ChicagoNEXT

Council of technology leaders representing a dedicated effort to drive growth and opportunity in the areas of science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship for startups and later-stage growth companies in Chicago’s rapidly growing ecosystem

Photo: “TECH Cocktail Chicago 13” by TECH Cocktail

Areas of Focus

Broad scope with an emphasis on

CleanTech

Web/Mobile

BioScience

FinTech

Leadership

Mark Tebbe – University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chairman)

J.B. Pritzker – Pritzker Group (Chairman Emeritus)

Objectives

Encourage new ventures & help grow established businesses

Attract Technology Talent

Attract Venture Capital

Connect Established Firms & Startups

Key Initiatives

ChicagoMade

Recognizing Chicago’s creative “makers” as brand ambassadors to help raise the city’s profile as an innovation hub and destination for business and tourism

Chicago Venture Summit

Connecting venture funding to Chicago entrepreneurs

Cleantech Innovation Bridge

Matching clean energy researchers and early-stage ventures with corporations seeking innovative energy technologies and solutions.

MATTER

Incubating HealthTech entrepreneurs: MATTER is a community of startups and industry leaders working together in a shared space to fuel the future of healthcare innovation

ThinkChicago

Connecting top university talent with Chicago‘s innovation ecosystem

Members

CleanTech

Sunil Garg – Uptake (Committee Co-Chair)

Michael Polsky – Invenergy (Committee Co-Chair)

Erik Birkerts – Clean Energy Trust

Jason Blumberg – Energy Foundry

Declan Flanagan – Lincoln Renewable Energy

Antonio Gracias – Valor Equity Partners

Mark Harris – IL Science and Technology Coalition

Pete Kadens – SoCore Energy

Nathan Laurell – New Frontier Holdings

Barry Matchett – NRG Energy

Katie McClain – Invenergy

Tim Stojka – Agentis Energy

John Tolva – PositivEnergy Practice

Jessica Yagan – Impact Engine


Web/Mobile

Eric Lefkofsky – Lightbank (Committee Co-Chair)

Matt Maloney – GrubHub (Committee Co-Chair)

Andrew Appel – IRI Worldwide

George Bousis – Raise

Mike Gamson – LinkedIn

Chris Gladwin – Cleversafe

Fred Hoch – IL Technology Association

Brad Keywell – Uptake

Adam Koopersmith – Pritzker Group Venture Capital

Logan LaHive – Belly

Amanda Lannert – Jellyvision

Phyllis Lockett – LEAP Innovations

Eric Lunt – Signal

Talia Maschiach – Eved

Jeff Miller – Motorola Mobility

Maura O’Hara – IL Venture Capital Association

Dan O’Neil – Smart Chicago Collaborative

Harper Reed – Braintree

Benedict Rocchio – Baird Venture Partners

Neal Sales-Griffin – The Starter League

Shelley Stern Grach – Microsoft

Howard Tullman – 1871

Dan Wagner – Civis Analytics

Peter Wilkins – Hyde Park Angels

Kevin Willer – Chicago Ventures


BioScience

Jeff Aronin – Paragon Pharmaceuticals (Committee Chair)

Shradha Agarwal – ContextMedia

Andrew Cittadine – Diagnostic Photonics

Steven Collens – MATTER

Steve Gould – Chicago Innovation Mentors

Nancy Joseph-Ridge – TerSera Therapeutics

Michael Liang – Baird Venture Partners

Nina Nashif – HealthBox

Norbert Reidel – Naurex

Warren Ribley – iBIO

Jim Robinson – Astellas Pharma

Nick Rosa – Sandbox Industries

David Schonthal – Fusion Ventures

Staffan Schuberg – Lundbeck

Nancy Sullivan – Illinois Ventures

Tim Walbert – Horizon Pharma

Sona Wang – Ceres Venture Fund

Jeff Yordon – Sagent Pharmaceuticals


University Partners

T.J. Augustine – University of Illinois

David Baker – Illinois Institute of Technology

Caralynn Nowinski Collens – UI LABS

Linda Darragh – Northwestern University

John Flavin – Chicago Innovation Exchange

Laura Frerichs – University of Illinois

David Miller – DePaul University

Matthew Tirrell – The University of Chicago

Find out more

Chicago’s Innovation Ecosystem