In conjunction with the Momentum Awards Dinner, our "Chicagoness" Interviews feature 1871 community members describing how living and working in Chicago affects their businesses and daily lives.
Here's what Phil Alexander, Co-Founder of Quick2LAUNCH has to say about "Chicagoness":
Can you tell us a bit about how Quick2LAUNCH got its start?
I met my Co-Founder in 2012, while completing an MBA at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The idea for Quick2LAUNCH was borne out of my own personal frustrations with PowerPoint. On top of that, my Co-Founder and I had a number of fellow MBA classmates who were working in consulting. Most of these classmates were spending half of their day designing presentations. We felt there might be some potential for a turn-key presentation service.
How did you decide that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I had a lot of exposure to entrepreneurship through my father, who founded BrandMuscle. I remember sitting in our kitchen trying to pick names for his business (this was in 2000). Now Brandmuscle has more than 600 employees. The whole idea of taking a napkin sketch and transforming it into something that can create a livelihood for people is exciting. When I turned 26 after grad school, I knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Why did you decide to start your business in Chicago?
After finishing a startup accelerator in Cleveland, I wanted to move to a bigger market that had potential customers and a supportive startup community. We thought Chicago offered the right environment. Chicago offered a diverse base of potential customers, and a lower cost of living (compared to NYC, or Silicon Valley). We also thought it was possible to get exposure in Chicago’s growing startup community. In Silicon Valley, it is easy to get drowned out by the noise.
How has being a member at 1871 affected your business?
We have paying customers, advisory board members, and invested capital that have all come through relationships we built at 1871. I think 1871 is the pulse of tech in the midwest. It gives our company validity as we reach out to potential customers and investors.
Do you have a favorite fact about Chicago?
Chicago invented the deep dish pizza. (Lou Malnatis over Giordanos - any day)
About Quick2LAUNCH:
Quick2LAUNCH has an overnight design service that empowers brands to develop visually stunning presentations. With our online solution, business professionals can submit a sketch or outline of a presentation, and our team will transform the slides into a persuasive and brand-compliant presentation. We also offer a sales enablement package with presentation analytics, template storage, collaboration tools, and publishing options.
