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.

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. 

“Let’s make a deal.” If negotiating was that easy, the three professionals who took the stage on July 26 at 1871 wouldn’t have made careers brokering deals and transactions for global corporations. At the inaugural Women at The MART (WAM) event, our powerhouse panelists shared tips and tactics to help women (and men!) win at everyday workplace negotiations. 

For a founder referred to as the “Rockstar of Finance,” Tom Sosnoff looks the part. Donning a “Tastytrade” branded Kangol hat and button down and a faded pair of jeans, the legendary Chicago serial entrepreneur took the stage Tuesday, July 19 at 1871 to sit down for one of 1871’s longest running events, Chicago Founders’ Stories hosted by 1871 Board Member Pat Ryan, Jr.

“This is what the city of Chicago looks like.” It’s a phrase uttered frequently at 1871 by COO Tom Alexander, but at our 1871 For All discussion on diversity and inclusion in tech during TechWeek, the venue and timing were extremely appropriate.

We celebrated the hard work of the first Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce x 1871 Hispanic Tech Cohort. Right before the event kicked off we rolled a video that shed light on how the program impacted each member. Food and drink were provided by Felix's Famous Cookies, Amanecer Breakfast Tacos, Atzimba - Catering & Event Services and Dulcelandia/Yogolandia Sweet & Savory. All Hispanic owned businesses.

From our International Women's Day Battle Scars discussion with Feminist Fight Club author Jessica Bennett and WBEZ's Lauren Chooljian, DePaul Women's a Cappella (DWaC) perform MILCK's "I Can't Keep Quiet".

On February 28th, 1871 welcomed the incredible and inspirational Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children and WE Charity. What an amazing story and event! Watch the full event recap video linked here. Enjoy!

It was a Fight Club…but without the fighting and without the men. Every month, the women would huddle in a friend’s apartment to share sexist job frustrations and trade tips for how best to tackle them. These women weren’t just there to vent. They needed battle tactics. And so the Feminist Fight Club was born. Author Jessica Bennett shared with our community the bruises, scrapes, and scars that mark their experience – and ultimately their victories – in battling office sexism. 

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.