Paul Cheek

Senior Advisor, Entrepreneurship & AI
Senior Lecturer, Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management
Co-Founder, Oceanworks

Primary DLC

The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship

MIT Room: E40-160

Research Summary

Paul Cheek is a global expert in innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

Prior to his work at MIT, Cheek was the co-founder of Oceanworks and Work Today. Oceanworks is a for-profit company with a mission to end plastic pollution. Work Today is a venture-backed digital staffing and recruiting company. Paul has also built technologies for and consulted with LogMeIn, BlackRock, Prudential, Mazda, and more. He serves on the CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Board, the MIT Sandbox Funding Board, and judges the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO—100 Awards.

Recent Work

  • Video

    AI-Driven Enterprises: The New Arithmetic of Exponential Growth: Paul Cheek

    November 19, 2025Conference Video Duration: 35:46

    This session unveils the rise of artificial-intelligence-driven enterprises (AIDEs) that fuse the global ambition of innovation-driven startups with the lean efficiency of SMEs. We’ll examine how founders wield generative AI across R&D, go-to-market, and operations to slash innovation debt, reach $100M+ ARR with ~50 people, and open pathways for regions with limited venture capital to compete globally. Attendees will leave with a framework for building, funding, and scaling their own AIDE internal ventures—and insights into what this shift means for talent, policy, and the future of corporate R&D.