Profiles in Innovation: An Interview with Shima Rayej of Safe Rate

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.

October 24, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

11 powerhouse tech companies have been nominated for the 11th annual Momentum Awards. Six finalists were selected for the category of the Momentum Rising Star Award, and five finalists were selected for the category of the Momentum Award. The winners will be announced at the 11th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner on November 15th.

October 23, 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 October 23, 2018.

October 19, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

In January 2018, 1871 was selected, by the Kauffman Foundation, as one of six entrepreneurial support organizations nationwide to serve as a policy advocate for entrepreneurs. In partnership with the Kauffman Foundation, 1871 is using the grant to fund a three-year program that will convene entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers in one room to address the issues that are impacting entrepreneurs the most. The program features two policy forums a year in which entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers will gather to discuss the most relevant challenges facing entrepreneurs. Together, the objective is to find policy-driven solutions and to amplify entrepreneurs’ and investors’ voices in Chicago, Washington D.C. and beyond. Read more about our grant from the Kauffman Foundation here.

October 18, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Sales Assembly and 1871 are joining forces to enable VentureSCALE, the Midwest’s first and only sales and revenue focused accelerator, which operates exclusively out of 1871. We’re excited to announce that VentureSCALE’s Fall cohort launched yesterday with six amazing companies, which we’ve highlighted below.

October 17, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

With Halloween just around the corner, we thought we’d share a scary thought with you — more than half of all Americans are not currently investing in the stock market. That’s why Brian Curcio and Myles Gage developed Rapunzl, an app that teaches young adults how to invest in the stock market through simulated competitions. In this post, Curcio and Gage talk about the need for financial education, what it’s like to be a young entrepreneur, and why you always get what you give.

October 17, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Funding is one of the most difficult challenges entrepreneurs face. In most cases, you’re either bootstrapping or asking people for money to invest in your venture. At the third session of 1871’s Groundwork series — a set of public workshops focusing on foundational topics for newly-minted entrepreneurs — Tony Wilkins, Sonia Nagar, Andrew Schwartz, and Charlie Connor discussed best practices to secure funding from investors.

October 16, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

October 15, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 and the CEC’s 11th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner will Recognize Discover as Corporate Champion; Linda Darragh and Ellen Rudnick as Entrepreneurial Champions; and Future Founders as the Chicagoness Award Winner.

October 15, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

An ambitious initiative begun by ANA (All Nippon Airways), Japan’s largest airline, is looking far beyond flight to shatter the barriers of physical transportation and achieve societal benefits. The ANA Avatar XPRIZE, a $10 million competition to create a real-life avatar system, hopes to develop a single platform that would allow individuals to experience and learn from different cultures and travel virtually. In this guest post, ANA discusses how the system would revolutionize the way we connect with each other. [Read more…] about ANA Perspective: The Future of Travel

October 9, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Hunting, off-roading, camping — these are just three of the many outdoor activities that you can’t do in a big city. What’s more, outdoor enthusiasts must enter long-term leases with exorbitant prices even if they’re just taking a weekend trip. Thankfully, Erik Johnson, Co-founder and President of PrivateAcre, is making it easier than ever for all of us to spend quality time in the great outdoors.

October 8, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Earlier this month, EX3 Labs — an experience design and product innovation studio specializing in mixed/augmented reality, artificial intelligence ,and Internet of Thing (IoT) solutions — launched their podcast series, #UnlockingInnovation, produced in partnership with 1871 Chicago. The goal of the series is to explore the qualities and practices that make the most innovative companies in Chicago successful.

October 5, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

For this week’s Our 1871, we chat with Kellee Johnson, Founder and Principal at the Ballast Group. The Ballast Group is an integrated communications strategy firm.

October 4, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

For this week’s Our 1871, we chat with Keith Gordon, CTO of Proxy Pics. Proxy Pics is a mobile app that allows customers or businesses to pay individuals for on-demand photos of a location or article of their choosing.

October 3, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

When students graduate from a higher educational establishment, they face another challenge — securing a job. However, the only thing they have is a degree in their respective field, but it is not enough for some employers. They need a skilled and proficient specialist with a few years of experience in this or that field. In this guest blog post, academic writer Michelle Lambert talks about how you can gain key experience by participating in education startups.
[Read more…] about How Startup Communities Could Help Students Become Entrepreneurs

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