Lauren Holiday, MIT, Harvard Business School, and
Suffolk University to create the Boston Creator Accelerator.


What We Built Together
The beauty of BCA is that it's not just one organization doing everything.
It's a collaboration.
MIT brought curriculum and technical expertise.
Harvard brought investor readiness training.
Suffolk brought legal support.
Jrue and Lauren brought learned experiences, funding, and a national lens.
Boston XChange provided the platform and long-term commitment.
Together, we supported 10 founders over multiple years, not a quick program, but sustained
support.
Those founders have created jobs. They've built real businesses. And they've done it in
communities such as Roxbury and Dorchester, communities that don't usually get this kind of
investment.


What I've Learned
Real economic power comes from ownership.
Not just having a job, but owning the business. Owning the building. Owning the block.
When communities have the resources to build and capital circulates within the community
instead of extracting out, that's when you create generational wealth, not just jobs.
But here's the reality: most communities don't have the infrastructure to make that happen.
Founders are out here grinding, taking the leap into entrepreneurship because they have to, not
because they want to.
And we're asking them to do it without the support systems that make businesses succeed.


Why SPARK Matters
The SPARK Act is about changing that.
It would fund accelerators and incubators across the country, not for six months, but for five
years, with the possibility of renewal.
It would require the kind of partnerships we built in Boston: universities, lenders, community
organizations, working together.
And it would provide founders with access to capital, not just advice.
That's how you turn survival into sustainability; necessity into ownership.
When you invest in people and give them the infrastructure to succeed, not just a program, but
real, sustained support, they build businesses that create jobs, wealth, and opportunity in their
own communities.
The SPARK Act would make that possible nationwide.
Not in just one city. Everywhere.
It is an honor to be included in this historic moment, and we eagerly anticipate the success stories
that the SPARK Act will ignite.
Thank you.


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