It's a good week when things end with free manicures from our friends at member company LISA. What else was up this week? We visited the City Club of Chicago, played with some dogs and had an awesome breakfast with our WiSTEM members -- all documented on our Insta. Not following? You should.

If there were a looking-glass that showed Chicago’s future, it would have been on stage August 16 at 1871. Digi.City Connect -- a multi-city series of discussions with lawmakers, government officials, technologists and corporations -- made a stop in Chicago to discuss the social and economic impact of smart city technologies with several local experts.

What happens when three Chicago Public School teachers combine 60 years of experience? In Michelle Krumholz’ case -- a tech startup. Evolved Educator was born out of solving a problem she and fellow teachers experienced when Common Core rolled out in public schools across the country: how to develop effective lesson plans efficiently to meet the changing requirements in the classroom.

Hey, chill out.  1871 community members are working hard on startups that are aimed at taking the stress out of daily life for the rest of the world. From power napping to preventing workplace burnout, we reached out to some 1871 businesses working on solutions to reduce stress for National Relaxation Day.

On August 9, 1871 joined more than 75 tech hubs around the world in partnership with 1776 for the Challenge Cup, a global pitching competition where startups pitch world-changing ideas to solve meaningful problems.

There are plenty of challenges and roadblocks faced by entrepreneurs, but five Chicago area startups are proving age isn’t one of them. Meet five of the city's brightest and most promising entrepreneurs and discover how they're shaping the future and leading the way for young businessmen and women everywhere.

What do struggling musicians, construction workers, attorneys and social workers have in common? Kimberly Lowe-Williams has helped them all pivot their careers and become developers. She's the CEO and Executive Director of The Difference Engine, a non-profit dedicated to helping those with non-traditional backgrounds -- women, minorities and older career changers -- take pre-existing tech skills and transform them into coding careers.

On August 3, 1871 hosted a company showcase as a part of ThinkChicago, the city's initiative to attract newly graduated talent from all over the U.S. to the booming Chicago tech scene. Over 200 students converged in downtown to visit tech offices, hear keynotes, and meet companies. Their last stop? Lollapalooza.

Dennis Crowley’s company was built on the concept of “check-ins,” and the Foursquare founder absolutely had chances to check out during his entrepreneurial journey. But after selling his first location-based company -- Dodgeball -- to Google and watching it fold, Crowley set a vision for his business and stuck to it. For anyone who is struggling to stick it out, Crowley’s keynote on August 1 and subsequent Q&A with Kevin Willer of Chicago Ventures packed some serious wisdom.