AI isn’t just a tool — when human intuition partners with AI, we unlock unmatched innovation and efficiency. We had the opportunity to co-write this piece alongside the brilliant Jun Chen, VP of IT and Security at Glassdoor, who has had a career in keeping company knowledge safe. As Jun shared in our recent PairUp webinar: “Harnessing AI in the workplace is like watching a very well choreographed dance, where AI and humans move in harmony to create that seamless and powerful performance." This article breaks down how the human-AI duo is reshaping knowledge sharing and driving businesses forward. Take a read, and let us know what you think! Link to article: https://lnkd.in/gT3QVGzt #enterpriseai #humansideofai
Lofty Ventures
风险投资与私募股权管理人
Chicago，Illinois 2,171 位关注者
We help passionate founders, disruptive startups and innovative organizations change the world.
关于我们
Lofty Ventures is a growing community of Chicago’s most passionate founders building our city’s next generation of disruptive startups, and the angel investors who back them. Our founders and investors are all bounded by a common thread, amazing people with vision and purpose. We’re laser focused on finding the best founders in Chicago and giving them all the resources necessary to be successful entrepreneurs, dynamic business leaders and exceptional people. Lofty’s growing family of 140 founders leading 76 startups collaborate and support one another throughout their entrepreneurial journeys. Our strength is building community and fostering relationships with one another, the broader Chicago community and the global tech ecosystem. Lofty Angels is over 100 investors strong and growing. We provide educational programming and investment opportunities for accredited investors who want to excel at early-stage investing. We also enable Lofty founders to become angel investors earlier in their career to: 1) become more savvy founders by understanding how investors think, 2) build diversification & hedge their risk, and 3) gain investing experience/reps early so they can write first-checks right when they exit. Lofty Ventures is not a venture capital firm, and although we don’t manage other people’s money, we do maintain a syndicate for our angel community. We like to invest as early as possible and add value right away by introducing potential investors, customers, advisors, directors, and team members. We typically invest from first-check to seed and deploy $10k to $100k initially, with potential for $100k to $500k in follow-on investment via our syndicate. Our post-money valuation (or cap) sweet spot is $3M to $5M pre-money, we’re industry agnostic but look for Chicago-based, tech enabled businesses. Our founders are exemplified by the following: 1) are givers (in Adam Grant's "Give & Take" sense), 2) brilliant, 3) scrappy/gritty, and 4) have problem-founder-fit.
- 网站
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https://loftyventures.com
Lofty Ventures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，Illinois
- 类型
- 私人持股
- 创立
- 2014
- 领域
- Chicago Tech、Angel Investing、Community、Startups、Early-stage Ventures、Mentoring和Advising
地点
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主要
获取路线
US，Illinois，Chicago
Lofty Ventures员工
动态
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So thankful that Lofty Ventures was able to partner with BLCK VC for this spectacular event! Thank you to my colleague Christian McKenzie ???? for helping to put this partnership together. We look forward to growing our impact together for many years to come ??????
A taste of Summertime Chi. ? BLCK VC's Midwest Chapter set sail for a night of connection and celebration at its 3rd Annual All White Boat Party. Founders and funders came together to enjoy the last few weeks of the season. A special thanks to our incredible partners Verizon, Lofty Ventures, Ten To One Rum, and Maison Perrier for making this a highlight of the summer! And a huge shoutout to the BLCK VC Midwest Chapter leadership team (Tessa Flippin, Nina Ohiku, Hylton Irons, and Christian McKenzie ????) for hosting another amazing event! ??: Obinna Onyeka ??: Mike Abrantie
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Love checking out Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 list each year and was super excited to see two Lofty Ventures founders for 2024! HUGE congrats to Jennifer Fried co-founder of Flow Medical & Matt Singley co-founder of ReloShare Total ROCKSTARS ??????
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Very excited to share that Lofty Ventures portfolio company Rezilient Health just closed their $10M A round to power growth and innovation with their revolutionary “cloud clinic” hybrid healthcare model. Good luck Danish Nagda & team! ??????
We're thrilled to announce Rezilient Health has raised a $10M Series A, led by Govo Venture Partners with participation from Bridge Ventures, Acorn Pacific Ventures, Jim McKelvey (Co-Founder of Square), Mark Jones & Robyn Jones (Founder of Goosehead Insurance Agency), Jeremy Friese, MD (Founder of Humata Health), David Karandish (Founder of Answers.com and Capacity), and The Council. This capital is not only a testament to the entire Rezilient team’s relentless commitment to our customers, partners, and the families we continue to serve, it also sets the foundation for growing our impact across more communities that are suffocating under the weight of the traditional U.S. healthcare industry. Our goal from day one has been the same as it is today: flip the traditional healthcare model on its head and deliver care that centers a transparent relationship between patients and their care team, in the communities that are typically overlooked by the innovation economy. The difference between day one and today is that hundreds of businesses have trusted us with the care for their people. Rob Panepinto Clint Jones Derek Chau Amber Illig
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Reimagining economic development | Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer @ World Business Chicago, a public-private partnership
?? The inaugural Future-of-#Fintech Week by World Business Chicago and partners: investing in growth sectors where #Chicago has the right to win. Presenting Partners: ?? WBC board member BMO U.S. (Darrel Hackett, Andrew Harrison) ?? Consulate General of Canada in Chicago | Le Consulat général du Canada à Chicago (Madeleine Féquière, C.M., ICD.D, Tina Kotrych, Julien Rosan, Cory Olishansky, Sunitha Anand) ?? Jump Capital (Ola Jewusiak) ?? Sterling Bay (Mia Pieranunzi, Russ Cora) Startup Day Partners: ?? 1871 (Betsy Ziegler, Stephanie Miller) ?? Aeropay (Rachel Ludwig, Joshua Lockhart) ?? Clique Studios, LLC (Ted Novak) ?? WBC board member Decasonic (Paul Hsu) ?? Lofty Ventures (Christopher Deutsch, Christian McKenzie ????)
Chicago has all the right ingredients to dominate fintech and insurtech. From top talent to innovation capital, our city continues to lead as a global innovation hub, driving inclusive economic development and creating countless job opportunities. With more than 60 fintech startups, 150+ organizations, and over 100 unique investment firms involved, Chicago has solidified its place as a global fintech powerhouse. If you are a founder or someone who joined us this week, we welcome hearing your feedback in the comments. We are especially grateful for our leadership, staff, ecosystem partners, and everyone who helped make Future of Fintech week a resounding success. Special recognition to our supporting board member companies represented by: Darrel Hackett of BMO, for showcasing how fintech drives inclusion and financial progress, especially through WMNfintech with innovation hub 1871. Paul Hsu of Decasonic, whose leadership attracted top startups and investors throughout the week. David Howson of Cboe Global Markets, for hosting North American fintech startups at their global headquarters. And a high five to our amazing teammates who brought this to life with enthusiasm and conviction: Lauren Backe, Nicole McCarthy, Abin Kuriakose, and Manleen Rajput. The momentum is strong, and Chicago is at the forefront of the future of fintech! #ChicagoFintech #WhyChicago Photos: https://flic.kr/ps/3XRSmW Ola Jewusiak, Joshua Lockhart, Andrew Harrison, Cory Olishansky, Mark Tebbe, Charles Smith, Kenya K. Merritt, Phil Clement Presenting Partners: ?? BMO U.S. ?? Invest in Canada | Investir au Canada ?? Jump Capital ?? Sterling Bay ?? Aeropay Startup Day Partners: ?? 1871 ?? Decasonic ?? Lofty Ventures ?? Clique Studios, LLC
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Today’s face of fintech is Christopher Deutsch, WBC partner and founder of Lofty Ventures ! Christopher Deutsch is a full-time angel investor with a strong focus on the fintech industry. His journey began when he became the first-check investor for Bridge Money, a Chicago-based fintech startup, where he now serves as a board observer. Christopher's outlook on Chicago's fintech future is grounded and pragmatic. He predicts that "Chicago will do what we do best… maintain our steady and deliberate growth, and not get too far out over our skis in the hype cycles, nor crater when bubbles burst." To support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Christopher built Lofty, a platform designed to provide holistic support to the 170 founders at the 95 companies he’s personally backed. Notably, 80% of these companies are based in Chicago, and 75% are led by underrepresented founders, reflecting his commitment to fostering diversity and local innovation in the fintech space. Thank you to Lofty Ventures, Decasonic, 1871, Aeropay, and Clique Studios, LLC for sponsoring startup day, starting tomorrow at 9 am! It's not too late to register: https://lu.ma/23eb1x2o
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So honored to join Drew Silverstein and the team at Common Tide as a Venture Partner. We’re on a mission to help early-stage founders hedge their downside risk, while maximizing their upside potential. If you’re a founder (or VC that wants to help their founders), please comment or DM me ??????
Excited to finally announce that Christopher Deutsch has joined Common Tide as a Venture Partner! With over 25 years of experience in startups, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to supporting founders. As the founder of Lofty Ventures he has backed 160+ founders across 90+ companies, with a focus on underrepresented founders in Chicago. His track record includes notable investments like Tovala, Cubii, and Popular Pays. Chris's passion for mentoring has also led him to engage with institutions like Kellogg and Techstars. Welcome to the team, Chris!
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Last night I had the honor of co-hosting an EXTREMELY successful event for one of my fav Chicago orgs, and a close Lofty Ventures partner, the Chicago Innovation Foundation’s annual In-Gala. This was my second time co-hosting alongside Tope Sadiku, Megan McCann, Pat I. and Christine Sandman Stone (in 2023). I’m forever grateful to Luke Tanen, Tom Kuczmarski & Paul Kitti for giving me this opportunity TWICE, enabling me to bring my passion for Chicago entrepreneurship and innovation to this spectacular event. If you haven’t yet heard of the Chicago Innovation Foundation, please consider becoming a member, but at the very least, you must attend all of their events…most notably the Chicago Innovation Awards. Their programming is spectacular and all proceeds go to fund and fuel our city’s innovation economy. Deep love to this community…we’re all in this together ??????
?? The 2024 In-Gala was truly a night to remember! ?? A heartfelt thank you to our Hall of Fame 2024 Inductees: ???? Chef Grant Achatz, Co-owner of The Alinea Group ?? Theaster Gates, World-renowned Artist and Social Innovator ?? Christie Hefner, Business and Civic Leader ? Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management We were honored to be joined by 500 business, civic, and tech leaders, innovators, and more for an interactive and inspiring evening. Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, and our VIP Sponsors, Farmer's Fridge, Polsinelli - What a Law Firm Should Be, and the Shekhawat Family Charitable Fund. ?? A huge round of applause to our Table Sponsors, and a big shoutout to our incredible Co-Chairs: Megan McCann, CEO & Founder of McCann Partners Pat I., Global Account Manager at Dell Technologies Christopher Deutsch, Founder of Lofty Ventures Tope Sadiku, Global Director of Organization Effectiveness Design, McDonald’s We couldn’t have made this night so special without our amazing partners: Venue: Morgan MFG AV/Production Partner: Frost Chicago Wine Donor: Love Cork Screw Entertainment: NewMoon Chicago Performance Partner: The Happiness Club Dessert: Lorenzo's Frozen Pudding Trophies: Cristaux International And a special thank you to our Chicago Innovation staff—you guys are the masterminds behind this whole event! Thank you to everyone who made this night unforgettable! Stay tuned for more highlights! ?? GravityPath Ranga Bodla NetSuite Carlos R. Cardenas Wintrust Financial Corporation Michael Chiappetta Candance Chow Qin Coe Larry Deutsch Matthew Doubleday Darcy Evon Chris Freeman Jane Hamner Christopher Hart Thomas L. Johnson Abigayil Joseph Kelly Leonard Nolan Mims Eva Penar Chris Pezzello Joanne Rodriguez, LEED AP, FitWel Amb, CDT Kevin D. Rooney Dev Singh J Bradley Spirrison Christine Sandman Stone #InGala2024 #ChicagoInnovation
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We recently hosted our 2nd annual 3-day ?? Lofty Camp w/39 members of the ?? Lofty Family at Off Map in South Haven, Michigan Campers were treated to campfires, s’mores, hikes, roundtables & challenges run by Survivor Africa winner, 2x cancer crusher & our Survivor in Residence Ethan Zohn
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We recently kicked off our 2nd annual Lofty Week with the EPIC ?? Lofty Rooftop Summer Party in Chicago’s Fulton Market with over 150 members of the ?? Lofty Family HUGE thanks to our friend and recording artist Com Truise for flying in for a private DJ set & his amazing song Propagation in this video! And also big thanks to all of Lofty’s financial partners, especially our Lead Partners: Verizon, Bank of America & Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP for power this event and all of our programming in 2024 ??????