1871
1871 is Chicago’s technology hub and the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world. It exists to inspire, equip, and support early stage, growth scalers and innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~450 technology startups, ~200 growth stage companies, and ~1,500 members, and is supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area.
The member experience includes virtual and in person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 200 partner corporations, universities, educ ation programs, accelerators, venture funds and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 850 alumni companies are currently still active, have created over 14,000 jobs, and have raised more than $3.5 billion in follow-on capital.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The true power of diversity in tech lies in its ability to unlock boundless innovation. Collaboration is key, and when we embrace and empower diverse minds, perspectives, and experiences, we tap into limitless transformative ideas. Confronting these challenges head-on and standing united for change is the only way forward. 1871 is proud to join the Tech Equity Working Group and other key players to shatter barriers and collectively address gender and racial inequality within the Chicagoland tech community.
Stephanie Miller – CXO, 1871
All Raise
All Raise is a non-profit with a mission to amplify female and non-binary investor, founder, and operator voices to accelerate their success and create a tech culture where women and non-binary voices are leading, shaping, and funding the future.
Why We’re TEWG Members
As part of the GET Cities initiative, All Raise believes passionately in TEWG and our work mirrors TEWG’s mission – to create the solutions needed to address gender and racial inequities for women and nonbinary investors, founders and operators.
Christie Lenox – Sr Manager of Community, All Raise
Jody Mahoney – Director of Business Development, All Raise
Chicago:Blend
Chicago:Blend is a non-profit organization, founded in 2018, to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Chicago’s venture capital (VC) and startup community. We measure diversity across Chicago’s VC industry, prepare underrepresented professionals for roles in venture, and provide DEI resources to VCs and their portfolio companies.
Why We’re TEWG Members
At its core, Chicago:Blend is an organization focused on community empowerment. We envision a Chicago that is more inclusive and more representative of the people who call this place home and we see tech and entrepreneurship as a vehicle for driving change. But we know that we can’t achieve this vision alone. There are several dedicated and impactful organizations in town that are working tirelessly toward a similar vision.
The GET Cities Chicago Tech Equity Working Group provides a neutral space for all of us to collaborate, test ideas and interventions, and learn from each other. We have benefited from this amalgamation of equity-focused professionals and organizations and can’t wait to see where these collaborations will take us next.
Joey Mak – CEO, Chicago:Blend
Salvador Dueñas – Sr Director of Programs, Chicago:Blend
Cleveland Avenue
Founded by Don and Liz Thompson, Cleveland Avenue (CA) is a privately-held venture capital firm that invests in, builds and extends brands across a range of companies, industries and locations. Our diverse team includes specialists that drive growth at all stages, from launching new concepts to auditing and reporting on mature ones.
Why We’re TEWG Members
Cleveland Ave supports the mission of GET Cities in accelerating growth opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs and their businesses in Chicago.
Jason Mercer – Principal, CAST US Due Diligence
DePaul University DrieHaus College of Business
About DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center empowers students, alumni, and community members to build sustainable businesses that Do Good and Do Well in Chicago. We are the hub to connect, advise, and inspire entrepreneurship and innovation in creating businesses with purpose and passion. Our experiential programs, vibrant ecosystem, and academic curriculum cultivate a foundation for entrepreneurial success for our entire DePaul community.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center welcomes the opportunity to connect and learn from outside entrepreneurial systems and organizations. We are excited to be re-launching our Women in Entrepreneurship Institute and learning more from other women in this group. The Institute supports women entrepreneurs through academic research and programs as well as initiatives that invest in the success and sustainability of women-owned businesses. We are ready to work together to keep evolving and bringing community together.
Kathia Hernandez – Program Manager, Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University
Fifth Star Funds
Fifth Star Funds is an organization fighting the racial wealth gap by addressing the investment and funding gap issues Black Founders face at the earliest, and often most overlooked, stage of the Venture Capital journey: the Friends & Family Round. Fifth Star Funds invests in Black tech founders with their first $25k investment in order to be a catalyst to build exciting companies that matriculate through Venture Capital.
As a non-profit organization, Fifth Star Funds works as an “evergreen model” – as the founders invested in move upwards through Venture Capital and/or become acquired, the proceeds from their exits goes back into the nonprofit fund that re-invests in new Black tech founders. Anyone is able to donate at any level to contribute to tackling this mission.
Why We’re TEWG Members
In continuing our efforts to foster a more inclusive and diverse tech ecosystem in the Chicagoland area and beyond, we consider our organization’s participation in TEWG as a great opportunity and privilege to further connect and align our efforts with those of like-minded and impact-focused organizations in the city of Chicago and more broadly across the country.
Langston Hill – Venture Associate, Fifth Star Funds
Hyde Park Angels
Hyde Park Angels (HPA) is a leading early-stage investor. Our People First model leverages world-class operating expertise, a powerful business network, and venture capital to fuel startup success. As a result, our founders transform their businesses into industry leaders, our investors generate best-in-class returns, and our community experiences job creation and economic growth.
Why We’re TEWG Members
HPA believes that building a more diverse startup and VC ecosystems creates new economic opportunities for all people and TEWG’s focus on building scalable solutions resonates with HPA’s view on creating sustainable impact.
Stephen Ross – Partner, Hyde Park Angels
Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
The Office of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE) at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is committed to providing minority-, women-, persons-with-disabilities, and veteran-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state with equitable access to opportunities and resources. Through dynamic partnerships, targeted outreach, and tailored programs and initiatives, OMEE aims to create an inclusive business ecosystem for communities that have traditionally faced systemic barriers to entry and growth.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity is committed to uplifting women who have historically faced barriers to business ownership and accessing key business resources. We are honored to be part of TEWG as the alliance led by GET Cities Chicago has developed important, impactful pilot projects to advance women in the tech industry here in Illinois.
Michelle Lura White – Women’s Business Development Manager, Office of Minority Economic Empowerment
Illinois Venture Capital Association
The Illinois Venture Capital Association advocates for a strong Illinois business climate for private investors in private companies by:
- Promoting a pro-growth public policy platform
- Facilitating member networking
- Introducing underrepresented groups to the business of private company investing
- Collaborating with organizations of mutual interest
In addition, IVCA works with entrepreneurial organizations in the Midwest to encourage a strong cycle of innovation and business creation leading to superior investment opportunities.
Why We’re TEWG Members
IVCA has a strong commitment to work with entrepreneurial organizations in the midwest to create thriving business opportunities for all in the region. IVCA is committed to supporting diverse founders and organizations that promote racial and gender equity. It is for these reasons and more IVC is proud to be a part of the Tech Equity Working Group (TEWG).
Christie Pruyn – Executive Director, Illinois Venture Capital Association
Impact Engine
Impact Engine is an institutional investor managing venture capital and private equity strategies that drive positive impact in the areas of economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health equity.
Why We’re TEWG Members
Impact Engine is incorporated as a public benefit corporation with the aim of increasing the impact investing ecosystem. Having planted our roots in 2012 as a Chicago institution, we believe it to be natural for us to play a role in an alliance of Chicago accelerators, incubators, and funds creating collective solutions to systemic inequities in Chicago’s tech entrepreneurship ecosystem, with a focus on gender and race. With our experience and connections, we believe we can share learnings and best practices to accelerate impact together.
Ander Iruretagoyena – Vice President, Impact Engine
Illinois Science & Technology Coalition
The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition is a 501c6, member-driven non-profit that strengthens the state’s innovation economy through ecosystem programming and support, data insights, and non-partisan policy and advocacy at a state and national level. Our impactful 501c3 STEM education Institute develops and supports programs connecting K-12 classrooms with companies to solve real world problems while preparing the next generation of STEM talent.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The Illinois Science and Technology Coalition is rooted in collaboration to enrich Illinois’s innovation economy. Being a part of the Tech Equity Working Group has built on this mission by creating opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations to pilot and scale new programming, identify opportunities and redundancies in the ecosystem, and ultimately better serve Chicago’s diverse pool of tech talent. The intentionality, transparency, and determination within the group is what has made impact possible. ISTC is proud to be a part of the effort and constantly grateful to the other TEWG members, who have made the experience so worthwhile.
Colleen D Egan – Strategic Advisor, President Emeritus, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition
Jacob Barry – Innovation Program Manager, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition
Kate Calabra – Interim CEO, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition
Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at Illinois Tech
The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship believes that higher education is best realized when applied to positive, practical change. Kaplan Institute has a vision of an evolved tech landscape in Chicago, shaped by a new generation of tech leadership that is more entrepreneurial, more community-minded, and more diverse. Its mission is to guide Illinois Tech students on a direct path to becoming Chicago’s next tech leaders.
Why We’re TEWG Members
We are proud to be part of the GET Cities Tech Equity Working Group in Chicago. Our programs foster an entrepreneurial mindset, emphasizing community engagement and diversity. We empower our students to harness technology as a means to drive innovation and create a lasting impact in their communities. By being part of the GET Cities Tech Equity Working Group, we align ourselves with like-minded organizations and individuals who share our vision of leveraging technology for positive change and advancing equity in the tech industry.
Together, we strive to cultivate a vibrant tech ecosystem in Chicago that embraces diversity, fosters innovation, and empowers individuals to become the driving force behind the city’s continued technological advancements.
Niharika Hanglem – Program Director, Kaplan Institute
Long Jump
LongJump is a first-check, founder-led fund, based in Chicago, designed to invest in the next generation of founders. We provide capital, connections, and community to help founders take the leap towards building fast-growing, scalable businesses.
Why We’re TEWG Members
LongJump is a Chicago-based fund that writes checks to founders in their earliest stages. We have a focus on populations and ideas that have been traditionally overlooked by venture capital. We share GET Cities’ mission of helping create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem and believe access to early stage capital is a key component of moving the needle forward for the individuals GET Cities serves.
Tina Hrabak – Head of Platform, Long Jump
MATTER
At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 800 current and alumni startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow us on social media with the handle @MATTERhealth.
Why We’re TEWG Members
MATTER is an organization dedicated to advancing healthcare through collaboration. TEWG is a collaborative that is reflective of the work being done across the technology and innovation ecosystem to make advancements in our respective fields. MATTER is proud to be part of a group that understands collaboration is key to impactful change and we are committed to remaining in the group as it strengthens the work of our organization.
Olyvia Phillips MPH, MBA – Partnerships Manager, MATTER
mHub
mHUB is the nation’s leading hardtech and manufacturing innovation center. We offer membership options, run accelerator programs and provide research and development services to ensure the manufacturing industry continues to accelerate, grow and thrive. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $430M in revenue, launched more than 1,256 products, hired more than 2,153 employees, and raised nearly $702M in capital.
The mHUB facility, located in Chicago, is 63,000 square feet and home to over 10 labs for prototyping and manufacturing. There is more than $6 million of equipment and resources for members as well as over 5,000 square feet of event space.
Why We’re TEWG Members
mHUB is a proud member of the Tech Equity Working Group because we believe that it will take collective action to truly rebalance access and opportunity in the tech ecosystem – and that Chicago will lead the way.
Lanise Beavers – Community Impact Program Manager, mHub
Shannon McGhee – Vice President of Programs and Engagement, mHub
P33
P33 is an intentional and collaborative effort led by Chicago business and tech leaders across the private and public-sector to build Chicago’s recognition as a tier-one tech hub. P33’s Founder’s Team supports founders in Chicago (specifically diverse founders) by building community, networks, and access to capital.
Why We’re TEWG Members
P33’s Founders Team is focused on inclusively accelerating the flow of capital in our region to drive economic impact, create wealth, and stimulate high-skill job creation. We joined TEWG because of the unique opportunity this collaboration offers us to work across the ecosystem. We particularly enjoy the catalytic capital and thought partnership that goes into each pilot. The impact of TEWG on Chicago is immeasurable, and many of our best initiatives started within the TEWG community.
Desiree Vargas Wrigley – Chief Innovation Officer & Executive Director of TechRise, P33
Lucy Brennan – Director, Founder’s Team, P33
Danny Goodman – Program Director, Founder’s Team, P33
Alonso Cisneros – Founder’s Team Associate, P33
The Polsky Exchange
Operated by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Polsky Exchange is a 34,000-square-foot startup incubator featuring work and meeting spaces, a Fabrication Lab for prototyping physical products, and a full calendar of programming and workshops designed to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their ventures. Part of UChicago’s commitment to supporting economic development in the community, the Polsky Exchange has two buildings on Hyde Park’s vibrant 53rd Street corridor – Exchange North at 1452 E. 53rd St. and Exchange South at 1463 E. 53rd St.
Membership is open to business owners and innovators in the community as well as UChicago students, faculty, and staff actively working on entrepreneurial ventures or involved in Polsky Center programs.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The Tech Equity Working Group provides an opportunity for organizations interested in creating an even playing field for women and BIPOC founders to not only convene but collaborate on impactful projects that diversify the investment and entrepreneurial landscape. The Polsky Exchange is proud to be a part of advancing equity in technology and related fields.
Abigail Ingram – Executive Director, the Polsky Exchange
Barbara Agyapong – Program Manager, the Polsky Exchange
Prota Ventures
Prota Ventures invests in founders during pre-seed and ideation stages to help them build venture-scale companies that move the needle on human flourishing.
Why We’re TEWG Members
Prota Ventures is committed to helping diverse founders in Chicago find the capital and resources they need to get their innovations from ideation to scale.
James Valadez – CEO of Startup Rocket and Venture Partner at Prota Ventures
TechNexus
TechNexus invests in better relationships between leading corporations and ambitious entrepreneurs. Some of our focus areas include: audio and media, aviation, outdoor recreation, future of mobility, public safety, and electrification. We commonly co-invest in Seed and Series A rounds. TechNexus has been a longstanding part of Chicago’s tech community, and we are proud to welcome and support many local organizations, founders, and companies into our space.
Why We’re TEWG Members
TechNexus is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and changing who is represented in the technology ecosystem by providing more capital, resources, and access to marginalized groups who have been overlooked for far too long. We believe “Everyone means Everyone.” When GET Cities announced Chicago as its flagship city, we knew our ethos was aligned, and were eager to partner and collaborate in order to build a more equitable tech ecosystem. As a founding member of TEWG in Chicago, TechNexus is proud to partner with GET Cities in order to build a more accessible and collaborative future for the city in which we work and live.
Cristin Pacifico – Director of Venturing, TechNexus
Ellie Davis – Sr Venture Impact Manager, TechNexus
TechStars Chicago
Techstars is the largest pre-seed Investor in the world. Our accelerators have one goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed. During each three-month program, we surround companies with the best mentors and an unrivaled network of corporate partners, investors, and alumni. We provide funding and fundraising opportunities, workshops and curated resources, not to mention countless moments where you can learn from your peers. It’s a proven model that’s helped build thousands of successful companies, all over the world.
Why We’re TEWG Members
“If we can actively find ways to provide access to the tens of thousands of emerging entrepreneurs whose access to opportunities, networks, and resources is otherwise restricted as a result of their identities, and make space for people to show up as their authentic selves, we can provide them a shot at sharing their ideas and raising early stage capital, and create the lasting change we know is possible.”
– Maëlle Gavet, CEO, Techstars
Brad Schnitzer – Investment Director, North America, TechStars
The Garage at Northwestern
The Garage at Northwestern is an energetic space and entrepreneurial community where students build the knowledge, grit, and network to bring new ideas to life. The 11,000 square foot space cultivates a lively culture and community of bright minds from across all corners of campus – and has been home to more than 1,000 student-founded startups and projects since its inception in 2015.
Why We’re TEWG Members
The Garage is participating in TEWG in order to support their mission of promoting equity and inclusion in the tech/startup space. The Garage hosts a variety of programs that align with these values and hopes to expand the way we support both our students and the broader startup ecosystem in Chicago via TEWG programming and opportunities.
Brylan Donaldson – Associate Director, The Garage At Northwestern
Vitamin Capital
We are current and former operators that are industry agnostic investing in Seed to Series B stage companies. We believe traction, fundraising, and revenue all come from finding and maintaining product-market fit. We believe this is achieved through rapid learning and iteration with the customer at the center of that experience. We provide access to a team of co-founders, product experts, and researchers to answer the biggest questions and assumptions facing you right now, and chart a path to success that’s backed by data and experience.
Why We’re TEWG Members
As a proud member of the Tech Equity Working Group (TEWG) in Chicago, Vitamin Capital is dedicated to promoting and maintaining an equitable ecosystem in the tech entrepreneurship landscape. We believe in TEWG’s mission to provide equal opportunities for all founders, particularly women, trans, and non-binary individuals who have been historically marginalized. By actively participating in TEWG, we aim to identify, pilot, and scale solutions that propel gender and racial equity in entrepreneurship, thereby helping to foster a more diverse and inclusive tech scene in Chicago.
Evan Shy – Operating Partner, Vitamin Capital
World Business Chicago
World Business Chicago is the economic development engine of the City of Chicago. We drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, support businesses, and promote Chicago as the leading global city to help our existing companies expand as well as attract new companies.
Why We’re TEWG Members
Our collaboration with TEWG aligns seamlessly with our core mission of fostering inclusive economic growth, job creation, and promoting Chicagoland as a global leader. We recognize the vast potential and the unique challenges that tech entrepreneurs, particularly those from underrepresented groups, face in our city. By being a part of TEWG, we are not only standing in solidarity with tech founders striving to overcome gender and racial inequities, but we are actively contributing to a more inclusive tech ecosystem in Chicagoland.
Kayla Cate – Director, Ecosystem Engagement, World Business Chicago
Nicole McCarthy – Vice President, Innovation & Venture, World Business Chicago