The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and 1871 announced Monday that Howard A. Tullman, 1871’s outgoing CEO, will receive the first ever Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship Award at the 10th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner, held November 2 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago. This is a new honor that will periodically recognize a serial entrepreneur or businessperson who has left a significant, long-term and permanent mark on the Chicago community through his or her business and civic contributions.
“Howard’s contributions to the Chicago business ecosystem, civic organizations, educational community and thousands of startups are enough to fill several lifetimes,” said Eileen Murphy, Founder and CEO of ThinkCERCA. “Howard’s leadership, generous time mentoring Chicago entrepreneurs and strategic investment in Chicago startups over several decades has had an enormous and lasting effect on the city.”
Tullman’s entrepreneurial, venture, management and leadership experience is extensive and diverse. Following a decade of practicing law in the 1970s, he founded CCC Information Services (named the fastest growing company in Illinois from 1981 to 1985 as well as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in the nation) and has since served as the Chief Executive Officer for an impressive roster of technology companies over the span of 50 years including Experiencia, Inc., Information Kinetics, Inc., COIN, Inc. and Imagination Pilots, Inc., as well as Tribeca Flashpoint College, Kendall College, and venture capital firm Eager Enterprises, Inc. Tullman possesses a substantial technical and operations background in web development, online services, database design and the creation and production of all types of media and digital content. Today, alongside his duties as the CEO of 1871, Tullman serves as the General Managing Partner of G2T3V, LLC and Chicago High Tech Investment Partners.
In addition to his distinguished achievements in business and entrepreneurship, Tullman’s legacy extends to civic, educational, and creative pursuits that have impacted people all over the world. The Howard A. and Judith Tullman Art Collection is among the largest and most diverse collections of contemporary realist art in America, and is housed in multiple locations including the halls of 1871. He is a prolific and authoritative author on business and entrepreneurship and regular contributor to several online publications including Inc.com. He is a member of Mayor Emanuel’s ChicagoNEXT and Cultural Affairs Councils; the Innovate Illinois Advisory and Illinois Arts Councils; a member of President Preckwinkle’s New Media Council; an adjunct professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; and an advisor to many startups.
Tullman has also been lauded for his commitment to education: his continual efforts include teaching MBA classes and lecturing regularly on entrepreneurship, venturing, and change management at Kellogg and the Pritzker School of Law and teaching an entrepreneurship course at Chicago’s Walter H. Dyett High School for the Arts. He speaks globally on technology trends, entrepreneurship and design.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to have worked with so many talented businesses, entrepreneurs and leaders to further the Chicago economy and support so many incredible organizations throughout my career. It is my belief that this work is never finished, and I plan on helping our city and our tech community continue to accelerate its impact for years to come. As I reflect on 50 years of service, it seems that the things you value the most, apart from family, are those which you did for or gave to others.” —Howard A. Tullman
Tullman has served as the CEO of 1871 for the last four years, and his transformative vision for the nonprofit has nearly tripled the physical size and revenues of the space in The Merchandise Mart and grown the community to more than 500 member companies, 1,500 individual members, 800 mentors and an ecosystem that hosts more than 1,000 events and workshops each year. In his tenure, 1871 has been globally ranked as a leading incubator, including being named the #1 university affiliated incubator in the United States by UBI.
Several other honors will be presented at the event on November 2, including the Merrick Momentum Award, the Momentum Rising Star Award, the Corporate Champion Award, the Entrepreneurial Champion Award and the Chicagoness Award. The event will be attended by more than 1,000 of Chicago’s best and brightest tech innovators, corporate leaders and civic supporters. It is the largest gathering of the tech community annually and the primary fundraiser for CEC, which supports the activities and operations of 1871.
The 2017 Momentum Dinner is co-chaired by Michael Ferro, Chairman of Merrick Ventures, LLC, Jeffrey Aronin, CEO of Paragon Biosciences and Tom Ricketts, Incapital CEO. The Momentum Dinner Host Committee includes Matthew Summy, Vice President of External and Government Affairs for Comcast, Renee Sang, Managing Director for Innovation and Talent at Accenture, Holly Copeland, Director of Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility at Horizon Pharma, Leslie Anderson, Senior Vice President, Head of Treasury and Payment Solutions at BMO Harris Bank, Omar Duque, President and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Joe Shenton, Principal at Summit Trail Advisors.
Anyone interested in attending the Momentum Dinner or becoming a sponsor can email momentum@1871.com or visit www.1871.com/Momentum for more information.
