“Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.” —Kiley Peters of Brainchild Studios

December 6, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

With a network of more than 600 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 Kiley Peters, Owner and CEO of boutique digital marketing agency Brainchild Studios.

November 30, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Co-creation is the design of new products, services, experiences, or business models in a collaborative environment. It gives everyone a seat at the design table and allows all voices to be heard in a collaborative and interactive space. On Veterans Day 2017, member company AE Marketing Group led a co-creation lab to bring together top marketers in 1871 to help the veteran-led, CPG startup, Rumi Spice.

November 29, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

You need to make sure that your company is moving at the pace of change. That means never being comfortable with the current rate of change–because it keeps getting faster.

November 29, 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 Rick Kottke, VP, Program Manager at BMO Harris Bank.

November 29, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 announced today that Trinity Christian College will kick off an associate membership at 1871, which includes access to shared co-working space, conference rooms, and certain events, as well as the opportunity for students to participate in Campus 1871, a weekend-long event that brings together approximately 300 students from 1871’s university partners.

November 28, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today we kick off the sixth cohort of WiSTEM, the 1871 accelerator program that has graduated five cohorts, supported 64 companies and 72 individual women, and raised more than $10 million in capital collectively since the program’s inception in Fall of 2015.

November 21, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It is hardly one of the cool kids on the tech block, but in a world where data integrity and trust matters, the company’s Azure cloud platform is a security blanket for big corporations.

November 20, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today marks the official launch of 1871.Live, a new streaming platform that will bring more than 17,000 hours of entrepreneurial and business-focused educational programming to multiple community center partners across the city. 1871 is one of eight community organizations awarded a grant by ChicagoNEXT and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation for the 2017 Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurial Challenge.

November 17, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Many entrepreneurs skip the basics of marketing and struggle to find product market fit. 1871 member Solomon Thimothy is the co-founder of marketing intelligence platform Clickx and has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and clients implement effective marketing strategies. There is no cookie cutter way to success, but Thimothy shares certain themes that have emerged from his experiences.

November 16, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

This month, 1871 launched a three-month partnership with UNIQLO, a popular global fashion retailer located on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, featuring in-store displays by five incredible 1871 member companies. We visited the store this week with a few of our participating entrepreneurs to get the scoop.

November 15, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today, 1871 launches the 1871 Advanced Member Program (AMP), a program geared toward later-stage companies which are scaling and have reached specific industry benchmarks determined by 1871. This is 1871’s latest offering to ensure the best and brightest companies are supported with resources relevant to their stage of growth.

November 14, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Throwing your new hire into the fire without sufficient training is often seen as a rite of passage. But that’s short-sighted and often costly, to both the employee and the company.

November 13, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Jeanne Reidy, VP of Events and Content Development at 1871, chats with the brightest founders, executives, educators, and wave-makers in the technology, business, and entrepeneurial landscape. See below for the full list of interviews or watch the playlist on YouTube.

November 13, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Success is not a plaque or a dollar sign. It can’t be bought or ascribed. Success is a personal reward borne out of a subscription to one’s core values. 1871 mentor Susan Kuczmarski of Kuczmarski Innovation discusses how the empowered leader of the future will have to embrace six unique qualities that are unknown to many leaders today.

November 10, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Founders know that equity is a powerful commodity for a startup; used effectively, it allows you to attract top talent and save on cash. But, simply giving employees equity isn’t enough. Your equity compensation needs to be a part of a broader strategy that fits with your company culture and goals. 1871 workshop leader Iman Malik of Carta gives us the low-down on equity trends.

November 10, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 now offers password and asset security services provided by Keeper Security at a discounted rate for one year to all 1871 members, the most recent addition to a growing list of business perks available to our community.

November 9, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

WiSTEM, 1871’s accelerator program for women-founded businesses, will be receiving a $50,000 grant from the Small Business Administration for the second year in a row through the SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. WiSTEM is one of 20 programs nationally to receive a grant totaling $1 million combined.

November 9, 2017 by J Blaszczykiewicz

On October 30, 1871 hosted the Tech Jobs Tour, a forum which helps diverse, non-traditional talent find jobs in the technology space. The national tour features top tech experts who are women, people of color, LGBTQ, veterans and people with disabilities. Megan Smith, former CTO of the United States and CEO of shift7, gave the keynote speech and stopped by 1871 earlier in the day to meet with women entrepreneurs in the space.

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