If you’re an entrepreneur with an idea, but you don’t know how to make it happen, consider dropping by the Cambridge Innovation Center‘s Venture Cafe. For more than a decade, the CIC has been the incubator within the incubator, giving start-ups not only the room to grow but also an ecosystem in which they can collaborate.

That sounds like a lot of buzzwords…but it’s all true. The CIC is really a big sandbox in which entrepreneurs can play with like-minded entrepreneurs; ideas get a chance to grow, mix with other ideas, and then take off. Smart people gather together in one building, help each other solve problems, meet in the kitchen for coffee, chat about what they’re working on, and, through a mix of perspiration and inspiration, find the breakthroughs that drive the Commonwealth’s economy forward.

Venture Cafe is the same idea in a much less formal setting, and anyone can attend. Every Thursday at 3pm, the fourth floor of the CIC hosts an informal meet-and-greet with angel investors, programmers, doers, and dreamers gathering to chat, trade ideas, and enjoy a drink or two. Kendall Square is now recognized as a model for how businesses, neighbors, and cities can grow together, and the Venture Cafe should be recognized as an important part of that equation. You can find a full calendar of Venture Cafe events here, and even if you’re not interested in starting a business, I’d encourage you to attend at least one event: one of the conversations around you might be the start of the Next Big Thing.