FRONT & CENTER

CEC Featured in The New York Times “The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) has been working to expand that city's future businesses since 1999. David Weinstein, who was Mayor Richard M. Daley's technology adviser before starting a couple of technology companies, prides himself on knowing what fledgling entrepreneurs need. 'It comes down to three things: customers, capital and mentors,' Mr. Weinstein said.”    Full Story

YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen and Mayor Richard Daley Featured at CEC/Chamber Roundtable on Region's Entrepreneurial, Investment and Innovation Climate The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a roundtable discussion on how to make the region a more desirable environment for entrepreneurs, specifically in the technology industry. Featuring a distinguished group of entrepreneurial thought leaders, government leaders, and entrepreneurs -- including YouTube co-founder and former Chicagoan Steve Chen -- attendees discussed the Silicon Valley, regional challenges and potential solutions to enhance the region’s entrepreneurial and investment climate.    Full Story

Zorch International Named Fastest Growing Company in Chicago Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) client Zorch International Inc. was recently named the number one ‘fast company’ by Crain’s Chicago Business for its staggering 45,058 percent growth through the past four years. CEO Nicole Loftus founded the company, a promotional products distributor and supplier, in 2002. As a CEC client, Zorch has received significant support that in part enabled this growth.    Full Story

CEC's Future Founders Program to be Featured on ABC-7’s “People, Places, Things” Show on August 16 & 24 On August 16, all eyes will be focused on the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center’s Future Founders program as students, mentors and leaders of the program will be featured on ABC-7’s “People, Places and Things” television show. The Future Founders segment will air on Saturday, August 16 at 6:00 pm on ABC-7, with an encore presentation airing on Sunday, August 24 at 12:30 pm.    Full Story

George Burciaga Recognized as National Business Leader CEC client and lifelong Chicago resident George Burciaga was recently showered with accolades as a national business leader, winning the State of Illinois Business Person of the Year award and finishing as the second runner-up in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Person of the Year contest in Washington, D.C.    Full Story

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Growing Chicago's Green Business and Clean Tech Economy Thursday, September 4 8:30 am - 2:00 pm University of Chicago Gleacher Center 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago, IL 60611 $75 per person Co-sponsored by The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and Environmental Law & Policy Center Chicago is positioned to become the center of the green business/clean tech economy. Join a small group of industry leaders to discuss what it will take to make this opportunity a reality. Meet the future leaders in this field. Speakers include David Weinstein, President, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Jerry Roper, President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center.    Full Story

Chicagoland Innovation Leadership Network Thursday, August 21 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm gravitytank 114 W. Illinois St., 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60610 Complimentary Admission The Chicagoland Innovation Leadership Network was created by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation to foster new, up-and-coming innovation leaders in the Chicagoland region. The Network convenes several sessions a year to focus on the development of leadership skills, innovation and networking. At this session, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center Board Co-Chair, Jim O’Connor Jr., Managing Director at MVC Capital, will be the featured speaker. O'Connor’s remarks will focus on the challenges and implementation of business start-ups within a firm and outside an existing organization, the importance of fostering internal innovation and he will offer his unique perspective on the pros and cons of venture capital versus private equity.    Full Story

Powerful, New & Proven Approaches to Innovation Success: Corporate Entrepreneurship and the Innovation Radar Thursday, August 28 8:00 am - 11:00 am Clareo Partners 913 W. Van Buren, Unit 1A, Chicago, IL 60607 $200 for Chamber members, $250 for non-members Corporate entrepreneurship can be defined as the process by which teams within an established company conceive, foster, launch and manage a new business that is distinct from the parent company but leverages the parent's resources. Creating corporate entrepreneurship can grow the new business models' operating margins faster than the competition. The Innovation Radar is the most comprehensive, proven measurement methodology for enhancing innovation performance. The radar is a powerful tool for assessing your organization's innovation efforts. The radar enables any firm to measure innovation performance across multiple dimensions.    Full Story

Innovation Conversation Friday, September 26 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Millennium Park, Chicago $175 for Chamber members, $200 for non-members Get More Details & Register Join the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, InnovateNow, and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center on September 26 for an Innovation Conversation, a first-of-its-kind discussion focusing on how Chicago can create a richer and more diverse culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity. As global competition intensifies, the ability of cities to foster a culture that enables talented, creative minds to succeed will become the new currency for economic growth and prosperity. The conversation takes place at WIRED NextFest, the premier showcase of global innovations transforming our world, presented by Wired Magazine. Exhibits will include unique and bold examples of sustainable design, next generation healthcare, interactive art and games, and humanoid robotics.