1871 Opens Applications for WMNtech Leaders Spring 2024 Program!

CHICAGO — January 8, 2024 – Global nonprofit innovation hub, 1871, has opened applications for their 6th annual WMNtech Leaders program, beginning February 2024. The accelerator and mentoring initiative aims to cultivate the next generation of women leaders in technological or market-facing managerial roles through curated leadership and personal development programming. Applications for the 2024 program will be accepted through February 2, 2024. 

We have partnered with Ethos, a culture consulting meets diversity, equity, and inclusion firm, for the development and execution of the program.  

About WMNtech Leaders 

Formerly known as Women Influence Chicago (WIC), WMNtech Leaders, established in 2019, aims to empower women in leading technical or market-facing roles within large corporations, providing participants with support and tools to enhance their personal and professional growth.

This experience is recruiting women professionals who are current employees in managerial roles within 1871’s growth-stage and corporate member companies, universities, and employees in administrative positions within an organization. Participation does not require 1871 membership. 

The initiative targets mid-career women professionals in the tech industry who demonstrate exceptional promise in their current roles and would benefit from the support provided by this experience. Participants must possess 3-10 years of management experience and work in a market-facing or technical role within a tech company.

Hear from a WMNtech Leaders alumni about her experience in the technical track. 

“This program provided me with the space, time, and resources to think about what kind of leader I want to be, and the skills I need to work on to get there,” said Elissa Trainer, App & Mobile Technology Director at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants. “It gave me the confidence to work on things like setting boundaries, effective communication, knowing that I don’t always have to have the perfect answer, and to let go of things to give others the opportunity to grow and how to break larger goals out into smaller actions and strategies while providing a community of people to work with on these skills.”

Program Breakdown 

WMNtech Leaders runs for a full day of virtual programming one Friday per month from 2.16.24 – 6.06.24. 

Following orientation, cohort members will participate in monthly “Connect Days” on designated Fridays. These days will involve a workshop followed by a forum where they discuss applying what they’ve learned in the workshop to their real-life situations.

Cohort members are also paired with a volunteer “Super Mentor,” meeting four times outside of the monthly workshop days. These sessions focus on discussing leadership, personal, and professional development skills, providing participants with valuable insights from the mentor’s experience and expertise. Learn more about becoming a volunteer mentor or sign up to return as an existing mentor. 

Split between technical or market-facing tracks, cohort participants will be assigned to tailored groups for group coaching based on their primary goals of the program. This may include individuals who desire coaching on getting a raise, those looking to improve leadership skills, etc. Four group coaching sessions will take place outside of the designated Friday workshop days.  

The initiative ends with a WMNtech Leaders Graduation on 6.06.24, commemorating and celebrating the 2024 cohort and participants’ personal growth and accomplishments throughout the experience. 

An information session will be held on 1.17.24 from 9:00 – 10:00 AM CST for more detailed information about this virtual experience.

Learn more about the 2024 application and becoming a participant or mentor here. 

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.