First Look at 3D Renderings of Chicago's Newest Incubator

"I'm in a place on my entrepreneurial journey - or whatever you want to call it - where I just want to add value."
Chicago's newest incubator offers something that no other accelerator in the city has - John Williamson.
This summer, the Co-Founder and ex COO of Music Dealers - the thriving B2B music licensing company and one of the city's earliest digital startup success stories - quietly launched his new company, Domino. It's a "half consulting, half shared-space" that will be moving into a newly renovated warehouse building just north of Goose Island in early October.
Domino bills itself as an incubator because it's convenient; right now, there isn't a catch-all name for what the company is doing. And this lack of clarity perfectly mirrors Williamson's overall mission.
"Honestly, there are no set program or principles. We just simply want to add value."
In other words, Domino exists to help startups execute in any way possible. In the startup world, there are a lot of ideas. There are also a lot of ideas that never materialize. Williamson's new endeavor is a fundamental reversal of this trend - it's execution without an idea.
"In the early days of Music Dealers, we received so many good ideas from mentors and advisors. But we were busy entrepreneurs with full plates and didn't have the time to allocate to new ideas; they just didn't move forward. At Domino, we're going to give you ideas and we're going to get our hands dirty making them a reality."
Williamson, right, w/ Music Dealer COB Howard Tullman
Williamson's enthusiasm for working with early stage startups is a result of  finally "being let out of the cage." Towards the end of his stint at Music Dealers, he was burnt out and ready for a new challenge. He had spent seven years tirelessly building that company into a synch licensing leader and, before then, represented artists and worked with labels.
"You know that 10,000 hours saying? Well, I passed 10,000 hours in the music business a long time ago. I'm excited for something new in different spaces."
That excitement is currently being channeled into one of Domino's first clients, Sports Lock, a Chicago-based fantasy sports app. Williamson is assisting with a new round of funding and has helped the team pivot into a product that pulls from both season-long fantasy formats and daily one-offs, likeFanDuel.
"Once this raise is done, they're going to grow really quickly."
Though Williamson isn't targeting one specific market or sector, every potential client will share an important similarity.
"I'm focused on the founders themselves. If I believe in the founders, I'll believe in the product."
Another Look at the New Shared-Space

Today, the company operates out of the law offices of Domino's other partners, Josh Kaplan and Brian Troglia, until it moves into the new 4,500 square foot  location at 1767 N. Elston Ave. Ever the entrepreneurs, Williamson and his partners immediately recognized the lack of lunch options in the area and they'll be setting up a restaurant and bar across the street from the renovated building.
It's this kind of freedom-to-innovate that has Williamson so optimistic.
"I'm in a place on my entrepreneurial journey, or whatever you want to call it, where I just want to add more value than I'm getting in return."
With that business model in place - and an entrepreneur eager and genuine enough to execute it - the pieces are bound to start falling for Domino.