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Showing posts with label WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO. Show all posts
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Saturday, June 07, 2014
1871 and MATTER included in huge WBC FORTUNE Magazine spread on Chicago Bull Market
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE PAGE
Thursday, December 05, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
How to turn more startups into growth companies
How to turn more startups into growth companies
By John Pletz
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130924/BLOGS11/130929895
By John Pletz
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130924/BLOGS11/130929895
Want to know what it takes for Chicago's startups to take it the next level?
I'll be sitting down Oct. 2 with some of Chicago's best-known entrepreneurs and ringleaders from the tech community to find out.
My guests include Fred Hoch, CEO of the Illinois Technology Association; Seth Kravitz, co-founder of Technori and Bow Truss Coffee; Jeff Malehorn, CEO of World Business Chicago; Jim O'Connor Jr., co-founder of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and managing director of investment firm MVC Capital; and Howard Tullman, founder of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy and managing partner of venture fund G2T3V LLC. It's part of Crain's Small Business Week.
It's a lively group of smart folks who I know aren't afraid to call 'em as they see 'em. Join us for what promises to be an entertaining conversation at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP, 225 W. Wacker Drive.
Chicago's startup scene continues to grow, but the big challenge ahead is transforming small companies into high-growth businesses with big budgets and payrolls. In his own blog post this week, Mr. Hoch contends Chicago has one of the nation's deepest pools of high-growth companies with revenue between $2 million and $250 million.
“These organizations make money, drive revenue and increase business," he wrote. "They are not always 'sexy' — or the next big thing — but they are the backbone of Chicago tech. . . .As these companies take on more talent and capital, they are beginning to shape Chicago's national identity.”
Thursday, July 28, 2011
TRIBECA FLASHPOINT ACADEMY WELCOMES WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO TOUR OF INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISTS
U.N. Press Corps Explores Chicago's Innovation Ecosystem
The first stop was Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy in downtown Chicago. This visually stunning “working lab” aims to erase the boundaries between the classroom and the real world; churning out everything from music videos and video games to graphics that burst into flame – no kidding. The school already has real-world clients with names like Beyonce, Microsoft, Tyra Banks and McDonalds. Tribeca Flashpoint CEO Howard Tullman gave a tour to the throng of fascinated journalists that showcased just how cutting-edge Chicago’s next generation of media arts graduates will be.
Our delegation then headed over to 600 West Chicago Avenue. The former Montgomery Ward catalog warehouse is a perfect example of just how well public and private development can work when partnered up. Thanks in part to World Business Chicago’s efforts, it is now the epicenter of many successful tech ventures in Chicago. “600 West,” as it’s called by its tenants, houses some of Chicago’s most successful companies including Groupon, Lightbank, Infinium Capital Management and Big Ten Network among many others. The tour included a rare sit-down interview with Groupon co-founder (and WBC board member) Eric Lefkofsky.
The day concluded with what was arguably the most forward-looking part of the tour: an introduction to Excelerate Labs. This tech startup incubator/accelerator hosts 10 companies each summer in an intensive 13-week boot camp. In conjunction with established entrepreneurs and investors, these fledgling companies go through a crash course that prepares them for “demo day,” where they each get to pitch their business to a room full of venture capitalists. Already this summer, one Excelerate startup, BabbaCo, has raised $1.2 million in venture capital. The lightning fast introductions by each of the 10 participating startups gave everyone in the room a taste of Chicago’s future tech innovators.
The day ended with a Q & A session between the journalists and Chicago venture capitalist (and WBC board member) J.B. Pritzker who talked about the crucial role that civic engagement plays in moving Chicago forward despite the economic challenges of the past few years. The reporters were excited and engaged, if worn out by the end of the whirlwind tour, and seemed eager to tell positive stories based on what the creative and dedicated people they met gave them to work with.
For more on this story read this blog post by World Business Chicago Creative Director, Jake Trussell, who accompanied the delegation on their tour.
Friday, May 21, 2010
CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY ANNOUNCES CHICAGO CAREER TECH PROGRAM - EVENT FILMED AND PARTICIPANT TRAINING BY TRIBECA FLASHPOINT ACADEMY
TRIBECA FLASHPOINT ACADEMY IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE PRIMARY COLLEGES PROVIDING TRAINING FOR A NUMBER OF THE FIRST PARTICIPANTS IN CAREER TECH UNDER OUR NEWLY-DEVELOPED DIGIEVANGELIST PROGRAM FOR DIGITAL MEDIA SKILLS.
WE ALSO CREATED A PROMOTIONAL FILM OF THE LAUNCH EVENT WHICH YOU CAN WATCH BELOW:
Mayor Richard M. Daley today welcomed 175 Chicago residents as members of the first class of Chicago Career Tech, a new public-private partnership whose goal is to re-train unemployed middle class workers and put them back to work in areas such as health care, information technology, telecommunications, digital media and other fast-growing industries with increasing career opportunities.
“Chicago Career Tech reflects one of our fundamental objectives, which is to transform our economy and make Chicago a leader in the technology based economy of the 21st century,” Daley said in a news conference, held at the office of the law firm of Mayer Brown, 71 S. Wacker Dr. that followed the Mayor’s remarks to the new class.
“To do that means we must both recruit the businesses of tomorrow as well as train our workforce for the jobs they will provide,” he said.
The Mayor said that because of the recession, there has never been a more important time than right now to establish a program like Chicago Career Tech.
He said that in times such as these, government can’t add thousands of permanent, new government jobs at the state or local level, so getting people back to work requires recruiting new businesses and supporting the efforts of every business in Chicago to grow and better compete in the new economy.
“From today on, Chicago Career Tech will play a big role in ensuring the future economic security of Chicago,” he said.
The program is aimed over the long term at helping about 30,000 unemployed Chicago middle class workers get retrained in technology. The goal is that after the retraining, they will obtain new jobs.
Over the long term, the City will invest $25 million from its Parking Meter Human Infrastructure Fund to support Career Tech.
The first class had 754 applicants for 175 positions. The program plans to double the size of the class that begins in October.
To take part in the program, an applicant must be a City resident, be receiving State of Illinois Unemployment benefits or have exhausted those benefits, have made between $25,000 and $75,000 annually in a previous job, have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED Degree and complete two interviews and demonstrate a commitment to 6 day a week, 6 month program.
In fact, almost half the members of the first class have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The average age of the class is 46.
“This is a group of workers that’s increasingly at risk of becoming permanently unemployed because of changing workforce needs, and we can’t let that happen,” Daley said.
Chicago Career Tech requires two days of classroom training, two days of job shadowing in the private sector and two days of service learning at a not-for-profit.
Already, 28 Chicago area businesses have committed to provide mentoring and hand-on learning experience to the class and 51 Chicago area non-profits have committed to providing two days a week of service-based learning assignments.
The program has received significant early support from CNA, Microsoft and the Joyce Foundation, and I’m pleased to announce that Northern Trust Bank has recently come aboard and that the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has given a $300,000 Innovation grant in support of Career Tech.
Other organizations that have provided support are United Way (service learning coordination), Lee Hecht Harrison (career services coordination), Mayer Brown (pro-bono legal assistance), National Able (federal grant coordination) and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago (child care availability for participants.)
“Government alone can’t operate a program like this one, and I want to thank all the businesses and other organizations that have helped us get Career Tech off the ground quickly,” Daley said.
He said Chicago Career Tech builds on many steps the City has taken over the past two years to help reshape its economy with a clear concentration on creating the jobs and expanding the businesses of tomorrow.
“Instead of looking separately at our city's job training programs, our public schools and our City Colleges, we're trying to coordinate all of these resources to have the greatest impact on our efforts to train and retrain our workers for the jobs of the future,” the Mayor said.He said the City has:
• Re-focused its ongoing workforce and education programs on the sectors that are critical to the future of our local economy: health care, hospitality, transportation and technology.
• Created Chicago LEADS, a partnership between the business community, the academic community and government to better train the entire workforce -- skilled and unskilled workers alike -- to ensure they are well-prepared for the jobs of the future.
• Created the Chicago Workforce Investment Council -- made up of leading members of the business community -- to strengthen that effort by holding public agencies accountable for spending their budgets in the most efficient and effective way possible.
“Getting people back to work and creating new jobs in these industries will be critical to Chicago's future economic success and not just replacing those that have already been lost, is a big challenge,” Daley said.
“But with new ideas such as Chicago Career Tech -- and with the support and involvement of our business, civic, faith-based, non-profit and foundation communities – we’ll meet that challenge and secure Chicago’s economic future,” he said.
WE ALSO CREATED A PROMOTIONAL FILM OF THE LAUNCH EVENT WHICH YOU CAN WATCH BELOW:
Untitled from Shaun Hildner on Vimeo.
Mayor Richard M. Daley today welcomed 175 Chicago residents as members of the first class of Chicago Career Tech, a new public-private partnership whose goal is to re-train unemployed middle class workers and put them back to work in areas such as health care, information technology, telecommunications, digital media and other fast-growing industries with increasing career opportunities.
“Chicago Career Tech reflects one of our fundamental objectives, which is to transform our economy and make Chicago a leader in the technology based economy of the 21st century,” Daley said in a news conference, held at the office of the law firm of Mayer Brown, 71 S. Wacker Dr. that followed the Mayor’s remarks to the new class.
“To do that means we must both recruit the businesses of tomorrow as well as train our workforce for the jobs they will provide,” he said.
The Mayor said that because of the recession, there has never been a more important time than right now to establish a program like Chicago Career Tech.
He said that in times such as these, government can’t add thousands of permanent, new government jobs at the state or local level, so getting people back to work requires recruiting new businesses and supporting the efforts of every business in Chicago to grow and better compete in the new economy.
“From today on, Chicago Career Tech will play a big role in ensuring the future economic security of Chicago,” he said.
The program is aimed over the long term at helping about 30,000 unemployed Chicago middle class workers get retrained in technology. The goal is that after the retraining, they will obtain new jobs.
Over the long term, the City will invest $25 million from its Parking Meter Human Infrastructure Fund to support Career Tech.
The first class had 754 applicants for 175 positions. The program plans to double the size of the class that begins in October.
To take part in the program, an applicant must be a City resident, be receiving State of Illinois Unemployment benefits or have exhausted those benefits, have made between $25,000 and $75,000 annually in a previous job, have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED Degree and complete two interviews and demonstrate a commitment to 6 day a week, 6 month program.
In fact, almost half the members of the first class have a bachelor’s degree or higher. The average age of the class is 46.
“This is a group of workers that’s increasingly at risk of becoming permanently unemployed because of changing workforce needs, and we can’t let that happen,” Daley said.
Chicago Career Tech requires two days of classroom training, two days of job shadowing in the private sector and two days of service learning at a not-for-profit.
Already, 28 Chicago area businesses have committed to provide mentoring and hand-on learning experience to the class and 51 Chicago area non-profits have committed to providing two days a week of service-based learning assignments.
The program has received significant early support from CNA, Microsoft and the Joyce Foundation, and I’m pleased to announce that Northern Trust Bank has recently come aboard and that the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has given a $300,000 Innovation grant in support of Career Tech.
Other organizations that have provided support are United Way (service learning coordination), Lee Hecht Harrison (career services coordination), Mayer Brown (pro-bono legal assistance), National Able (federal grant coordination) and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago (child care availability for participants.)
“Government alone can’t operate a program like this one, and I want to thank all the businesses and other organizations that have helped us get Career Tech off the ground quickly,” Daley said.
He said Chicago Career Tech builds on many steps the City has taken over the past two years to help reshape its economy with a clear concentration on creating the jobs and expanding the businesses of tomorrow.
“Instead of looking separately at our city's job training programs, our public schools and our City Colleges, we're trying to coordinate all of these resources to have the greatest impact on our efforts to train and retrain our workers for the jobs of the future,” the Mayor said.He said the City has:
• Re-focused its ongoing workforce and education programs on the sectors that are critical to the future of our local economy: health care, hospitality, transportation and technology.
• Created Chicago LEADS, a partnership between the business community, the academic community and government to better train the entire workforce -- skilled and unskilled workers alike -- to ensure they are well-prepared for the jobs of the future.
• Created the Chicago Workforce Investment Council -- made up of leading members of the business community -- to strengthen that effort by holding public agencies accountable for spending their budgets in the most efficient and effective way possible.
“Getting people back to work and creating new jobs in these industries will be critical to Chicago's future economic success and not just replacing those that have already been lost, is a big challenge,” Daley said.
“But with new ideas such as Chicago Career Tech -- and with the support and involvement of our business, civic, faith-based, non-profit and foundation communities – we’ll meet that challenge and secure Chicago’s economic future,” he said.
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