SpotHero’s Mark Lawrence on Strategy, Vision, and Building Successful Businesses

June 1, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

For the live taping of Chicago Founders’ Stories, SpotHero Co-Founder and CEO Mark Lawrence took the stage at 1871 in front of a packed room to share his story as an entrepreneur and founder. SpotHero, which is an 1871 alumni company, is a leading parking reservation service and is currently available in over 50 cities in the United States and Canada.

May 31, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

It’s Chicago Woman Week next week, and we’re especially excited about their inaugural GET NOTICED: Latina Edition event on June 6th at 1871, featuring as a panelist our very own Diana Lopez-Obaldo, Director of External Affairs! Today’s Our 1871 celebrates Diana and her favorite 1871 insights and moments.

May 30, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Nicknamed the ‘Kayak of Furniture,’ Sara Taylor-Demos and Chris Vuletich’s Cora is making it easier than ever for customers to decorate their homes with furniture that’s automagically tailor-presented to their tastes. In this interview, Co-Founder Taylor-Demos talks about the importance of perseverance, following your own path, and positive reinforcement.

May 29, 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 29, 2018.

May 29, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Raj Jana is the founder of JavaPresse Coffee Company, a specialty coffee delivery service that sends premium, freshly-roasted coffee to your door once or twice a month. He started this company because of his desire to use coffee to promote a culture of gratitude. In this article, he offers his tips on how companies can preserve their culture even as they continue to grow.
[Read more…] about How to Preserve Your Culture as You Scale Your Startup

May 25, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today’s work culture is dominated by lavish perks like kegerators and yoga classes, but Peanut Butter, is providing employers with a new offering that may be the best benefit yet — the ability to pay off their employees’ student loans.

May 25, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

The digital economy is simplifying the way businesses run. At the same time, it’s giving companies access to more information than ever before. Data is what runs businesses today but as Rocky Subramanian, SVP and Managing Director of the Midwest at SAP, will discuss, if companies can’t communicate to the decision makers what that information means so that they can act on it, all that data is worthless.

May 24, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Simple 1871 fact — the people make the place. Today we chat with Kyle Bradley, Founder of Nava Print Studio, about his work with emerging artists and the challenges of entrepreneurship as part of the Our 1871 series.

May 23, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Technology may be king but Courtney Shuster, CEO and Co-founder of IRL Trivia, is bringing back the one thing that many workplaces have lost over the years – human connection. In this interview, Shuster shares her insights on employee engagement, female founders, and following her passion.

May 22, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

May 21, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

Today’s guest post comes from Michelle Kaffko. She’s been running Organic Headshots since 2005, taking corporate headshots, entrepreneur headshots, and executive portraits for thousands of Chicago area professionals.

May 18, 2018 by J Blaszczykiewicz

1871 announced Friday the release of its 2017 Annual Report. The Annual Report — which is full of stories and statistics — illustrates the ways in which 1871 expanded opportunities for Chicago’s entrepreneurial community in calendar year 2017.

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

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.

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