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.
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.
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.
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.
[Read more…] about Marketing for Founders: 5 Ways Startups Can Acquire Customers
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.
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.
[Read more…] about 1871 Launches Advanced Member Program (AMP) for Later-Stage, Scaling Companies
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.
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.
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.
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.
[Read more…] about Four Equity Management Trends that are Changing Startups
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.
[Read more…] about 1871 Offers New Perk Through Keeper Security
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.
[Read more…] about 1871 WiSTEM Program Wins 2017 SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition
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.
[Read more…] about Former U.S. CTO Megan Smith Talks Tech Jobs at 1871
1871 will provide meeting space to The Difference Engine as part of a new ongoing partnership which aims to help facilitate training and valuable connections for developers with non-traditional backgrounds. The Difference Engine, founded by 1871 member and WiSTEM alum Kimberly Lowe-Williams, is a non-profit with a mission of helping women, minorities, and older career changers take pre-existing tech skills and transform them into coding careers.
[Read more…] about The Difference Engine Makes 1871 Its Home Base
The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and 1871 are thrilled to announce that 1871 will be one of three Chicago institutions to partner with global apparel retailer UNIQLO, with visual displays from five innovative and design-forward 1871 member companies to launch inside the brand’s three-story, 60,000 square-foot flagship store on Michigan Avenue.
Constant innovation is the name of the game, but how can this accomplished within large enterprises? Over the course of three posts, we’ll share key takeaways from 1871’s recent Corporate Innovation Summit which was based on one of 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman’s favorite truisms: “People don’t change when they see the light; they change when they feel the heat.”
[Read more…] about Innovating within Corporations: Key Takeaways Part 1
Last Thursday evening November 2, more than 1000 of the Chicago tech and entrepreneurial community’s best and brightest gathered together to celebrate the landmark 10th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner, hosted by 1871 and Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). The evening culminated in the presentation of six awards to deserving leaders and companies that have made major contributions to the city’s tech ecosystem.
1871 recently hosted Anna Auerbach, Founder and Co-CEO of Werk, and Lee Mayer, Founder and CEO of Havenly, for an intimate fireside chat at 1871 about their entrepreneurial journeys. Through the conversation, Anna and Lee showed us that with perseverance and dedication towards one’s passion, you can succeed. What passion do you have that drives you to make a difference?
[Read more…] about Passion and Purpose: Takeaways From the Founders of Werk and Havenly