Megan Marszalek is a first-time entrepreneur who recently pivoted from her role as a startup support professional to launch Legacy Heirloom, an estate planning platform for personal belongings . In the following conversation with MFN, Megan discusses that transition and the company she founded.

MFN: Please introduce yourself and give us a brief overview of your company, Legacy Heirloom.

Megan: Legacy Heirloom is a software platform that helps families reduce the burden of estate and downsizing decisions. While legal and financial assets have established systems, families have little structure for managing personal belongings that carry memories, family history, or meaning that might not be obvious.

I started building this service last year after my grandmother died. For her 91 years’ worth of personal belongings, she had one handwritten note listing 20 items. My dad was the executor of the estate, and I helped him clear out her house. The months-long process was mentally draining, because we just didn’t know what much of her stuff meant or what to do with it all. I started searching for a solution that could help us organize, but didn’t find what I was looking for.

MFN: Some founders might already recognize you from your previous role at MassTech Collaborative. How has your experience there as the Program Director of Entrepreneurial and Regional Ecosystems shaped your experience as a startup founder?

Megan: I spent six years in that role. Before MassTech, I taught high school entrepreneurship for two years, and previously worked in finance. Being around entrepreneurs and people who support them helped me develop my own ability to see problems as opportunities.

It can be an infectious community to be around, and I definitely had that entrepreneurial itch, but I never really considered I’d be a day 1 founder. I thought my path would look more like eventually meeting a technical founder who needed a business-oriented co-founder.

That role at MassTech also taught me the importance of networks. Because of the strong network I built within this ecosystem, I feel comfortable showing up to events. It’s likely that I will recognize at least one person in the room, which helps so much in terms of being able to walk in with confidence.

MFN: How would you characterize your transition from startup support to startup founder?

Megan: It’s been an epic shift. MassTech was really great in that I was able to transition smoothly. I went from full-time to part-time and served in that capacity for two months. That gave me the freedom to do the customer discovery process, really validating that other families did have the problem I was looking to address with Legacy Heirloom.

Much of the work at MassTech focused on bringing groups of experts together.  I helped support the robotics industry for a while and was the staff lead for the Massachusetts Robotics Industry Steering Committee. We had CEOs and world-renowned robotics researchers around a table, and I’d help lead discussions to understand what support they would like to see from the state government to help grow the industry in Massachusetts. I played a similar role in the governor’s AI Strategic Task Force. The skills I learned by convening groups together have definitely transferred over as I’m bringing together estate attorneys, wealth managers, and experts across the agetech landscape to advise Legacy Heirloom.

MFN:  What resources have really helped you on your startup journey so far?

Megan Marszalek: Auxilum Worcester launched their innovation studio last year. Applications were open for companies seeking $100,000 in funding, ongoing mentorship, and workshops. Getting accepted into that program was totally a star-align moment.  It was the right place at the right time. I live in Worcester and am thrilled to be building my company here.

Female entrepreneur-specific programming, such as Startup Boston’s female founder meetup series, has also been incredible. It’s been great to connect with other women going through the same process.

MFN: A good share of the statewide startup ecosystem is centered around the Greater Boston area. Have there been any advantages to building Legacy Heirloom in the Worcester region?

Megan: For me specifically, it’s been work-life balance. My first job out of college was at State Street in Boston, and I was still living in Worcester. I took the train every day. It was smart at the time, but now it would be unsustainable now that I have two kids. Building my company in Worcester allows me to balance my family life with my founder life. There is a growing community of founders and support here, and it’s easy enough to travel into Boston for events or meetings when needed.

MFN: What advice would you give to aspiring founders?

Megan: It’s so different once you’re actually in the trenches doing it yourself. An early piece of advice I got  is: “Beware of Happy ears.”  People may be supportive of you, but there’s a big gap between someone saying that your idea is great and someone actually using the product. I’d say watch out for happy ears and continue to network. I’m an introvert at my core, but I’ve learned that when you get out from behind the computer screen, you never know who you’re going to meet. Seize the opportunities for opportunity.

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