CHICAGO, September 19, 2024 — 1871 is thrilled to announce the 2024 award winners of their 17th Annual Momentum Awards event that honors and celebrates the best in Chicago tech.
The award ceremony & fundraiser for the nonprofit was held at Morgan Manufacturing on 9.19.24 ,bringing together hundreds of Chicago’s dreamers, builders and status quo challengers.
This year’s impressive award winners represent the brightest leaders and companies in Chicago’s tech industry. On stage, industry leaders passed the torch on to the next generation of trailblazers in the form of eight awards.
Among the milestones celebrated at the event, 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler reinforced the power of togetherness in the Chicago tech community and the significance of entrepreneurship, as demonstrated by the Momentum finalists and the larger 1871 community, in driving innovation.
In celebration of the people and companies who are working to create a brighter and smarter future, the 2024 Momentum Awards was one for the books.
“These award winners represent the future of our industry, and by celebrating these leaders and innovators, we inspire others to pursue bold ideas, take risks, and create meaningful impact,” said Larry Eppley, Chairman of 1871 and Founding Managing Partner of Sheppard Mullin’s Chicago office.
“Real impact comes from giving every founder, leader, and innovator access to the education, community, support, and customer, capital, and talent opportunities they need to grow and thrive,” said Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871. “We’ve made progress, but this work is never done. There is always more to learn, more to do, and more to be.”
The 2024 Award Winners
Corporate Champion Award winner: United Airlines
The Corporate Champion Award was presented to United Airlines for its dedication to driving innovation across industries through connectivity and forward thinking strategies.
United Airlines demonstrates its commitment to the 1871 community through its involvement in our Innovation Labs. By investing time and resources into improving the next generation of companies, United is an advocate for our local tech community.
Congratulations to CEO Scott Kirby and the entire team at United Airlines!
The 2023 Corporate Champion Award went to CDW.
Chicagoness Award winner: Kristi Ross of U3 Coffee
The Chicagoness award was presented to Kristi Ross, co-founder of Tastytrade and Thinkorswim and co-founder of her newest venture, U3 Coffee.
Ross is an inspiring leader in the Chicago tech and startup communities, and commitments to philanthropy and mentorship reflect her dedication to empowering the next generation of leaders.
Congratulations, Kristi Ross, and thank you for your continued support of the Chicago tech community.
2023’s Chicagoness award went to Kevin Willer, the first Chicago-based employee of Google and the first CEO of 1871.
Outstanding Tech CEO Award winner: Dhruv Saxena of ShipBob
The Outstanding Tech CEO award was given to Dhruv Saxena, co-founder and CEO of ShipBob.
As the leader of one of the fastest-growing tech companies in North America, Saxena demonstrates the dedication and skills that it takes to be a successful driver of innovation. Since its founding in 2024, ShipBob has grown from operating out of Saxena’s Chicago apartment to thousands of square feet of warehouse space across the country.
ShipBob provides fulfillment services for direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands, ensuring that the companies they serve are competitive and deliver exceptional customer experience.
Congratulations to Dhruv Saxena and the entire ShipBob team!
2023’s Outstanding Tech CEO went to Maria Christopoulos Katris, CEO of Built In.
Industry Disrupter Award winner: AQUA Cultured Foods
AQUA Cultured Foods took home the Industry Disrupter Award, which recognizes companies that are driving meaningful change by thinking outside the box and breaking boundaries. The award was accepted by Brittany Chibe, Co-founder and CEO.
AQUA Cultured Foods is changing the game of the food tech industry. Using the same fermentation process that creates beer, wine and sourdough, they’ve cracked the code at creating fish-free seafood that tastes delicious without harming ocean ecosystems.
AQUA products are grown in Chicago but can be tasted around the world, from a Michelin-starred Malibu hotspot to a quaint pub in the Cotswolds. The company’s impact is huge. It is making seafood safer, helping the ocean heal, reducing emissions and preventing ocean pollution.
Congratulations to the entire team at Aqua Cultured Foods who is doing the seemingly impossible and paving a more sustainable future.
2023’s Industry Disrupter Award went to Rivet.
Social Impact award winner: ReloShare
The Social Impact Award was granted to ReloShare, hotel booking software for social service agencies. The award was accepted by Paige Allmendinger, CPO.
ReloShare is dedicated to helping vulnerable populations find safe shelter. Founded in 2020, evolved from founders Matt Singley and John Moats idea to simplify the B2B corporate housing booking process. During the pandemic, however, they discovered the dire lack of shelter spaces for victims of domestic violence. They changed their mission and, in under two months, housed over 100 survivors.
ReloShare honors the Social Impact award by using technology to make the world a safer place for a vulnerable and overlooked population.
Congratulations to the entire ReloShare team, your work does not go unnoticed!
2023’s Social Impact Award went to WeSolve.
Rising Star Award winner: Mycocycle
The Rising Star Award went to Mycocycle, a company that transforms industrial waste into low-carbon raw materials using fungi. The award was accepted by Joanne Rodriguez, CEO.
Through Mycocycle’s patent-pending process, fungi, natural cleaners and builders, are used to reduce the toxicity of environmentally harmful materials like rubber and asphalt and turn them into safe raw building materials.
Congratulations to the Mycocycle team, they are one to watch!
Momentum Award winner: Hallow
Hallow took home this year’s Momentum Award, dedicated to a company that is destined to succeed as a frontrunner in its market. The Award was accepted by Alex Jones, Co-founder and CEO.
Hallow is an American Catholic meditation prayer app that provides users with audio Bible stories, prayers, meditation and Christian music.
Founded in 2018, Hallow was built on curiosity surrounding the intersection of meditation and faith. The app now hosts millions of users, including actor Mark Wahlberg who has partnered with Hallow for a Super Bowl ad last year.
Congratulations to the Hallow team for creating a meaningful community through innovative technology.
The 2023 Momentum Award went to 1440, which was founded at 1871.
CityLIGHTS Award winner: Loadsmart
To close out the ceremony, Loadsmart took home the CityLIGHTS Award which honors a late-stage company that is on its way to becoming a household name. The award was accepted by Danielle Shuey, VP of Service Delivery.
Loadsmart provides innovative logistics solutions that lower costs, increase efficiency and digitize transportation. From analyses to audits to execution, Loadsmart is reinventing the future of freight operations.
Congratulations to the Loadsmart team, who is leading the way to disrupting a $900B industry.
The 2023 CityLIGHTS Award went to SpotHero.
About The Momentum Awards
The Momentum Awards, now in its 17th year, is the largest annual celebration of tech innovation across Chicago and beyond. The event brings together 1871’s full community of innovators, leaders, civic supporters, and partners to celebrate the people that are disrupting their industries, building up their communities, and shaping the future.
With many nominations and thousands of votes casted, this year’s finalists were selected from the most competitive and impressive pool of nominees in the event’s history. Winners were determined by a combination of public vote and vote by the 1871 Board of Directors.
Our lead sponsors this year are Aon and Discover. Other sponsors include BMO, Cooley, ExpoPass, ITW, Molson Coors, PNC, SpotHero, Suntory, U3 Coffee, Dscout, OCA Ventures, Eternal Creations, Lettuce Entertain You, Lofty Ventures, Ashling Partners, 1440 & Reloshare
The 18th Momentum Awards will take place on 9.18.25.
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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