Juneteenth 2023: Celebrating Black Entrepreneurship

On June 21st, our community of innovators gathered together for our second annual Juneteenth celebration, a signature 1871 event.

Dedicated to honoring the resilience of the African American community and celebrating its history, we are still smiling from all the good vibes that were brought in full by our members, 1871’s Black tech community & their allies that joined.

Relive the day in our Juneteenth 2023 recap!

The evening was filled with networking, fun, and laughter as we honored Black entrepreneurs for their contributions and achievements in the tech world and neighboring industries.

Here’s what happened

- We enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine while outside on the river-side of the Merchandise Mart, along with our very favorite DJ Marcus who brought the beats!

- We put our attendee’s brains to the test and played “The World Guessing Game for the Culture” trivia game from Team Tipoff.

- Lucky raffle winners took home some amazing prizes from the following local Chicago buisnesses: Brown Sugar Bakery, Free Mvmt Shop, Maci Moo Treats, Plant Salon, Kido, Chi Boys, Semicolon Bookstore, Few Spirits, and Nights & Weekends.

The day was such a success, and the proceeds from the tickets will directly fund 1871 memberships for Black founders of early-stage tech companies. These founders will now have the opportunity to join 1871’s business community, access our curriculum, and meet with our mentors to fuel their startups!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us in celebration of Juneteenth. This evening wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors Oracle, Verizon, & World Wide Technology. Thank you for supporting our mission of inclusivity and celebrating diversity.

We hope you had a great time, and we’ll see you next year for Juneteenth 2024!