1871 announced Friday that it will offer DocuSign, the pioneer and global standard for eSignature and Digital Transaction Management (DTM), to its startup members complimentary to help them accelerate their businesses. Startups at 1871 will gain free, one-year access to DocuSign, adding to a growing list of perks made available to member companies. 

At 1871, each staff member is allocated a cash allotment to donate to a charity of their choice. On the 1871 blog, we’re highlighting the stories behind these donations. This week, we're featuring Vanessa Yeh, Manager, Brand Experience; Khadijah McGill, Administrative Assistant; and Jihan Bibb, Manager of Events. Read on to learn about their choice causes!

1871 will celebrate International Women's Day 2017 with HEART OF BOLD, a full day of free public events and workshops, culminating in a featured keynote by  Feminist Fight Club Author Jessica Bennett. The event will reflect this year's theme “Be Bold for Change” with programming tailored to empower and inspire women in tech and business. 

At 1871, each staff member is allocated a cash allotment to donate to a charity of their choice. On the 1871 blog, we’re highlighting the stories behind these donations. Read on to learn how Jessica William, Co-Facilitator of WiSTEM; Laura Fendrich, Manager of Recruiting; Teddi Weigel, Events Assoicate; and Adam Milich, Facilities Coordinator decided to give back.

With so many faces and characters in the 1871 community, it's no wonder you'll never get the same answer twice to a question. For Black History Month, we spent some time with our members and asked them: What African American entrepreneur, innovator or inventor inspires you?

At 1871, we pride ourselves on celebrating and fostering diversity every single day. For Black History Month, we took some time to speak with members on a variety of platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and video. We had one simple question: What black innovator, inventor or entrepreneur has inspired you?

Twelve incredibly talented and passionate women founders and CEOs pitched their businesses at 1871’s WiSTEM Showcase February 7, capping off the cohort companies' 12 weeks of intensive mentorship, programming and workshops aimed at accelerating their businesses. Click inside to see them in action as they pitch to a full house at their culminating Showcase.

Twelve Latinx-led startups joined 1871 in late October for a 12-week accelerator program co-facilitated by 1871 and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. As they progress through the cohort program and prepare for their Demo Day March 1, we’ll be posting Q&As with each company on the 1871 blog to introduce them to the community. This week, Jorge E. Samayoa, CEO of Tripmate, talks about the travel platform he and his co-founders are building to help travelers experience Panama like a local.

1871 and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) announced Friday that PNC Bank will be the title sponsor in 2017 for the 1871/IHCC joint accelerator program focused on fostering opportunities for Latinx-owned technology companies.

Applications are officially open for a new class of participants, who will begin at 1871 in March as part of an expanded offering of the incubator program made possible by a grant from JPMorgan Chase. The new cohort members will be part of the fourth cohort of the WiSTEM program, adding to the 37 companies and 45 entrepreneurs that have participated in the program to date.