The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and 1871 announced Thursday that CEC Board Chairman James O’Connor, Jr. will be named the Entrepreneurial Champion at the 10th Annual Momentum Awards Dinner, held November 2 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago. This honor is given to an individual who has made a significant impact on the Chicago entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A program two years in the making, ChiBuys aims to direct 1871’s catering expenditures towards diverse and woman-owned food vendors throughout the city. So far 1871 has had over 75 events catered by ChiBuys vendors and is now calling on the community to exert their buying power in support of diverse small businesses.

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.

What did you have for breakfast? Photographer and creator behind Instagram account “What Was Breakfast” Alan Epstein bets that he can get to know you through your first meal of the day. He sat down with Social Media Associate Lewis McKinney to talk inspiration, improv and what he learned by taking over our Instagram account.

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and 1871 will present the third annual Chicagoness Award to Lupe Fiasco at the 10th Annual Merrick Momentum Awards Dinner, to be held November 2 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago. The award honors individuals and businesses that exemplify the values and unique traits of the Chicago entrepreneur, which include hard work, commitment to community, inclusion and a vision that fosters collective opportunity.

Our amazing sponsors at Google for Entrepreneurs hosted the 5th Annual Trailblazers this past September in Santa Rosa, California, bringing leaders from around the globe who are passionate about growing entrepreneurship in their ecosystems. This year, 1871's Director of External Affairs and International Relations Diana Lopez-Obaldo, who attended and reconnected with old and new friends, shares her takeaways from the retreat.

In Part 2 of the Hacking IRL series, Jim Holcomb - Associate Security Consultant at Evolve Security Academy - clears up terms we've all heard but may not have completely understand, such as the Deep Web, Dark Web, and even The Internet. Minor Mr. Robot spoilers ahead!

Home is where the heart is, and last weekend both were on Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago. Alongside a float built to resemble the iconic Merchandise Mart, the 1871 team marched in the Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, a special nighttime celebration of Chicago's vast creative and cultural community hosted by LUMA8.

1871 is proud to name McDonald’s as the 2017 Corporate Champion due to the company's outstanding community impact in Chicago. This award celebrates McDonald's decision to open their state-of-the-art headquarters in downtown Chicago, bringing more than 2,000 jobs and the iconic brand to the city. 

1871-based sente.link has brought more than 60 companies from more than a half-dozen countries around the world. What did it take for Serhat Cicekoglu and Gerod Carfantan to build a bridge between Chicago and the rest of the world?