Meet the 30 Finalists of 1871’s Chicago Tech Award Show
Chicago, IL – 7.31.24 – 1871, nonprofit innovation hub, is proud to announce the 30 finalists for the 17th Annual Momentum Awards, taking place on September 19, 2024. This highly anticipated event celebrates and showcases the best in technology across Chicagoland. Public voting for the finalists across six award categories is now open and will continue until August 13th, 2024. See finalist deep dive below.
“The 2024 finalists are a shining example of the extraordinary innovation and dedication within Chicago’s tech community. These visionary leaders and pioneering companies are not only advancing their respective industries but are also creating solutions with the potential to change the world,” said Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871. “From groundbreaking technologies in healthcare and logistics to impactful initiatives for social change and sustainability, this year’s finalists epitomize the relentless drive and creativity that make Chicago the premier destination for building and growing a business. I am incredibly proud to witness and support this exceptional group on their journey toward making a global impact.”
Our ~100 community judges representing Chicagoland, have selected the 30 finalists from a pool of 150+ nominations received earlier this summer, creating an incredible group of founders, innovators, and businesses in the running for the 2024 Momentum Awards. Voting is open to everyone, and the results will be announced during the awards ceremony on September 19th at Morgan Manufacturing. The Momentum Awards are an integral part of 1871’s mission, serving as a key fundraiser and a celebration of community achievements. Tickets for the event are also available starting today.
2024 Momentum Awards Finalists
Outstanding Tech CEO Award
- Dhruv Saxena, ShipBob
- Feyi Ayodele, CancerIQ
- Jason VandeBoom, ActiveCampaign
- Mark Lawrence, SpotHero
- Marshall Sied, Ashling Partners
Industry Disrupter Award
Social Impact Award
Rising Star Award
Momentum Award
CityLIGHTS Award
Award & Finalists Deep Dive
Outstanding Tech CEO Award
Presented to a CEO who has successfully scaled and nurtured their company through outstanding leadership.
Dhruv Saxena
Dhruv Saxena, Co-Founder & CEO at ShipBob
Dhruv Saxena is the visionary CEO and co-founder of ShipBob, a leading global omnichannel fulfillment platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Under his leadership, ShipBob has transformed the logistics and supply chain industry by providing innovative, technology-driven solutions that streamline shipping and fulfillment processes for e-commerce businesses. Saxena’s strategic foresight and commitment to operational excellence have enabled ShipBob to scale rapidly, now serving over 5,000 customers through a network of 26 fulfillment centers across five countries.
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Feyi Ayodele
Feyi Ayodele, Founder & CEO at CancerIQ
In 2013, Feyi entered a world with niche companies offering breast cancer risk models, pedigree drawing, and telehealth genetic counseling, and pioneered solving the whole problem and not a partial one with CancerIQ’s end-to-end solution. Working closely with thought leaders in the field, Feyi developed a comprehensive solution that now integrates family history, genomics, behavioral data, and AI-generated risk data directly into clinical workflows. She has driven adoption of the platform across 225 diverse clinical locations and specialties to make a direct patient impact. This includes doubling the genetics workforce capacity in oncology, enhancing breast cancer risk assessment in imaging and improving overall cancer screening compliance rates — all of which benefits health systems and patients by shifting cancer diagnoses into earlier stages reducing both mortality and cost.
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Jason VandeBoom
Jason VandeBoom, Founder & CEO at ActiveCampaign
Jason VandeBoom is the Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. Founded in 2003, ActiveCampaign accelerates every company’s growth with the only automation platform designed for ideal customer experiences. Today, ActiveCampaign is the market leader in intelligence-driven customer experience automation with over 90,000 customers in more than 170 countries leveraging the platform to grow their businesses.
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Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence, Founder & CEO at SpotHero
Mark Lawrence, the founder of SpotHero, was inspired to launch his digital parking company after experiencing frustrations with parking in Chicago while working as a financial analyst at Bank of America. His difficulties with street cleaning and accumulating thousands of dollars of parking tickets led him to explore solutions to make parking easier.
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Marshall Sied
Marshall Sied, Co-Founder & CEO at Ashling Partners
Marshall Sied is the co-founder and CEO of Ashling Partners, a Chicago-based Intelligent Automation consulting firm. Marshall is an Automation & AI optimist. He has experience in helping enterprises leverage technology to improve their business performance, and promote positive, innovative changes to their workforce. He is a big believer in creating long-term, high-value relationships with clients through an educational, consultative approach. Marshall has a successful track record of growing client relationships thru advisory, implementation and managed service capabilities.
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Industry Disrupter Award
Presented to a company that has developed an innovative product that has significantly disrupted the industry.
Aqua Cultured Foods
Aqua Cultured Foods is revolutionizing the seafood industry by creating fish-free seafood through biomass fermentation. This innovative approach not only addresses global sustainability challenges but also delivers nutritious, high-quality seafood products that meet consumer demands without compromising environmental integrity.
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Ascent Integrated Tech
Ascent Integrated Tech, founded by Paul Coulston and Alex Gorsuch, is a pioneering technology company based in Chicago. Specializing in developing advanced safety and communication solutions for first responders, Ascent’s flagship products include wearable 3D tracking technology integrated into helmets and bracelets. These devices provide real-time data on the location, health, and environmental conditions of users, offering critical support in hazardous environments. Ascent’s innovations aim to enhance safety and operational efficiency for firefighters, special forces, SWAT teams, and industrial operators.
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Qumis
Qumis – The technology behind Qumis is both cutting-edge and robust. It provides enterprise-grade data security, seamless implementation, and user-friendly interfaces. This ensures that claims teams can adopt the system effortlessly and begin reaping its benefits immediately. In an industry traditionally reliant on manual processes and siloed knowledge, Qumis stands out as a true disrupter. By addressing inefficiencies and harnessing the power of AI, Qumis redefines how insurance coverage knowledge work is conducted, paving the way for a more streamlined and effective approach to managing complex claims. Qumis embodies the values of innovation, user experience, and customer service. Our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, coupled with a relentless focus on the needs of our users, ensures that Qumis not only meets but exceeds industry expectations. Qumis is a prime example of a company that has introduced a truly new, technology-focused concept that disrupts the status quo.
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Trajektory
Trajektory solves the burden of sponsorship reporting in a way that has never been done before. Teams today are only reporting on their digital sponsorship assets – but that’s only part of the story. With Trajektory, teams are now reporting on their LEDs, static signs, premium areas, concourse signage, email, web, mobile, radio, social, and television sponsorship data and they’re doing so in real-time back to their partners. Trajektory was built by former execs who actually worked for teams, leagues, agencies, and brands and has become the premier sponsorship analytics & revenue platform for all sponsorship reporting. Trajektory customers can track, in real-time, the performance of ALL their partnership assets (digital and non-digital) and EVERY partner in a way that they’ve never previously had access to. Our platform and dashboards help groups acquire, retain, and grow revenue by telling a complete sponsorship portfolio story through real performance metrics (values, impressions, engagements). We have created a platform that will truly turn data into a clear story that will grow revenue, save time, and provide partners an easy-to-understand view of their partnership. Providing partner data and valuing assets shouldn’t be daunting. We made it easy.
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TransUnion
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments, we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk, and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences, and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.
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Social Impact Award
Presented to a company that has fostered a commitment to DEI, community contributions, and social impact.
Metopio
Metopio is a Chicago-based technology company committed to transforming complex data into actionable insights to drive meaningful social change. Founded with the mission to democratize data and enhance its utility across public and private sectors, Metopio provides an easy-to-use platform that enables users to understand and visualize data about places and populations. The company’s flagship product, the Chicago Health Atlas, developed in partnership with the University of Illinois-Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health, exemplifies its dedication to providing transparent, accurate, and user-friendly data resources that empower communities to take informed actions.
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Taptic
Taptic – If the fire alarm goes off right now, you and I hear it and run out of the building. A deaf person wouldn’t know. When the microwave rings, you and I go get the popcorn, but a deaf person would have to set their own timer, stand around the microwave, or rely on someone else to let them know. This world is built for hearing people. All the beeps, bops, dings, and buzzes, alert us through auditory cues. However, not everyone can hear… Taptic helps Deaf and hard-of-hearing people never miss an important alert again. In a world where auditory cues dominate, this mobile app “hears” sounds and notifies Deaf people with a combination of vibrations, flashes, and phone notifications ensuring increased safety and independence with portable alerts in their pocket. Taptic is a lifeline for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to rely on.
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Taptic
Taptic – If the fire alarm goes off right now, you and I hear it and run out of the building. A deaf person wouldn’t know. When the microwave rings, you and I go get the popcorn, but a deaf person would have to set their own timer, stand around the microwave, or rely on someone else to let them know. This world is built for hearing people. All the beeps, bops, dings, and buzzes, alert us through auditory cues. However, not everyone can hear… Taptic helps Deaf and hard-of-hearing people never miss an important alert again. In a world where auditory cues dominate, this mobile app “hears” sounds and notifies Deaf people with a combination of vibrations, flashes, and phone notifications ensuring increased safety and independence with portable alerts in their pocket. Taptic is a lifeline for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to rely on.
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ReloShare
ReloShare is a Chicago-based technology company that has transformed the process of securing emergency lodging for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other crises. Through its innovative platform, Safe Stays by ReloShare, the company provides a real-time hotel booking system that enables social service agencies to book hotel rooms anonymously, ensuring safety and confidentiality for those in need. Founded in 2020, ReloShare partners with over 15,000 hotels and more than 400 social service agencies, having provided over 350,000 safe nights for vulnerable populations.
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Taptic
Taptic – If the fire alarm goes off right now, you and I hear it and run out of the building. A deaf person wouldn’t know. When the microwave rings, you and I go get the popcorn, but a deaf person would have to set their own timer, stand around the microwave, or rely on someone else to let them know. This world is built for hearing people. All the beeps, bops, dings, and buzzes, alert us through auditory cues. However, not everyone can hear… Taptic helps Deaf and hard-of-hearing people never miss an important alert again. In a world where auditory cues dominate, this mobile app “hears” sounds and notifies Deaf people with a combination of vibrations, flashes, and phone notifications ensuring increased safety and independence with portable alerts in their pocket. Taptic is a lifeline for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to rely on.
Vote!
Rising Star Award
Presented to an early-stage company that is positioned to grow into a leader in its market.
Arvist
Arvist improves distribution and warehousing operations by optimizing loading docks for efficiency, quality, and compliance, using data from existing infrastructure like security cameras, cell phone cameras, and WMS along with its artificial intelligence platform. Their secure on-prem AI solutions are currently deployed across the US and Canada, including logistics operations for the Department of Defense, positioning Arvist as a leader in practical AI applications in the warehousing and logistics space.
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GoLogic Solutions
GoLogic Solutions – Patrice Neely is a second-generation serial entrepreneur and an economic architect with over ten years of experience inventing innovative ecosystem solutions. She is the founder and CEO of GoLogic, where she invented GoTackle, a business collaboration platform for organizations providing small business coaching, consulting, and advising. In March 2020, her prior tech business was shut down due to the pandemic losing $80,000 in monthly recurring revenue and $1 million in venture capital overnight. However, she recovered when a representative from the Mayor’s office called seeking a tech company to help small businesses reopen which she did with a vengeance. After a great deal of research, she created GoTackle, the solution to help millions of small businesses experience success and attain generational wealth, leveraging data transformation and AI innovation to revolutionize the delivery and development of small business support. Patrice is also on the board of the Illinois Small Business Advocacy Council who has won multiple awards and recognition for her innovation and leadership, including being backed by Mastercard, Google, and Techstars.
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Kaizen Health
Kaizen Health addresses the social determinants of health (SDOH) by removing transportation as a barrier to living a healthy and happy life and enabling greater access to fundamental resources like healthcare, food, education, employment, and housing. The company pairs an adaptive and scalable technology platform with a nationwide infrastructure of transportation and delivery partners to serve urban and rural areas for people of all physical and mental abilities. It strives to constantly improve community access to healthcare by providing a logistics hub for both provider and patient. That means developing a process and the technology to relieve the administrative burden from provider and financial burden from the patient so they can both focus on the healing and treatment plan.
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Mycocycle
Mycocycle, a nature-inspired and woman-owned biotechnology company, is at the forefront of sustainable innovation, leveraging fungi to transform industrial waste into reusable raw materials. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Chicago, Mycocycle has made significant strides in the waste management industry by addressing the critical issues of waste and greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector. Their unique mycoremediation process uses fungi to break down toxic waste materials, converting them into non-toxic, high-quality raw materials such as industrial fillers, fibers, and foams. This sustainable approach not only reduces waste but also produces materials that are lightweight, thermally insulating, fire-retardant, and water-repellent.
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Route
Route is a vendor-focused platform designed to empower small business service providers in the facility services industry with essential business management tools and customer acquisition capabilities. The platform addresses three critical pain points in the commercial cleaning sector: winning new business, maintaining profitability, and managing the diverse roles of a small business owner. By offering a comprehensive suite of tools from a single platform, Route enables small business owners to scale and grow efficiently.
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Momentum Award
Presented to a growing company with the strongest potential to emerge as a leader in its market.
Hallow
Hallow is the world’s No. 1 prayer app, helping people around the world find peace through meditation and prayer. Since going live in December 2018, Hallow now offers more than 10,000 guided audio sessions that include prayers and reflections for mental health, sleep, peace, and more. The app is available in eight languages and has been downloaded nearly 20 million times in more than 150 languages. People using Hallow have completed more than 500 million prayers. In February, Hallow surpassed the likes of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Chat-GPT, and Temu to become the most popular app in the Apple App Store, ranking No. 1 among all free apps. We believe we are the first-ever Chicago tech company to achieve this milestone, and we did it with a full-time team of less than 80, compared to the tens of thousands of employees at the Silicon Valley tech giants who normally vie for the top spot. We believe that prayer can change the world and that a relationship with God is a starting point from which love–love of God, love of neighbor, love of each other–can flow.
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HomeX
HomeX is revolutionizing home services through innovative technology and a customer-centric approach. By leveraging cutting-edge AI and machine learning, HomeX provides homeowners with seamless solutions for their repair and maintenance needs. From remote diagnostics to skilled technician dispatch, HomeX ensures efficiency, transparency, and quality in every interaction. Headquartered in Chicago, HomeX is not only transforming the home services industry but also actively contributing to the local tech ecosystem through partnerships, community engagement, and talent development.
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NanoGraf
NanoGraf is an advanced battery material company whose patented silicon anode technology enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries. NanoGraf works with more than 50 companies, including some of the world’s leading consumer electronics, household appliance, and power tool brands, and over 12 strategic partners in electric mobility from startups to Fortune 100s.
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Nutrisense
Nutrisense is a pioneering health technology company that specializes in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to provide real-time insights into metabolic health. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Chicago, Nutrisense leverages state-of-the-art CGM technology to empower individuals to optimize their nutrition and overall well-being. By combining wearable sensors with personalized nutrition coaching, Nutrisense helps users understand their unique metabolic responses to food, exercise, stress, and sleep, enabling them to make informed decisions to improve their health.
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Upfront Healthcare
Upfront Healthcare is a Chicago-based, mission-driven healthcare technology company reimagining patient engagement for the better. Leveraging best-in-class healthcare expertise to increase the impact of their next-generation technology, Upfront partners with healthcare enterprises to guide every patient to the care they need. By offering highly personalized and proactive digital experiences along each patient’s unique care journey, Upfront unlocks better health outcomes, improves operational efficiency, and drives patient loyalty in a sea of competitors. The backbone of the Upfront experience is its patient engagement platform. Integrating behavioral science, machine learning, and a proprietary psychographic model, the platform leverages existing data to predict individual patient needs and preferences and to deliver hyper-personalized omnichannel outreach. Across dozens of use cases — from wellness visits and cancer screenings, to medication management and billing reminders — Upfront activates patients to complete necessary care. This, in turn, leads to better clinical, financial, and operational outcomes for its partners. Central to Upfront’s mission is the belief that every patient deserves an exceptional healthcare experience. Its growing team is committed to improving health equity via accessible, effective, and human-centric care at every touchpoint — all while achieving tangible outcomes for leading healthcare systems and provider groups.
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CityLIGHTS Award
Presented to a company or individual that has made a significant impact on the local tech community through leadership, innovation, and contributions to the tech ecosystem.
CoinFlip
CoinFlip is a global digital currency platform company, focused on providing consumers simple and secure access to buy and sell cryptocurrency. The company operates the world’s largest network of cryptocurrency kiosks by transaction volume with more than 5,000 kiosks across 49 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Panama, and Brazil. CoinFlip’s digital currency kiosks make buying and selling major cryptocurrencies accessible and safe for consumers who wish to purchase their digital currency using cash.
Kin Insurance
Kin Insurance is a pioneering digital home insurance company based in Chicago, dedicated to providing affordable and comprehensive insurance solutions directly to consumers. Founded in 2016, Kin leverages advanced technology to streamline the insurance process, offering tailored coverage options and a seamless user experience. By eliminating the need for external agents, Kin makes homeowners insurance more accessible and cost-effective, catering to a growing market of digitally savvy consumers.
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Loadsmart
Loadsmart revolutionizes the logistics landscape by combining cutting-edge technology with high-level transportation services to optimize freight spend, increase efficiency, and enhance service quality. Whether it be through managed transportation services, new generation TMS, dock scheduling software, truck management solutions, dynamic freight brokerage, or tailor-made optimization solutions, we empower shippers, carriers, and warehouses to move more with less.
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LogicGate
LogicGate, founded by Matt Kunkel, Jon Siegler, and Dan Campbell, is a Chicago-based technology company specializing in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions. The company’s flagship product, Risk Cloud, is a no-code platform that allows enterprises to automate and operationalize their risk management processes. With its user-friendly and flexible interface, Risk Cloud enables organizations to tailor their GRC programs to their specific needs without requiring extensive IT support. This adaptability and ease of use have positioned LogicGate as a leader in the GRC industry, catering to a diverse clientele, including prominent companies like SoFi, Zurich Insurance, and Memorial Hermann Health.
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Tegus
Tegus is the leading company intelligence platform for key decision makers. We power some of the world’s most well-respected institutional investors, corporations, and consultancies through the largest and most comprehensive database of primary and market information. Our products and services enable clients to discover unmatched insights and answers to the most challenging questions they face to help them make better-informed decisions.
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About 1871
1871, a nonprofit global innovation hub, exists to inspire, equip, and support early-stage, growth-stage, late-stage, and corporate innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~500 early-stage startups, ~250 growth and late-stage companies, and ~60 corporates, and is supported by an entire community focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The member experience includes virtual and in-person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 200 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds, and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 1,050+ alum companies are still active, have created over 14,700 jobs, and have raised more than $3.7 billion in follow-on capital.
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press@1871.com
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