FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Chicago, IL- September 23, 2025
1871, Chicago’s hub for tech innovation, is thrilled to announce that Chris Gladwin, Founder & Executive Chairman of Ocient, Founding CEO of Cleversafe, Chairman of The Forge, and of P33, will be honored with this year’s Chicagoness Award at the 2025 Momentum Awards. The Momentum Awards is 1871’s annual fundraiser that celebrates the innovators driving Chicago’s tech community forward and raises essential funds to support the growth of the city’s entrepreneurial community.
The Chicagoness Award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies the core values of the Chicago entrepreneurial community — civic leadership, mentorship, and innovative contributions that uplift and strengthen the city’s economy and community. Chris embodies these values through his decades of leading transformative companies, championing civic engagement, and visionary work that has helped build Chicago into a leading global technology city.
Chris’s track record of building infrastructure-defining companies in Chicago is best captured by the founding of Cleversafe, the leading object storage platform for enterprises. The acquisition of Cleversafe by IBM marked the exit of Chicago’s first unicorn core software company. The success of Cleversafe then led to the founding of Ocient, a leading data analytics software solutions company for large data and AI workloads, where Chris holds roles as Founder and Executive Chairman. Beyond creating industry-disrupting organizations, Chris has been a committed civic leader, creating the Chicago non-profit P33, whose mission is to transform Chicago into a tier one technology and innovation hub. His civic commitments also extend to investments in education and talent building, including at The Forge, The Wilder World Trust, Illinois Tech and other organizations that are focused on developing tech talent and providing a great environment for the Chicago-area tech community.
In short, Chris’s impact is woven into the very DNA of Chicago’s innovation community: connecting leaders, mentoring entrepreneurs, and fostering a thriving city for the next generation.
“At 1871, we celebrate the leaders who choose to invest in Chicago’s future again and again,” said Larry Eppley, Chairman of the 1871 Board. “Chris is a visionary builder, civic leader, and community champion who has reshaped the trajectory of our city’s tech community. The magic lies in the way he brings people together, sparks bold ideas, and turns vision into reality—he truly embodies the essence of Chicagoness.”
“Chris’s story is Chicago’s story,” said Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871. “He has built transformative companies, co-founded P33, and poured his time and talent into education and civic leadership, but what makes Chris truly special is the force he brings to everything he touches. His energy, imagination, and generosity ripple through this community, and it is a privilege to honor him with our highest individual award.”
“Chicago has always been a city of bold ideas and determined people. That spirit is core to our identity and our future,” said Chris Gladwin, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ocient. “I’m honored to receive this award, and I’m excited to continue working with entrepreneurs and civic leaders to make this city a globally recognized hub of innovation, opportunity, and excellence.”
Chris will accept his award at the 18th Annual Momentum Awards on September 25, 2025, where we will also honor our members who are disrupting their industries, building up their communities, and shaping the future. Stay tuned for more information on our award finalists and be sure to reserve your ticket to join us in celebration.
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 approximately 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 2,100+ alum companies are still active, have created over 18,700 jobs, and have raised more than $6.2 billion in follow-on capital.
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