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1871

The central Chicago address for tech

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  • Join
    • I am a…
      • Early Stage
      • Growth Stage
      • Corporate Innovator
    • Roadmap
      • BLKtech Founders
      • 619 Community Resource Group
      • LTNtech Founders
      • PRDtech Voices
      • WMNtech Founders
      • WMNtech Leaders
      • WMNfintech
      • PYROS
      • DGTL
      • Equifax Accelerate
      • Supply Chain Innovation Lab
    • Resources
      • Neighborhoods
      • Job Board
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Host Your Event
    • Signature Events
      • Juneteenth
      • Momentum
      • International Women’s Day
      • ScaleUp
      • Tech Challenge 2021
      • Campus
      • Intern & Job Fair
  • Blog
  • Contribute
  • About

Early Stage

Bound to accelerate

For many, founding a company is uncharted territory. 1871 provides the comprehensive roadmap to the structure, accountability, and community of support you need to build the foundation for sustained success.

Resources that make meeting your milestones easy

If you are turning your idea into a reality, finding your product-market fit, or accelerating your startup, 1871 empowers you to take the right steps at the right time. We deliver solutions that are curated to your unique needs when you need them and wherever you are, including:

  • A structured yet flexible roadmap that charts important milestones and puts you in control of your growth. 
  • A mentor, talent, and tech support network made up of industry professionals and experts that you can connect with whenever you need them most. 
  • Peer connections with fellow innovators who will inspire and motivate you to surpass your every goal. 

To dive deeper into the full list of benefits you will receive as an 1871 early stage member, sign up for our next info session.

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Play Video

Check out our Founding Moments video series  

A roadmap

Gain the direction you need with weekly workshops, shareouts, and deep dives for important business milestones.

Live events

Learn, network, collaborate, and connect with business leaders and peers at 1871’s award-winning programs, accessible online and in-person.

Expert guidance

Find solutions to any business or tech problem through one-on-one mentoring with over 250 vetted experts.

A community

Unlock the support and energy of the 1871 community from anywhere in the world through the member portal and private communication platform.

Expert-led video library

Gain unlimited access to an expansive on-demand library of lessons taught by industry leaders.

Supporting programs

Tackle challenges that are unique to your background and industry with 1871’s personal identity and industry supporting programs.

Brand recognition & amplification

Draw on the awareness and credibility that comes with being a member of the #1 Private Business Incubator in the world and amplify your wins on 1871’s various promotional channels. 

$150K+ in free services

Utilize member-exclusive perks for your business, including credit to Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and much more.

A home

Establish your company headquarters in the heart of downtown Chicago, complete with fully equipped workspaces, conference rooms, podcast studio, and more. Or find your virtual home in 1871’s expansive community.

Choose your experience

*Options priced per individual

DGTL

On your own time
Coming soon!

Virtual

In real time and on your own time

In-residence

In real life, real time and on your own time


Open Desk

Dedicated Desk

Office

Unlimited access to startup roadmap

Unlimited access to expert-led video library

$75 activation fee
$75 activation fee
$75 activation fee
$75 activation fee

Live workshops & events

Mentor network

Supporting programs

Full access to community messaging platform

Brand amplification support

$150K+ in free services

Physical mailing address

Office amenities

24/7 access to downtown & western suburbs space & conference rooms

$ 225/yr

$ 175/mo*

$ 1,900/yr*

$ 350/mo*

$ 3,780/yr*

$ 500/mo*

$ 5,400/yr*

Varies*

*Virtual, Open Desk, Dedicated Desk, and Office receive a 10% discount when billed annually. Need-based scholarships are available. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Your roadmap

We analyzed the pain points of over 250 founders and designed a roadmap to help you navigate startup fundamentals and propel you forward through every business milestone, from the idea stage through product-market fit. 

The structured, yet flexible, model of our roadmap enables you to own your progress and make any necessary adjustments you need. You can access it in three possible ways: in-person, virtually, or asynchronously through our DGTL library. 

No matter where you’re at in your business journey, we offer programming education, mentorship, and resources to help you grow. This roadmap, what 1871-ers refer to as “PYROS,” has four tracks: Explore, Build, Launch, and Catapult. Each track is structured around the following three educational pillars: 

  • Product Marketing & Strategy
  • Startup & Business Fundamentals
  • Leadership & Development

1871 also connects you with a community of peers to support and push you every step of the way. 

Learn more
Play Video
  • 14 week tracks
  • Rolling entry
  • Connect from anywhere
  • Use what you need
  • Expert-led
  • Peer engagement

Supporting programs

Bring your full self to 1871. Our specialized identity and industry programs are carefully tailored to help you embrace your unique strengths, connect with industry insiders who will champion your success, and break down the barriers you face. To join any of the groups below, apply to be an early stage member.

Identity

BLK•Tech

Unlock a new world of opportunities among an intimate cohort of peers and mentors designed for Black-led startups. Learn More

LatinX

In partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), this program provides tailored coaching to help LatinX entrepreneurs thrive. Learn More

WISTEM

WISTEM empowers early stage woman-identifying entrepreneurs to develop, launch, and build their tech businesses faster. Learn more

Industry

Food Foundry

Food Foundry in partnership with Relish Works and Gordon Food Service supports, connects, and propels startups who are reimagining the food industry. Learn More

WMN•FINTech

WMN•FINTech in partnership with BMO Harris Bank pairs women-led startups that create services or solutions for the financial sector with industry-specific education and executive mentors.  Learn more

Hear from our early stage members

“We are from Venezuela, living in Caracas, and as entrepreneurs we felt lost for a lot of time and had a rough time trying to find any help in our journey. At PYROS we’re getting not only the roadmap to know what to do along with incredible resources, but also the necessary community that provides the support and energy to keep going no matter what. We’ve always believed that success is mainly on you, but being in PYROS makes us feel sure that there are definitely no excuses. We are so grateful and blessed for being here.”

Ernesto Escalona & Alexandra Ramak
Founders
BoughtThis

“The Pyros-Build experience was amazing, and it provided us the roadmap and structure that we were seeking. I can’t overstate how much money we saved from going through the program and avoiding the costly mistakes we would have made otherwise. Building a company is hard, but you aren’t the first to do it. The famous cliche is not to reinvent the wheel. Pyros is the wheel—use it!”

Keithan Hedrick
Co-Founder & CEO
Candi

“We have done other accelerators, but they didn’t come close to the quality of the workshops, mentors and support that we’ve gotten from PYROS. I still can’t believe the program is included with membership. Launch helped us take our C- financial model and turn it into an A+ decision-making resource. It has also equipped us with new growth ideas and a robust OKR framework that keeps us focused.”

Cheryl Kemps
Founder
IndieFit

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Ready to get started?

The best way to get started with 1871 is to attend an info session or get in touch with one of our team members. We’re ready to talk you through how to best get involved with our community.

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Upcoming events

1871 regularly hosts events focused on entrepreneurship, self-development and more. View events calendar

1871 Blog

Learn about the Chicago tech and entrepreneurship community.Read our blog

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Need more time? Browse our membership types:

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