Areas of Focus
Attract Venture Capital
Attract and Retain Technology Talent
Partner with Industry to Foster Innovation
Empower Marginalized Communities Through Entrepreneurship
Our Vision for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Inclusive entrepreneurship strives for involvement of all entrepreneurs – particularly those in underrepresented communities – in order to create stronger communities, to close the opportunity gap, and to scale creative solutions to persistent citywide problems.
Inclusive entrepreneurship will be accomplished by supporting the startup ecosystem throughout all of Chicago, and by specifically focusing on entrepreneurial ventures in underrepresented communities. Enabling entrepreneurs who bring diversity of thought, background, and experience will lead to a more sustainable and authentically inclusive economy.
ChicagoNEXT Council
Shradha Agarwal – Outcome Health
Haven Allen – mHub
Andrew Appel – IRI Worldwide
Jeff Aronin – Marathon Pharmaceuticals
TJ Augustine – University of Illinois
David Baker – Smart Grid Cluster
Brenna Berman – UI LABS
Hardik Bhatt – State of Illinois
Erik Birkerts – Clean Energy Trust
Jason Blumberg – Energy Foundry
Mike Bousch – Discover Financial Services
George Bousis – Raise
Steve Brodsky – Spot Trading
Sean Brown – yCharts
Emile Cambry Jr – Blue 1647
Sach Chitnis – Jump Capital
Andrew Cittadine – Diagnostic Photonics
Steven Collens – MATTER
Melissa Crounse Kaufman – Northwestern University
Brandon Cruz – GoHealth
Linda Darragh – Northwestern University
Steve DeBretto – Fulton-Carroll Center by Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago
Vahe Dombalagian – Madison Dearborn Partners
Danielle DuMerer – City of Chicago
Laura Ferris Anderson – JP Morgan Chase
Scott Fetters – 2112
David Fisher – Enova
Brian Fitzpatrick – Tock
Declan Flanagan – Lincoln Clean Energy
John Flavin – University of Chicago
Amy Francetic – Invenergy
Steve Frenkel – Current
Laura Frerichs – University of Illinois
Mike Gamson – LinkedIn
Sonny Garg – Uptake
Chris Gladwin – Ocient
Al Goldstein – Avant
Brett Goldstein – Ekistic Ventures
Steve Gould – Abundant Venture Partners
Antonio Gracias – Valor Equity Partners
Jim Gray – G-Bar
Mark Harris – Illinois Science and Technology Coalition
Jason Heltzer – Origin Ventures
Jason Henrichs – FinTEx Chicago
Adolfo Hernandez – Pritzker Foundation
Fred Hoch – Illinois Technology Association
Roger Hochschild – Discover Financial Services
John Hoesley – The PrivateBank
Terry Howerton – TechNexus
Israel Idonije – Israel Idonije Foundation
Amit Jhawar – Braintree
Julia Kanouse – Illinois Technology Association
Mohit Kapoor – TransUnion
Brad Keywell – Uptake
Adam Koopersmith – Pritzker Group Venture Capital
Logan LaHive – Techstars
April Lane – Catapult Chicago
Amanda Lannert – Jellyvision
Nathan Laurell – New Frontier Holdings
Bruce Leech – DePaul University
Eric Lefkofsky – Tempus
Michael Liang – Baird Venture Partners
Roger Liew – ShopRunner
Phyllis Lockett – LEAP Innovations
Eric Lunt – Signal
Linwood Ma – tastytrade
Matt Maloney – GrubHub
Joe Mansueto – Morningstar
Talia Mashiach – Eved
Ryan Miller – Bank of America
David Miller – DePaul University
Jeff Miller – Motorola Mobility
Rumi Morales – CME Group
Scott Murray – Northern Trust
Phil Nevels – ComEd
Caralynn Nowinski Collens – UI Labs
Gerald O’Connor – CBOE
Jim O’Connor, Jr. – William Blair
Maura O’Hara – Illinois Venture Capital Association
Dan O’Neil – Ad Hoc
Andrew Perlman – GreatPoint Energy
Peter Pfanner – University of Illinois at Chicago
Eero Pikat – Barchart
Michael Polsky – Invenergy
Daphne Preuss – Chromatin
J.B. Pritzker – Pritzker Group
Harper Reed – Braintree
Warren Ribley – iBio
Norbert Riedel – Aptinyx
Josh Roberts – The PrivateBank
Jim Robinson – Astellas Pharma
Benedict Rocchio – Baird Venture Partners
Nick Rosa – Sandbox Industries
Kristi Ross – tastytrade
Pat Ryan Jr. – INCISENT Labs
Neal Sales-Griffin – CodeNow
David Schonthal – IDEO
Joe Scoby – Magnetar
Jai Shekhawat – SAP Fieldglass
Andrew Sieja – kCura
Charles Smith – CS Insurance Strategies
Shelley Stern Grach – Microsoft
Tim Stojka – Agentis Energy
Nancy Sullivan – IllinoisVENTURES
Nishu Thukral – Pangea Money Transfer
Matthew Tirrell – University of Chicago
Kimberly Trautmann – DRW
Howard Tullman – 1871
Guy Turner – Hyde Park Venture Partners
Laura Van Peenan – William Blair
Catherine Vorwald – Illinois Institute of Technology
Dan Wagner – Civis Analytics
Tim Walbert – Horizon Pharma
Sona Wang – Ceres Venture Fund
Alex Washington – Wind Point Partners
David Weinstein – Freshwater Advisors
Peter Wilkins – Hyde Park Angels
Kevin Willer – Chicago Ventures
Don Wilson – DRW
Jessica Yagan – Impact Engine
Sam Yagan – ShopRunner
Jeff Yordon – Sagent Pharmaceuticals
Rick Zullo – Lightbank