Waltham – October 14, 2026 -- Beacon Interactive Systems CEO and Co-founder ML Mackey has been named to the newly formed Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Statewide Advisory Council, the company announced.
Council forms under MSBDC's five-year strategic plan
The council brings together business, government, economic development and community leaders. It will advise MSBDC leadership on the emerging needs of small businesses, opportunities for collaboration and programs that support industry growth. Its work will guide the MSBDC's support for entrepreneurs and growing businesses across the Commonwealth.
Mackey said turning a promising idea into a sustainable business takes more than ingenuity, citing the need for guidance, connections and opportunities at each stage of growth. She pointed to the stage when new technologies move beyond the prototype into real-world use.
Mackey brings defense and small-business policy experience
Mackey sits on the Executive Committee of the National Defense Industrial Association Board. She is a past Chair of the National Small Business Association. She is also a past member of the Small Business Administration's Invention and Innovation Advisory Committee and of the National Academies of Sciences Army Science & Technology Roundtable.
At Beacon, she has championed small business innovation as a route for moving cutting-edge technologies into operational use. Beacon's products are deployed on more than 250 U.S. Navy vessels across 19 ship classes.