Matthew Summy

1871, a nonprofit global innovation hub, exists to inspire, equip, and support early-stage, growth-stage, late-stage, and corporate innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~500 early-stage startups, ~250 growth and late-stage companies, and ~60 corporates, and is supported by an entire community focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The member experience includes virtual and in-person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 200 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds, and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 2,100+ alum companies are still active, have created over 18,700 jobs, and have raised more than $6.2 billion in follow-on capital.

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce combines the power of people, with our legacy of leadership and business advocacy, to drive a dynamic economy. We focus on delivering value for our members, making Chicagoland a world-class place to live and work. The Chamber represents 1,000 companies from all major industries, half of which do business internationally. With more than 150 events each year, the Chamber is Chicagoland’s most influential business organization.

Founded in 1894, the Civic Federation is an independent, non-partisan government research organization that provides analysis and recommendations on government finance issues for the Chicago region and State of Illinois. The mission of the Civic Federation is to provide objective research, analysis and recommendations that: - Champion efficient delivery of high-quality government services - Promote sustainable tax policies and responsible long-term financial planning - Improve government transparency and accountability - Educate and serve as a resource for policymakers, opinion leaders and the broader public Learn more about the Civic Federation: https://www.civicfed.org/about-us Follow the Civic Federation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CivicFederation

1871, a nonprofit global innovation hub, exists to inspire, equip, and support early-stage, growth-stage, late-stage, and corporate innovators in building extraordinary businesses. 1871 is home to ~500 early-stage startups, ~250 growth and late-stage companies, and ~60 corporates, and is supported by an entire community focused on accelerating their growth and creating jobs in the Chicagoland area. The member experience includes virtual and in-person access to workshops, events, mentorship, and more. The nonprofit organization has 350 mentors available to its members, alongside access to more than 200 partner corporations, universities, education programs, accelerators, venture funds, and others. Since its inception in 2012, more than 2,100+ alum companies are still active, have created over 18,700 jobs, and have raised more than $6.2 billion in follow-on capital.

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce combines the power of people, with our legacy of leadership and business advocacy, to drive a dynamic economy. We focus on delivering value for our members, making Chicagoland a world-class place to live and work. The Chamber represents 1,000 companies from all major industries, half of which do business internationally. With more than 150 events each year, the Chamber is Chicagoland’s most influential business organization.

Earth Foundry is a pioneering early-stage venture capital firm, recognized globally for our ability to identify, invest in, and scale the most transformative startups in critical sectors. With a decade-long track record of delivering alpha and impact, we are the partner of choice for innovators and companies who aim to redefine industries and solve the planet’s most pressing challenges. Our investments target five core areas—energy, water, waste, mobility, and agriculture, where we lead the charge in driving breakthrough technologies to market. Our unparalleled network of 100 innovation catalysts and 90+ research institutions provide us with access to every North American cleantech innovation. We combine this with deep domain expertise, precision-engineered playbooks, and the right strategic partnerships with world-class corporations and research institutions to turn visions into victories.

The Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) is a 501(c)(6) member-driven nonprofit that harnesses the power of research and innovation to expand and enrich the states economy. Created by the State of Illinois 30+ years ago, ISTC forges public-private partnerships among industry, research institutions, federal labs, and government to increase investments in research and technology, develop talent, promote awareness and policies, and drive job growth in Illinois. As the only organization representing the full range of science and technology activity in Illinois, the mission of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition is to cultivate innovation and technology-based economic development in Illinois. The ISTC serves as an impartial convener and broker around federal grant opportunities and other partnerships, catalyzes new initiatives that fill gaps in Illinois​ research and innovation pipeline, and champions the states tech economy through advocacy and data-driven reporting. In 2012, ISTC created its 501c3 affiliated organization, the Illinois Science and Technology Institute (ISTI) which set out to bridge the gap between classroom content and real world context by providing structured programs that connect students with mentors in a professional capacity. Two educational programs grew from this charge. The STEM Challenge program launched with an aim at high dosage, high impact mentorship. Through our STEM Challenge program, we partner Illinois high schools with the states most innovative companies over 4-6 months to explore, create, and build solutions to authentic industry problems. The Mentor Matching Engine operates as both a virtual platform and a program for independent student research. MME focuses on skills-based volunteering and matches mentors with students based on the mentors’ professional expertise. Two new pilot include The 6 x 3 Project and Teacher Externships, the first formal program of its kind in Illinois