1871 and IHCC’s Second Cohort of Incubator Companies Celebrate at Showcase Event

August 31, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Hundreds gathered at 1871 on August 30th for the second 1871/Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Joint Incubator Showcase, where 13 Latinx-led startups pitched their businesses and celebrated completing an intense 12 week program of mentorship, workshops and support from the greater entrepreneurial community.

August 25, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

This week in Instagram: 1871 started off the week right by bringing the team together to view the Solar Eclipse. The last time a total eclipse was visible from coast to coast in the US was on June 8th, 1918. Our team was lucky enough to snag viewing glasses to catch the event in full effect.

August 25, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Even though they’re learning the ins and outs of tech and business building while classes are out, Chicago students have had anything but a summer school experience at 1871 this summer. We welcomed students from both Rêve Academy and CoderSpace for a pair of innovative programs aimed at increasing opportunities in tech for young students and positively impacting communities.

August 25, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

We’ve talked and worried for years about the potential harm to businesses that unforeseen results and unintended consequences can cause, especially when the companies involved are new and relatively immature. When you read the typical after-action analyses, which try to make sense of these seemingly “abrupt” changes or the “surprise” upsets, they are almost always directed toward studying how well or poorly the particular actor, entity, or business fared as a result of the inability to anticipate or mitigate the nasty changes brought about by its own deliberate actions. Of course, these kinds of problems don’t simply effect newbies.

August 24, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

After planning her fair share of weddings and bachelorette parties for free, Christina Hecker decided it was time to make a little money on matrimony. Hecker, a member of WiSTEM’s fifth cohort, is the founder of Wedmony — an online platform that aims to connect couples planning their weddings and offers them simple tools to help them keep on schedule during the process.

August 23, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It’s an understatement to say tech has changed in the past 30 years, and Lisa Portnoy has been at the forefront of watching its evolution.

August 23, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Christina Holloway is an 1871 mentor, and a leadership and development business coach. In this mentor insights blog, she talks about the value business coaches can bring to entrepreneurs and how to go about finding the right fit.

August 22, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

For Isabelle Woodrow, creating the “Apartments.com for senior living communities” has been a family affair. She’s the CTO of LivingPath — a transparent listing platform for retirement homes and senior communities — a company she co-founded with her brother, Jonathan, who maintains the CEO title.

August 22, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 is like the Hotel California: You check in, but you never leave. Even as a company gets its own offices or a member receives an opportunity elsewhere, you’re forever tied to the 1871 ecosystem. No partner embodies this more than Designation, 1871’s resident UI/UX bootcamp.

August 18, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Formerly BP’s global head of marketing, Anna Catalano has over 30 years of corporate experience and now sits on multiple boards. Here she shared her unique insights into the glass ceiling and the assumptions placed upon women in the workplace which often serve as barriers to advancement.

August 18, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Oh, you think gifting is cute? WiSTEM member and Packed With Purpose founder Leeatt Rothschild wants you to know it is a badass business. Those are her own words for the gigantic gifting industry, which she’s looking to disrupt by doing some good to support small businesses who, in turn, support charitable or social causes.

August 18, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It’s a good week when things end with free manicures from our friends at member company LISA. What else was up this week? We visited the City Club of Chicago, played with some dogs and had an awesome breakfast with our WiSTEM members — all documented on our Insta. Not following? You should.

August 18, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

If there were a looking-glass that showed Chicago’s future, it would have been on stage August 16 at 1871. Digi.City Connect — a multi-city series of discussions with lawmakers, government officials, technologists and corporations — made a stop in Chicago to discuss the social and economic impact of smart city technologies with several local experts.

August 17, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 held its latest quarterly Fintech Forum, in partnership with Capco, to showcase thought leaders in the fintech space and increase the interactions between startups and corporate partners in this critical and rapidly expanding area. Read on for a few key takeaways and some cybersecurity tips from our experts.

August 17, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

The 1871/IHCC Hispanic Technology Incubator is a cohort-based accelerator that provides Latinx-led businesses with programming and mentorship. We asked each of the participating entrepreneurs about what makes them tick, and this week, we say hello to Carlos Frederico Rosenwald, Founder and Chief Story Officer at Story Street Labs, an online community that welcomes anyone to read, write, and share short-stories and serialized works of fiction.

August 16, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

With a network of more than 300 professionals from every industry, the mentor program is the crown jewel of 1871. Every day, mentors dedicate their time and expertise guiding our members from issues ranging from legal to tech and everywhere in between, forming valuable relationships and producing concrete outcomes. This week, we say hello to Jochen Renz of SalesEnablers.

August 15, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

What happens when three Chicago Public School teachers combine 60 years of experience? In Michelle Krumholz’ case — a tech startup. Evolved Educator was born out of solving a problem she and fellow teachers experienced when Common Core rolled out in public schools across the country: how to develop effective lesson plans efficiently to meet the changing requirements in the classroom.

August 15, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Hey, chill out. 1871 community members are working hard on startups that are aimed at taking the stress out of daily life for the rest of the world. From power napping to preventing workplace burnout, we reached out to some 1871 businesses working on solutions to reduce stress for National Relaxation Day.

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