It was an open house for parents September 27 at Pullman Elementary School, but the students were scuba diving in the ocean and exploring Mars. Thanks to a donation from 1871 member company, EX3 Labs, students at the South Side school now have an entire classroom equipped with Virtual Reality goggles and more than 600 educational experiences.

Every entrepreneur has a story of what inspired them to build their dream, and for some, the passion is in their bloodlines. For Hispanic Heritage Month, meet the formidable Diana Lopez-Obaldo, Director of External Affairs at 1871 and former local bar owner.

1871 was honored to host the Arts in the Dark press conference for the October 21st night-time parade, where we will be marching along with our very own float! Off campus, we partnered with member company EX3 Labs and Conagra to dedicate their first ever Immersive Learning Lab to the students of George M. Pullman Elementary School. And kudos to SlapMap, which launched their wearable concept (which unfolds into a map of Chicago) this week.

Every entrepreneur has a story of what inspired them to build their dream, and for some, the passion is in their bloodlines. For Hispanic Heritage Month, meet Emily Santos, founder of Aspiring Latinas magazine and learn about her first touchpoint with entrepreneurship - her grandma. 

With a network of more than 300 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 Don Chartier of HourVoice.

Every entrepreneur has a story of what inspired them to build their dream, and for some, the passion is in their bloodlines. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we're featuring the stories of our Latinx startup community and the family members who inspired them to start their entrepreneurial journey. Today, Angie Rivera, Founder of InReach and member of the fourth WiSTEM cohort, talks about her entrepreneurial roots.

BMO Harris Bank and 1871 have announced the three winners for the BMO Harris/1871 Fintech Partnership Program. The three-month mentorship program, launched in April 2017, has supported a number of Chicago’s startup innovators who have developed industry-leading solutions for the financial services industry.

It was appropriate the 3rd annual Chicago TIMMY Awards were held on a day of record breaking heat. Some of Chicago’s hottest, most talented and innovative companies gathered for the Tech in Motion TIMMY Awards at 1871 September 22, packing an energetic Auditorium. The awards recognize the best places for tech professionals to work in Chicago -- from companies that excel at embracing diversity to businesses with visionary leaders.

1871 is excited to announce the extension of its partnership with Hirewell, a Chicago-based recruiting firm. Hirewell's two full-time recruiters have filled more than 100 technical and non-technical positions with 1871 member companies, and 48 percent of those hired met an inclusion standard in 2016 with an average salary of $72,500. 

What are the key strategies that startup founders can follow in order to best establish their brand and to tell their story to the most important audiences in the right channels? In this guest blog, 1871 mentor and PR expert Kellee Johnson from Ballast Group gives us her take.