Great Startup Advice That Actually Sucks

May 17, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

You’ve heard it all before. “Just be yourself.” “If It’s not broken, don’t fix it.” “Everything happens for a reason.” If you haven’t thrown up yet, give it a second — it’ll come. We’re just as sick of hearing silly, counterintuitive advice as you are. But given the fast-pace of business, it can be hard to distinguish useful advice from harmful ‘help.’ Fortunately, we’ve got Victor Abundis, Co-founder and COO of Interpreter Tap, and Garry Cooper, CEO and Co-founder of Rheaply, to help us weed out a number of terrible tips.

May 17, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Simple 1871 fact — the people make the place. Today we chat with Andre Johnson, Founder of LiveEquipd, about his “aha!” moment, overcoming trauma, and empowerment as part of the Our 1871 series.

May 16, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Movies, television, and myths — these are three things that have shaped our definition of what happens in Silicon Valley and venture capital. But if you think investors really sign million dollar checks over a cup of coffee, then you’d better grab one yourself and get comfortable. Troy Henikoff, the Managing Director of MATH Venture Partners, an early to growth-stage fund managed by a seasoned team of hands-on investors and operators, explains how the great game really works.

May 15, 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 May 15, 2018.

May 11, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Social media, GPS, smartphones, IoT. These are all the biggest tech trends that have come about in the last 10 or 20 years. With all of these offerings and products at the touch of a fingertip, it might seem like we’ve reached the apex of innovation; however, augmented reality, which uses technology to transform the way we view our environment, is poised to become the next big thing in tech and business — here’s why.

May 11, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Simple 1871 fact — the people make the place. Today we chat with Rob Poissant, 1871’s new resident movie maker, about his love for video and what drew him to the 1871 community.

May 10, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Megan Wholey, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Edelman and 1871 mentor, shares her advice on how you can turn your brand into a key business driver — especially if you’re scaling on a lean budget.

May 8, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

May 4, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Simple 1871 fact — the people make the place. That’s why we wanted to highlight the community that makes our home in the Merchandise Mart special. Today we chat with Jasmine Shells, CEO and Co-Founder of Five to Nine and 1871 Diversity Scholar, about inspiration, grit, and inclusion as part of the Our 1871 series.

May 2, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

They can smell blood from up to a quarter of a mile away and it’s hard not to tremble when they gawk at you and flash their seven rows of 45 teeth. They are the Sharks (cue Jaws music here), and they’re tenacious, self-made millionaires and billionaires that don’t have time for lousy ideas. But while the sharks are scary, the treasure is often worth the trip; that’s why we asked Dan Stelmach, a recent Shark Tank guest and Co-Founder of ChangEd, to share some tips on how entrepreneurs can dive — and thrive — in the tank.

May 1, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 joined YWCA Metropolitan Chicago yesterday evening for a panel discussion on the key behaviors and strategies that foster safe and healthy workplaces. The panel featured industry leaders, including 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler, who shared a number of best practices and procedures on how companies of all sizes can create — and maintain — a healthy professional culture. In case you missed it, we’ve shared some of the panel’s most memorable highlights below.

May 1, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

April 30, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

You’ve spent the last 10 years killin’ it in your field, and now you’re ready to pay it forward and mentor the next generation of lean, mean entrepreneur machines. But even with all of your experience, it’s not quite a simple as doing a brain dump while holding a founder in a headlock. Here are 6 tips that will help you become Yoda for business leaders and founders.

April 26, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

As a startup, it’s easy to get caught up in the massive amounts of day-to-day work — but that doesn’t mean that entrepreneurs can forget about the customer experience. Scott Nowicki, Enterprise Sales Manager at Quiq, a platform that makes it simple for consumers to connect with companies, shares a number of messaging tips and consumer-driven technologies that are guaranteed to improve the customer experience.

April 25, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871’s partnership with popular global fashion retailer UNIQLO continues! The Michigan Avenue store is currently featuring the products of five 1871 startups, from body care, to gifting, to fitness and more. Check it out!

April 24, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

April 23, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

After more than two years at 1871, WiSTEM Co-Facilitator Jessica Williams is moving on. In this post, Williams reflects on a number of her most memorable moments and experiences at WiSTEM, 1871’s 12-week, curriculum-based accelerator for women entrepreneurs.

April 20, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It’s 4/20 and we know that you have some very, very important plans this evening. To get you in the mood for this hazy holiday, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of three Cannatech companies that you kneed to know.

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