?? Join us on Dec. 11 from 3-7p for Blend:Talks, Chicago:Blend's flagship event where graduates of our #VC Fellowship program take the stage to share bold, thought-provoking insights on the latest trends impacting venture capital. ?? REGISTER ?? https://lnkd.in/dxu8X5he ?? Our VC Fellows will present their research and perspectives to a room full of investors and industry leaders, marking the exciting culmination of their journey. This is a unique opportunity to connect, learn and celebrate the rising stars shaping the future of VC. ?? THE FELLOWS ?? Shalina Clarke ? Gabriela Gonzalez ? Ashton Keys ? Brian A. Lung ? Komala S. Madineedi ? Santiago Navarro ? Obi Okereke ? Ibrahim Rashid, MPP ? Isabel Rouse ? Cristina Vaca ?? Since 2022, the?Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship?has helped more than 60 professionals launch their careers in VC, with 80% of job-seeking alums securing a role within six months of completing the fellowship. ?? Thank you to our Event Supporters at?CDW, TAWANI Foundation, The Coleman Foundation, BLCK VC and Origin Ventures and to our other Community Partners at World Business Chicago, TeamWorking by TechNexus, 1871, MATTER, mHUB and VITALIZE Venture Capital.
Chicago:Blend
风险投资与私募股权管理人
Chicago，IL 5,434 位关注者
Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in Chicago’s VC and startup community.
关于我们
Chicago:Blend is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Chicago’s venture capital and startup community. We measure the VC diversity gap, help underrepresented professionals secure VC jobs and are building a growing community of investors who share our commitment to improving the industry. ?? AWARDS ?? ? DEI Impact Award - National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) ? Social Innovator Award - Chicago Innovation ? Fourth Revolution Award for Community Empowerment - mHUB
- 网站
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https://www.chicagoblend.org
Chicago:Blend的外部链接
- 所属行业
- 风险投资与私募股权管理人
- 规模
- 2-10 人
- 总部
- Chicago，IL
- 类型
- 非营利机构
- 创立
- 2018
地点
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主要
获取路线
US，IL，Chicago
Chicago:Blend员工
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Samir Mirza
COO @ Pie | Former Co-Founder Fifth Star Funds & TapCommerce (acquired by Twitter)
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Lindsay Knight
Partner at Chicago Ventures | Founder at Chicago:Blend
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Colleen D Egan
CEO | Founder | General Partner | Investor | Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Connector | Equity Champion | Board Member | Decent Poet
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Samara Mejia Hernandez
Founding Partner at Chingona Ventures
动态
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As part of my "month of gratitude" posts, today I'm filled with gratitude for Gale Wilkinson and her team at VITALIZE Venture Capital. Gale has been a key part of Chicago:Blend's journey from the beginning, and as VP and Treasurer of our board, she continues to make a huge impact. VITALIZE invests in people-first, data-driven ideas that transform industries, with diversity at its core. Their launch of VITALIZE Angels empowers a new generation of startup investors, making it easy for anyone to learn about and invest in startups, which has become a core offering of our Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship program too. VITALIZE also hosted a women's entrepreneurship summit this summer that raised over $7K to support Chicago:Blend. We couldn’t do this without incredible supporters like Gale and the team at VITALIZE. Thank you for believing in and supporting our mission! Learn about VITALIZE Venture Capital ?? https://www.vitalize.vc/ Learn about VITALIZE Angels ?? https://lnkd.in/d5jAZ-n4 See photos from the ReDo Entrepreneurship Summit ?? https://lnkd.in/eMHGiUxD
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We are thrilled to announce that?TAWANI Foundation?has awarded a generous $35,000 grant to support the Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship! Colonel Jennifer N. Pritzker, founder of TAWANI Foundation, shared: “At TAWANI Foundation, we believe entrepreneurship creates a pathway to building wealth, but the opportunity remains out of reach for many marginalized communities. By supporting diversity among startup investors, we can empower more diverse founders. We are proud that our gift will help Chicago:Blend advance this vital work." Full press release ?? https://lnkd.in/eY25K93Z Thank you to the TAWANI Foundation team for their support! TAWANI Enterprises, Inc. Tawani Ventures
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Today, I want to express?gratitude for one of Chicago:Blend's most steadfast VC partners — TechNexus Venture Collaborative. ? Since 2022, TechNexus has gone above and beyond to support our mission. From mentoring and hiring our fellows to collaborating on events, providing co-working space for our community, and offering invaluable strategic guidance, their impact on Chicago:Blend has been immeasurable. ?? As a leading innovation hub in #Chicago, TechNexus is a true connector — bringing together startups, investors, and corporations to drive meaningful growth and collaboration. Their commitment to nurturing high-growth companies and fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem has helped shape the future of Chicago’s tech landscape. As part of this commitment, TechNexus recently announced that they're expanding their co-working space, TeamWorking by TechNexus, to three floors and 100k+ square feet, making them the largest single co-working space in the city. Read more about it ?? https://lnkd.in/evqdrjCt. ?? We are beyond thankful for the unwavering support of the entire TechNexus team. Your partnership continues to inspire us and helps propel our work forward. Here’s to many more years of collaboration and impact!?Fred Hoch Terry Howerton Cristin Pacifico Kaitlyn (Howard) Doyle Madelyn Rutter Taylor Kinsella Ellie Davis Paula Smith Quinn
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As we reflect on the season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to recognize a true partner of Chicago:Blend — Cooley LLP. I first met Yvan-Claude Pierre (“YCP”) in 2021, shortly after Cooley opened their #Chicago office. He shared their vision for expanding in the city, drawn by its dynamic startup ecosystem and the innovative companies and investors that call this place home. What stood out to me then — and has remained true since — is Cooley’s deep commitment to engaging with the local tech community, including organizations like ours. They didn’t just talk the talk; they brought on trusted local leaders like Gregory Grossman and Alya Adamany Woods, among others, further solidifying their dedication to Chicago. Since those early days, Cooley has not only expanded its footprint in the city but has become an unwavering supporter of our mission. Their contributions go far beyond financial — from actively participating in our programs to supporting our events, to providing strategic guidance when we need it most. More recently, Cooley has been a strong advocate for our work, leading efforts to educate the VC community about the #FearlessFund case, a critical issue to many in our community. The work we do at Chicago:Blend would not be possible without corporate champions like Cooley. Thank you to their entire team for their partnership, leadership, and continued belief in our mission. Your support makes a real difference in our ability to create meaningful impact. Alexander Knight Jonathan Knisley
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Time is running out to get your ticket to this year's Chicago Innovation Awards on Nov. 14th! It's been nearly a year since Chicago:Blend took home the Social Innovator Award and we can't wait to see who will be honored at this year's awards show. ?? Tickets ?? ?https://lnkd.in/gBPUfcFj
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Why we ?? Chicago Ventures...
This week is a potent reminder of how critical it is to have women at the table, shaping decisions and driving progress in spaces where they’ve been historically excluded. As I reflect on #gratitude this season, I want to take a moment to recognize Chicago Ventures for their generous support, both financially and in terms of sweat equity. Not only are they a top-tier #VC firm with successful investments in companies like Tock, G2, Aeropay, and project44 (among many others), but their team has supported Chicago:Blend's mission since the very beginning. As the folks in our community know, we were founded in 2018 by Lindsay Knight, a partner at Chicago Ventures, in collaboration with a group of VCs dedicated to addressing the lack of #diversity — particularly the underrepresentation of women and people of color — in the VC industry. Alongside Lindsay in those early days was Jackie DiMonte, who served as a partner at Chicago Ventures from 2021–2023.?Both are now officers on our board of directors and have been invaluable mentors to our team, to our VC fellows, and to me personally over the years. In 2023, Chicago Ventures made a powerful statement by hiring Shawn Park, an alum of our Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship. Their team's leadership, both past and present, has been instrumental in shaping Chicago:Blend’s mission and I’m deeply grateful for their ongoing partnership, which continues to fuel our work and drive meaningful change in the VC industry. ?? Lindsay Knight Stuart Larkins Kevin Willer Shawn Park Rob Chesney Eric Duboe
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?? Wells Fargo!
As we celebrate this season of #gratitude, I want to take a moment to acknowledge one of Chicago:Blend's most steadfast supporters, Wells Fargo. From day one, they’ve been a crucial partner in our mission, and their commitment to #Chicago has been unwavering. When I first met with the Wells Fargo team in 2021, they immediately recognized the unique energy of our startup ecosystem here in Chicago. They didn’t just talk about supporting it—they acted. Since then, Wells Fargo has been a key player in advancing initiatives across the city, including their support of Chicago:Blend. Whether it's collaborating on our events, making connections for us, or hosting meaningful gatherings like their recent community screening of Show Her The Money, a film they helped underwrite, Wells Fargo has shown up time and time again. Beyond their philanthropic work, Wells Fargo is also expanding its retail presence in Chicago. This year, they opened their first downtown branch in River North and announced plans to open more than 20 new branches locally, including in historically underinvested communities across the city. I’d like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Neuman Osman, John Huber, Matt Servatius, Kristina Connolly, and their teams for their continued support of Chicago:Blend, as well as John Runger, whose early advocacy was instrumental in getting us to where we are today. === Wells Fargo & Company?(NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 260,000 team members across the globe. Wells Fargo serves one in three U.S. households and is a top-ranked provider of small business and commercial loans. The company’s vision is to help customers succeed financially, and its efforts are reflected in its strong commitment to innovation, social responsibility, and community development. Learn more about their tech banking practice ?? https://lnkd.in/eG4W3_NT
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Why we ?? HPA...
The season of #gratitude continues with our next Chicago:Blend partner spotlight. Today, I want to give thanks to HPA (Hyde Park Angels). Launched in 2007,?HPA is a leading early-stage #VC that has invested in great companies like Chowbus, Farmer's Fridge, FourKites, Inc., Ocient, Rheaply, ShipBob and so many more, but they have also invested in the Chicago:Blend community in a myriad of ways. Pete Wilkins has generously shared his wealth of experience with our fellows, offering invaluable insights that inspire and guide them on their journeys. Stephen Ross stepped up to co-chair initiatives that uplift underrepresented emerging fund managers through the Tech Equity Working Group at GET Cities (now part of World Business Chicago), paving the way for greater equity in our industry. HPA team members like Bess Goodfellow and Michael Sachaj have personally contributed to our blog, offering their unique perspectives and wisdom. They’ve connected us to their incredible network of founders and CEOs, like Thru Shivakumar of Cohesion and Caitlyn T. of Zengines, who have spoken at our community events, sharing their journeys and insights. Moreover, HPA has played a crucial role in mentoring and hosting our VC fellows, nurturing talent both in our current cohort and in the early days of our fellowship program. It's not just the financial contribution that makes HPA a great partner. It's their investment of time and their belief in our mission that really makes an impact. We're fortunate to have partners like HPA in our corner. Learn more about the awesome work they do ?? https://hpa.vc/
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?? November is a month for gratitude, so I’m thrilled to kick it off by honoring one of Chicago:Blend's biggest champions—CDW. ? Since becoming our first corporate donor in 2021, CDW has been a vital strategic?partner in our journey. At that time, we were a newly incorporated 501(c)(3) with a clear vision but a limited track record. Despite this, CDW—championed by folks like Teague Goddard, Kristin Malek, Nikki Szanyi, and Sarah Woodman—believed in our mission for a more #equitable and #inclusive #venturecapital and #startup community and took a chance on us. They truly were our first "lead investor." ?? Over the past four years, CDW has continued to support us by speaking at our events, sponsoring our data collection efforts, and providing essential resources?for our community. Their support has not only sustained us, but has accelerated our progress. ?? Thank you, CDW, for your strong leadership and unwavering commitment. Your belief in our vision has made a lasting impact. ?? === CDW Corporation (Nasdaq: CDW) is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions for business, government, education, and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Founded in 1984, CDW is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index, employing approximately 15,000 coworkers dedicated to delivering exceptional service and innovative technology solutions. Learn more about their technology solutions for emerging startups! ?? https://lnkd.in/gWN3bw9a
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