CONTEXTMEDIA CO-FOUNDERS RISHI SHAH AND SHRADHA AGARWAL TO RECEIVE FIRST
EVER CHICAGONESS AWARD FROM CHICAGOLAND ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER AND 1871
Award Highlights Commitment To Fostering Community And Opportunity
Throughout The City; First Time Ever Being Awarded By CEC; Awardees Recognized
For Outstanding Effort To Foster Economic Opportunity Throughout Chicagoland.
CHICAGO (SEPTEMBER ##,
2015) – The
Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center today announced that it will unveil a new
award at the 2015 Momentum Awards dinner, called the Chicagoness Award, and
that this award will be bestowed upon Rishi Shah and Shradha Agarwal, co-founders
of ContextMedia. Chicagoness, a term created by CEC, describes the unique
spirit of the entrepreneurial community in Chicago, which values hard work,
inclusion, and commitment to collective opportunity.
“Rishi and Shradha are exemplary leaders in the
entrepreneurial community, and truly represent the spirit of Chicagoness,” said
J.B. Pritzker, managing partner of Pritzker Group and 1871 founder. “They are
not only outstanding entrepreneurs, but are also community-driven individuals
who use their experience and expertise to support new businesses and innovative
ideas throughout Chicago.”
Rishi Shah and Shradha Agarwal are co-founders of
ContextMedia, a health services information company that owns and operates a
suite of digital healthcare networks delivering condition-specific programming
at point-of-care in all fifty states. Both Rishi and Shradha are active in
Chicago’s civic organizations and entrepreneurial community. Rishi serves on
the Boards of Directors of many civic organizations, including Young Presidents
Organization (YPO), the Institute for Student Business Education at
Northwestern University and the Academy for Global Citizenship. In 2012, he
co-founded a personal venture investment firm, Jumpstart Ventures, through
which he has made over 30 investments in fast growing early to late stage
startups. Additionally, Rishi serves as a mentor for numerous technology
startup accelerators and incubators, including 1871. Shradha serves on the
boards of Northwestern Student Holdings, HY Connect, Global Act and Techweek.
She is also a startup adviser, investor and founding partner of Jumpstart
Ventures.
“The exceptional bond of Chicago’s entrepreneurial
community makes the city an amazing place to build a business,” said Rishi Shah,
co-founder and CEO of ContextMedia. “We are honored to accept the first
Chicagoness Award, and look forward to continuing to build our connections and
create opportunities with other entrepreneurs throughout the city.”
The title award is particularly interesting in the
context of CEC. CEC filed for and received a U.S. Registered Trademark on the
term Chicagoness in late 2013. Last year’s dinner was themed Chicagoness and
this is a term that is frequently used around 1871 and CEC to describe the
broader commitment to community and collective opportunity that is fundamental
to 1871 and CEC.
“Chicagoness is the special DNA of our city that leads
to successful CEO’s giving back to the city by leading our civic
organizations,” said Jim O’Connor, Jr., CEC Board Chair. “It is a no frills
attitude that puts humility ahead of individual ego. 1871 is the best example
of the spirit of Chicagoness, and its entrepreneurs benefit tremendously from
the incredible community that it fosters.”
The Chicagoness Award is one of four awards that will
be bestowed at the coming event, including the Momentum Award, the Corporate
Champion Award, and the Entrepreneurial Champion Award. The event, which will
take place at the Radisson Blu hotel, will draw 750 of the top supporters of
business and entrepreneurship in Chicago together. It is the largest gathering
of the tech community annually and the primary fundraiser for CEC, which
supports the activities and operations of 1871.
Anyone interested in attending the Momentum Dinner can
register at http://www.1871.com/2015Momentum. 1871 makes an effort to open up
the dinner to entrepreneurs, and facilitates strong interactions between some
of our best entrepreneurs and the attendees of the dinner.
About 1871
1871 is the home of more than 325 early-stage,
high-growth digital startups. Located in The Merchandise Mart, this 75,000
square foot facility is also the headquarters of nationally recognized
accelerators, Techstars Chicago and Impact Engine; half a dozen industry-specific
incubators in key areas such as real estate, education technology, food and
financial technology; several emerging tech talent schools (Flatiron, The
Fullbridge Program, Designation and the Startup Institute), and the state's
leading technology advocate, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition. It
is the second home to Chicago-based VCs, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, MATH
Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels, OCA Ventures, OurCrowd and Chicago
Ventures, as well as satellite offices for Northwestern University, University
of Illinois, University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois
Institute of Technology, and DeVry. 1871 has fast become recognized as the hub
for the city’s entrepreneurial/technology ecosystem and has been featured in Inc.
Magazine, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Chicago
Tribune and Crain’s Chicago Business among other top media. 1871 is the
flagship project of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.
About ContextMedia
ContextMedia is a health information services company,
building digital media technologies to deliver lifestyle education to patients
to improve health outcomes. The company empowers healthcare professionals to
engage patients while curating content personalized for each member office.
Headquartered in Chicago, it is the fastest growing company in the industry
impacting over ten million patient visits each month through contextual and
actionable content in healthcare practices nationwide. To learn more, visit www.contextmediainc.com.
