1871 teams up with Urban League to increase diversity in
tech field
Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins 1871 CEO
Howard Tullman (right) and tech entrepreneurs to announce a commitment to job
growth at Chicago's tech hub in April 2014 at the Merchandise Mart. | Al
Podgorski/Chicago Sun-Times
Walk through
1871, Chicago’s rock star tech incubator in the downtown Merchandise Mart, and
one doesn’t see much color — by way of race, that is.
That has
been a steady complaint of Chicago’s minority entrepreneurs.
But serial
entrepreneur Howard Tullman, the man who runs the city’s signature startup hub,
hopes to change that.
Through
innovative partnerships — the latest with the Chicago Urban League announced
Wednesday — 1871 is working to identify and support promising African-American
and Latino entrepreneurs and to foster interest in technology among
African-American and Latino youth.
Under the
new partnership with the Urban League, 1871, with financial backing from area
corporations, will offer sponsored memberships for African-American
entrepreneurs. Memberships currently range from $150 a month for a night and
weekend membership to $450 a month for a reserved space, and $300 a month for a
shared space. Memberships come with access to vast resources, mentorship and
funding.
It announced
a similar partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in August.
“The goal is
to make it possible for minority groups to have access to, participate in and
benefit from the training programs, and take advantage of the things going on
here,” Tullman told the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I think
that 1871 has been surprisingly successful. Nobody knew it at the outset, but
we want to make it successful for the whole city. That’s a different task from
making it successful for the people that live within 15 minutes of Merchandise
Mart,” he said.
Under the
new partnership, the Urban League will help identify technology business
owners, designers and developers eligible for the memberships; recruit
individuals eligible for scholarships to attend coding classes; identify
potential employees to 1871 companies seeking to hire; identify
African-American business leaders to potentially serve as 1871 mentors; and
connect African-American college student entrepreneurs with 1871 programs.
“The Chicago
Urban League is thrilled to partner with 1871 to empower emerging and existing
African American entrepreneurs with this innovative opportunity that can help
launch, grow and sustain their businesses,” said Andrea Zopp, the league’s
president and CEO.
Corporations
backing the new initiative include Lenovo and Nokia.
“We value
the diversity we have in our own workforce, in this city and around the world,
and we’ve seen firsthand how diversity can drive innovation,” said Denise
Doyle, senior vice president at HERE, a Nokia company.
“We are
committed to building on our already strong culture of inclusion and are proud
to work with 1871 and the Chicago Urban League by providing financial support
for underrepresented individuals to make a noticeable impact in the Chicago
technology community,” said Yolanda Conyers, vice president, global HR
operations and chief diversity officer at Lenovo.
Through the
partnership with the league, whose president sits on the Chicago Board of
Education, 1871 will connect with Chicago Public Schools children through a
unique tech program it is currently developing.
That
next-generation “tech toolkit” will teach students entrepreneurship and
technology development in a fun and interactive way, with platform technologies
and free applications students can use to develop sample products and services
and build apps that can be put to use immediately, while plugging into a
pipeline to careers in high-tech entrepreneurship.
“How do you
expose kids to technology who don’t have access to it? How do you help them
understand that technology is out there, and that they can have a role in
this?” Tullman asks.
“I don’t
know that they know that. I don’t know that they know 1871 isn’t just for
downtown people or certain people. We need to make technology visible,
something that they feel they can learn to do and master,” he added. “I
think they know how to use a phone, but I don’t think they know that someone
makes the apps that they use to do all sorts of magical things with their
phone.”
The nearly
three-year-old 1871, which has inspired smaller hubs in places such as
Pilsen, Englewood and Bronzeville, is currently supporting Hispanic
entrepreneurs through similar sponsored
memberships, employment recruitment and
training and education opportunities for Hispanic students.
Home to
about 300 startups, 1871 has graduated about 50 companies that have created
about 1,400 jobs, raised about $40 million in startup funding, and has posted
aggregate revenues of $22 million to $23 million, according to Tullman.
“And part of
our goal in 2015 really has to do with the idea that we want a mix of folks to
be able to take advantage,” he said.