1871 Blog (8)

An Extraordinary Thank You!

Momentum
Posted by: Adam Arcus on 9/20/19 3:05 PM

Thank you to our generous attendees and sponsors who helped us make this year’s Momentum Awards an evening to remember, and congratulations again to all of our nominees and awardees.

The 12th annual Momentum Awards on September 19th was an extraordinary celebration of Chicago’s tech and startup community. This year, more than 760 guests gathered at the Radisson Blu Chicago to honor our city’s best and brightest. Their contributions, alongside your continued support, enable us to continue our mission to inspire, equip, and support founders to build great businesses.

PRESS RELEASE: 1871 Announces 10 Companies Joining 10th WiSTEM Cohort

News, WiSTEM, 1871
Posted by: Adam Arcus on 9/16/19 4:10 PM

10 Women-Led Startups to Participate in 10th Cohort; 12-Week Curriculum-Based Course Has Now Graduated 120 Companies and Created 715 jobs.

PRESS RELEASE: Don Thompson to Receive Chicagoness Award at 12th Annual Momentum Awards

News
Posted by: Yun Tai on 9/10/19 11:01 AM

Don Thompson, Cleveland Avenue Founder, to be Honored at The 12th Annual Momentum Awards for Exemplifying the Spirit of the Chicago Founder Community

PRESS RELEASE: 1871 and The CEC Announce 14 New Appointments To Its Board of Directors

News
Posted by: Yun Tai on 9/5/19 1:48 PM

The CEC and 1871 is pleased to announce that it has added 14 new members to its Board of Directors. These new board members bring decades of industry and executive experience that will help support and grow Chicago's tech and founder community.

The Advantages of Hyper Local Food

Insights
Posted by: 1871 on 9/4/19 1:16 PM

There are many problems with the American diet. According to the AMA, almost 40% of Americans are considered obese. Although the reasons for that are numerous and complex, one way to begin to address the problem is with healthier eating habits. Growing produce at home makes people more likely to cook healthful meals, allows them to eat local food and if there are children at home, can help parents instill healthy habits. Exposing children to fresh produce at an early age also has a big impact. In this guest blog post, Hank Adams, Founder and CEO of Rise Gardens, takes a look at the advantages of hyper local food.

PRESS RELEASE: 1871 and The Chicago Entrepreneurial Center Name BMO Harris Bank as Corporate Champion at 12th Annual Momentum Awards

News
Posted by: Yun Tai on 8/28/19 2:14 PM

1871 and The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center to Recognize BMO Harris Bank as The 2019 Corporate Champion at the 12th Annual Momentum Awards.

PRESS RELEASE: Relish Works, Gordon Food Service, and 1871 Announce Second Cohort for the Food Foundry Accelerator Program

News
Posted by: Yun Tai on 8/27/19 9:00 AM

The Food Foundry Accelerator seeks startups innovating the food value chain -- second cohort to begin in January 2020. Applications for The Food Foundry Cohort 2 are open now through October 16th.

PRESS RELEASE: 1871 and The CEC Announce 9 Finalists for 12th Annual Momentum Awards

News
Posted by: Yun Tai on 8/19/19 2:49 PM

Nine Robust Tech Companies Nominated for 12th Annual Momentum Awards; Four Finalists Selected for the Category of Momentum Rising Star Award; Five Finalists Selected for the Category of Momentum Award; Winners to be Announced at the 12th Annual Momentum Awards on September 19th.

Traits Small Business Owners Should Look for When Hiring

Insights
Posted by: 1871 on 8/19/19 10:07 AM

Building the right team is the key to success for small business owners. However, that's not always as easy as it sounds. Finding the right people -- and the right qualities can be very difficult, but fortunately, Joseph Brady, Vice President of Digital Marketing for Reliant Funding, has some tips on how the traits that small business owners should look for when hiring.

1871 Names Mike Gamson as Entrepreneurial Champion

12th Annual Momentum Awards to Recognize Relativity CEO and LinkedIn Alumnus as Entrepreneurial Champion

Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity; Image Courtesy of Relativity

CHICAGO (August 8, 2019) -- 1871 and The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) announced today that Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity and the former SVP of Global Solutions at LinkedIn, will receive the Entrepreneurial Champion Award for his impact on Chicago’s founder community at the 12th Annual Momentum Awards.

“There’s a vibrant tech community here in Chicago, and it’s humbling to be recognized for this award among so many great tech leaders and champions in the city,” said Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity. “I’m excited to continue to work with 1871 and the entire community to make Chicago an inviting, exciting, and inclusive place to work – where innovative, mission-driven organizations like Relativity can thrive.”

As LinkedIn’s first Chicago employee, Gamson was instrumental in founding and growing Chicago’s LinkedIn office and has supported numerous companies in the city and its surrounding areas as an angel investor, mentor, board member, and advisor. Gamson has spent a significant amount of time advocating for founders both within 1871 and Chicago’s greater tech ecosystem.

In his new role as CEO of global legal technology company Relativity, Gamson partners closely with Founder and Executive Chairman Andrew Sieja to help Relativity continue fulfilling its mission for its customers: organize data, discover the truth, and act on it.

The Entrepreneurial Champion Award is given to an entrepreneur to recognize their individual dedication to the Chicago tech community through mentorship, civic leadership, and economic contributions. Past recipients of the Entrepreneurial Champion Award include Linda Darragh of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Ellen Rudnick of the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago, and former CEC Board Chairman Jim O’Connor, Jr.

“I can’t imagine a better recipient for this year’s Entrepreneurial Champion Award than Mike Gamson,” said 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler. “He’s transformed the futures of many founders here at 1871 and in the Chicagoland area. I’m proud to recognize him as a champion not only because of his impact on the local startup community, but also because he personifies what it means to be an entrepreneur: collaborative, passionate, and committed to innovation.”

In addition to the Entrepreneurial Champion Award, several other honors will be presented at the 12th Annual Momentum Awards on September 19, including the Corporate Champion Award, Chicagoness Award, Momentum Rising Star Award (of which Relativity is a prior winner), and the Momentum Award. The event will be attended by Chicago’s best and brightest tech innovators, corporate leaders and civic supporters. It is the largest gathering of the tech community annually and the primary fundraiser for the CEC, which supports the activities and operations of 1871.

About Relativity

At Relativity, we make software to help users organize data, discover the truth, and act on it. Our e-discovery platform is used by more than 13,000 organizations around the world to manage large volumes of data and quickly identify key issues during litigation, internal investigations, and compliance projects. Relativity has over 160,000 active users in 40+ countries from organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 70 Fortune 100 companies, and 199 of the Am Law 200. Relativity’s cloud solution, RelativityOne, offers all the functionality of Relativity in a secure and comprehensive SaaS product. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for seven consecutive years. Please contact Relativity or visit our website for more information.

About 1871

1871 is a not-for-profit organization that exists to inspire, equip, and support founders to build great businesses. It is the #1 ranked university-affiliated business incubator in the world, and the home of ~500 high-growth technology startups and ~1,500 members supported by an entire ecosystem focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. Located in a 140,000 square-foot space in The Merchandise Mart, 1871 has 350 current mentors available to its members, as well as more than 100 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds and other organizations that make its extensive matrix of resources possible. Visit www.1871.com/momentum for more information.