Designing an Agile Organization – Can Dr. Deming Shed Any Light?

November 30, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, then you don’t know what you are doing.” – Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Father of Quality Evolution. Dr. Deming’s ideas of product quality largely inspired Japan’s post-WWII economic boom in manufacturing. His celebrated 14 points for management have also stood as a standard for transforming business effectiveness since the 1980s. In this guest blog post, Wilma Paxton Doherty, a Senior Consultant at ON THE MARK, talks about how organizations can apply Agile thinking by using Dr. Deming’s philosophies.

November 28, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Women make up half of the total college-educated workforce in the United States yet only 29 percent of the overall science and engineering workforce. It’s an issue that Stephanie Hein, CEO of MakerGirl, is working to solve. In this article, she talks about why it’s important to show young women the value of STEM — and have some fun in the process.

November 27, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

JOBS! Every week, we highlight a number of open jobs for our member companies. If you’re looking for an exciting career in the tech industry or an opportunity to work alongside Chicago’s best and brightest, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are the job openings for the week of November 27, 2018.

November 21, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Brands matter. People connect with the tone and personality of a brand, not the technical concepts behind a business. Putting thought and effort into branding your startup will pay off in the long run when it comes to memorability and referrals. In this guest post, Grant Polachek, Director of Marketing at Squadhelp, discusses how early-stage startups can create a successful brand.

November 20, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Last week, 1871 and the CEC held the 11th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner in celebration of Chicago’s fast-growing community of innovators, pioneers, and entrepreneurs. This year’s event observed the theme of an emergent tech ecosystem, which includes emerging technologies, leaders, and opportunities that embody the creative potential of change and innovation. During the ceremony, a number of awards were presented to local companies and entrepreneurs who embody the emerging and creative potential of change and innovation – in case you couldn’t make it, we’ve got everything that you missed right here.

November 13, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

As Artificial Intelligence continues to advance, robots continue to increase their prevalence across industries and companies of varying sizes, including many startups. Robotics continue to surge in their industrial markets, with a market projection of 71.7 billion dollars by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4% over the next 5 years. The increasing availability of low cost and readily implemented robots has increased the non-conventional application of industrial robotics. One sector responsible for the continued increased demand is the use of robotics in startup production and workflow. In this guest post, Irving Wittenbur of DO Supply talks about how robotics can benefit small businesses.

November 13, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

November 12, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

This Veterans Day, 1871’s Yun Tai — an Army veteran — takes a look at the intersection of the veteran and tech communities. In this post, he’ll reflect on why veterans are natural born innovators, excel at entrepreneurship, and continue to serve their communities even after they’ve left the military.

November 7, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Last week, 1871 and ANA, Japan’s largest airline, held a joint Fireside Chat to look at disruptive technologies and the future of global transportation. In front of a packed room, ANA Digital Lab Design team members Kevin Kajitani and Akira Fukabori, spoke about their innovative project, AVATAR, a platform that can transport a human’s senses, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world. 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler also shared a number of cutting-edge tech trends that will shape the future for years ahead.

November 6, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

November 1, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

As the old Kenny Rogers tune goes, ‘you got to know when to hold’em and you got to know when to fold’em.’ Nobody understands that sentiment better than Sergio Suarez Jr., the former Co-founder and CTO of the popular ticket reservation platform dibit and the Co-founder of Tackle Ai, which uses artificial intelligence to extract key data points from any unstructured document. Along with his entrepreneurial endeavors, Suarez Jr. is also an accomplished poker player. In this post, Suarez Jr. shares his story along with his tips on to how to successfully play the hand your dealt.

October 31, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Happy Halloween, all! If you think you’re impervious to all of the frights that await you today, think again — EX3 Labs, an experience design and product innovation studio specializing in mixed/augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Thing (IoT) solutions, shares today’s guest blog on the seven scares that keep innovation leaders up at night.

October 30, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

The city of Chicago is quickly cementing its reputation as a tech powerhouse in both the United States and throughout the world — but like many other cities, there is still work to be done when it comes to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. In this post, guest author Linda Darragh, the Larry Levy Executive Director of the Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, shares her insights on how we can collectively create, support, and foster a pipeline of diverse and inclusive talent. [Read more…] about How to Develop a Diverse Pipeline

October 29, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 and BMO Harris Bank are proud to hold their second joint innovation program. The program provides participants with BMO mentors with various expertise, mission-essential resources across the bank, a working space at 1871 and the potential opportunity to pilot their technology with BMO Harris. To offer insight on what entrepreneurs can expect from the program, we spoke with some of its current members. This week, we talk to we talk to Shima Rayej, Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer at Safe Rate, about the importance of perspective and how the Chicago Bulls helped her connect with one of the nation’s most prestigious banks.

October 25, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

From soccer to tutoring to dance class to mentorship, many of today’s youth spend their after-school hours partaking in activities that will help them learn and develop new skills and build new relationships. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to after-school activities nor knows how to find specific programs of interest — it’s an issue that Montana Butsch, Founder and CEO of Spotivity, frequently saw on the West and South sides of Chicago when running the Chicago Training Center ‘CTC’ – a non-profit he founded to bring rowing to inner city kids. Today, Montana is using his past experiences with CTC to help youth from all corners of the city find the activities that empower and inspire them. In this post, he talks about the need for greater education, the importance of community, and the significance of engagement.

October 25, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Startups and small businesses outsource a number of things: server space, legal services, and accounting are common examples, generally recognized as outside of the business’s core expertise. But when it comes to human resources (HR) management and operations (outside of payroll, of course), founders and business leaders have a tough time wrapping their heads around how outsourcing can help their business succeed. In this guest post, Bob Cerone, CEO of Cognos HR, shares his insight on the hidden opportunities and benefits that HR outsourcing can have for your business as it grows.

Subscribe

Questions?