The 1871/IHCC Hispanic Technology Incubator is a cohort-based accelerator that provides Latinx-led businesses with programming and mentorship. We asked each of the participating entrepreneurs about what makes them tick, and this week, we say hello to Marco Lopez Founder of TourisTeens, a social enterprise equipping underprivileged teens with social and soft skills to become walking tour guides.

Recruiting Manager Laura Fendrich leads 1871's recruiting program, which has partnered with over 75 companies, captured the attention of 30,000 candidates and placed well over 100 people into incredible career opportunities. With a myriad of hiring experiences under her belt, she breaks down what she feels are the most important traits to have as a tech startup candidate.

What do struggling musicians, construction workers, attorneys and social workers have in common? Kimberly Lowe-Williams has helped them all pivot their careers and become developers. She's the CEO and Executive Director of The Difference Engine, a non-profit dedicated to helping those with non-traditional backgrounds -- women, minorities and older career changers -- take pre-existing tech skills and transform them into coding careers.

On August 3, 1871 hosted a company showcase as a part of ThinkChicago, the city's initiative to attract newly graduated talent from all over the U.S. to the booming Chicago tech scene. Over 200 students converged in downtown to visit tech offices, hear keynotes, and meet companies. Their last stop? Lollapalooza.

Some of them never see it coming. In a visit to 1871, oil industry veteran Anna Catalano told aspiring entrepreneurs how to prevent the kinds of CEO disasters that are making way too much news.

The 1871/IHCC Hispanic Technology Incubator is a cohort-based accelerator that provides Latinx-led businesses with programming and mentorship. We asked each of the participating entrepreneurs about what makes them tick, and this week, we say hello to Phil Castro, Founder of BarPass, an app to help adventurous urbanites discover new bars, meet new people and expand their drink horizons.

At 1871, each WiSTEM cohort concludes with founders pitching their business on stage to a crowd of hundreds at 1871. Mary Novokhovsky is no stranger to that stage. The Founder of Respirare, Novokhovsky is fresh off her win at Campus 1871, the annual college startup competition that challenges students to create, ideate and execute a full-fledged business plan each year. 

On August 1, 2017, Howard A. Tullman, CEO of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) and 1871, announced his intention to step down as CEO of 1871 and CEC at the end of 2017. Additionally, CEC board chairman Jim O’Connor, Jr. has also announced his intention to step down from his position as board chair at the end of 2018. 

Dennis Crowley’s company was built on the concept of “check-ins,” and the Foursquare founder absolutely had chances to check out during his entrepreneurial journey. But after selling his first location-based company -- Dodgeball -- to Google and watching it fold, Crowley set a vision for his business and stuck to it. For anyone who is struggling to stick it out, Crowley’s keynote on August 1 and subsequent Q&A with Kevin Willer of Chicago Ventures packed some serious wisdom. 

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. We highlight members of our mentor program on an ongoing basis, and this week, we say hello to Jill Salzman of The Founding Moms.