We rely so heavily on smartphones and other connected gadgets, but what is it that enables those devices to function? One of 1871's newest members, Crown Castle, the company enabling much of your wireless world, gives us a glimpse into the realm of cell towers, small cells, fiber optics and all things shared communications. This blog is part of the company’s “Tomorrow’s Chicago Today” series, which begins with a panel discussion on communications infrastructure Wednesday, December 5.

"If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, then you don't know what you are doing." – Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Father of Quality Evolution. Dr. Deming's ideas of product quality largely inspired Japan's post-WWII economic boom in manufacturing. His celebrated 14 points for management have also stood as a standard for transforming business effectiveness since the 1980s. In this guest blog post, Wilma Paxton Doherty, a Senior Consultant at ON THE MARK, talks about how organizations can apply Agile thinking by using Dr. Deming's philosophies.

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 November 27, 2018.

Brands matter. People connect with the tone and personality of a brand, not the technical concepts behind a business. Putting thought and effort into branding your startup will pay off in the long run when it comes to memorability and referrals. In this guest post, Grant Polachek, Director of Marketing at Squadhelp, discusses how early-stage startups can create a successful brand.

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 November 20, 2018.

Last week, 1871 and the CEC held the 11th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner in celebration of Chicago's fast-growing community of innovators, pioneers, and entrepreneurs. This year's event observed the theme of an emergent tech ecosystem, which includes emerging technologies, leaders, and opportunities that embody the creative potential of change and innovation. During the ceremony, a number of awards were presented to local companies and entrepreneurs who embody the emerging and creative potential of change and innovation – in case you couldn't make it, we've got everything that you missed right here. 

As Artificial Intelligence continues to advance, robots continue to increase their prevalence across industries and companies of varying sizes, including many startups. Robotics continue to surge in their industrial markets, with a market projection of 71.7 billion dollars by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4% over the next 5 years. The increasing availability of low cost and readily implemented robots has increased the non-conventional application of industrial robotics. One sector responsible for the continued increased demand is the use of robotics in startup production and workflow. In this guest post, Irving Wittenbur of DO Supply talks about how robotics can benefit small businesses.

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 November 13, 2018.

Last week, 1871 and ANA, Japan's largest airline, held a joint Fireside Chat to look at disruptive technologies and the future of global transportation. In front of a packed room, ANA Digital Lab Design team members Kevin Kajitani and Akira Fukabori, spoke about their innovative project, AVATAR, a platform that can transport a human's senses, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world. 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler also shared a number of cutting-edge tech trends that will shape the future for years ahead.

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 November 6, 2018.