1871 is proud to partner with and host Chicago Woman -- an influential magazine and media brand that empowers women and inspires them to live their best lives at the office and at home -- for its first masterclass of the year, The Power of Positivity. Here are a few must-read takeaways on why positive thinking can help achieve positive results.

We recently held our ChiBuys Winter Tasting to much fanfare -- in just two hours, nearly 400 guests from all corners of the city joined us in our effort to support local minority and women-owned food vendors. We thought we'd share some of the event highlights in case you missed it. If you're interested in supporting our roster of diverse (and very delicious) food vendors and their communities, you can take the ChiBuys pledge.

With a network of more than 600 professionals from every industry, the mentor program is the crown jewel of 1871. Every day, mentors dedicate their time and expertise guiding our members from issues ranging from legal to tech and everywhere in between, forming valuable relationships and producing concrete outcomes. This week, we say hello to Lisa Lubin, Video Consultant and Media Coach at LLmedia.

Our ChiBuys program supports minority and women-owned food vendors in the Chicagoland area and reflects 1871’s wider efforts to promote greater diversity and inclusion in the community. We thought we'd interview some of our participating vendors to hear their stories and preview their delicious dishes. Today, we chat with Ana Vela, Co-founder of Amanecer, about family, culture, and community.

Deepa Kartha, CEO and Founder of Zinda, talks about the need for greater employee engagement and shares her advice on how entrepreneurs can turn desire into destiny.

 1871 joined UNIQLO today to announce Chicago Made: Innovating for Tomorrow, a free series of four events that will cover topics on global tech trends, sustainability, retail, and social impact, as well as how Chicago-born innovations are impacting the landscape. Beginning February 8 and running through March 1, the series will feature 1871’s senior executives and key members of the community who will speak and participate at each event.

Formerly a defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, NFL star Devon Still was recovering from multiple injuries when his daughter Leah was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer. Despite mounting odds, Still returned to the football field wearing Leah's message of hope during every game, inspiring millions around the world. Still visited 1871 to share his journey of overcoming adversity, and the entrepreneurial lessons he's learned both on and off the field. 

As a community that believes in paying it forward, 1871 allocates a cash allotment for each team member to donate to a charity of their choice as a part of their employee benefits. Here on the blog, we'll be highlighting the stories behind our team's giving. This week, meet Nicole Schafer and Tom Alexander.

With a network of more than 600 professionals from every industry, the mentor program is the crown jewel of 1871. Every day, mentors dedicate their time and expertise guiding our members from issues ranging from legal to tech and everywhere in between, forming valuable relationships and producing concrete outcomes. This week, we say hello to Dannie Fountain, Associate Account Strategist at Google, and the Founder and Marketing Director of Dannie.

We’re gearing up for the ChiBuys Winter Tasting and thought we'd interview participating vendors to hear their stories and preview their delicious dishes. Our ChiBuys program supports minority and women-owned food vendors in the Chicagoland area and reflects 1871’s wider efforts to promote greater diversity and inclusion in the community. Today, we chat with Nikkita Randle, Founder of Twisted Eggroll, about how she turned her passion for cooking and entrepreneurship into a popular (and very delicious) business.