The Chicago Founder Institute, the local chapter of the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is proud to announce the newest Alumni from the Chicago Virtual 2021 program.
Over 190 people applied to the program, and after an intense four months of aggressive business-building sprints and constant evaluation and feedback from investors and mentors, just seven companies were able to make it through.
Each of these Founders have demonstrated a high level of perseverance and creativity, and their businesses have been thoroughly vetted and supported by a panel of Chicago's top startup experts and investors.
And now, without further ado, we present the newest Alumni of the Chicago program:
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Cybertelics
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Giftnity
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Slice Content Technologies
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Markerz.io
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Remoteshare
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Trakocity
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PersonaLeaf
The Chicago Virtual 2021 program would not have been possible without help, because it truly takes a city to raise a startup. We would first like to thank the Local Leaders of the Chicago Founder Institute: Jason Jacobsohn (Managing Partner, Propellant Ventures). Our Local Leaders play an incredibly important role in building the local Founder Institute program, and creating an environment and network in Chicago that is conducive to building to great companies.
In addition, the Chicago Virtual 2021 program was supported by some of Chicago's top technology organizations, including:
Some of Chicago’s top startup mentors helped our founders in the program, including:
- Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
- Ablorde Ashigbi: CEO, 4Degrees
- Adeo Ressi: CEO, Decile Group / VC Lab
- Aditya Nath: Head of Sales NA, Mobilisights, A Stellantis Company
- Aidan Salvi: Founder, Angel Investor, Advisor, Technologist, Multiple
- AJ DeLeon: CEO, Innovare
- Alex Glenn: Founder, Automated.af
- Alex Gorsuch: Co-founder, CTO, Ascent Integrated Tech
- Alex Lambert: Venture Capital Manager, mHUB
- Amit Bhanot: Venture Partner, Loyal VC
- Andrew Lee: CEO, Esper
- Andrew Loulousis: Vice President of Strategy and Venturing, TechNexus Venture Collaborative
- Andy Cwik: Co-Founder & CEO, hubub
- Ashish Rangnekar: CEO & Co-Founder, BenchPrep
- Aviv Shalgi: CEO, Solar Simplified
- Bart Carlson: CEO, Azuba
- Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
- Benjamin Seidman: Co-Founder, Mella Pet Care
- Blake Allsmith: CEO, Jumpdocs.com
- Bob Gillespie: Managing Partner, REACH Commercial
- Bob Matteson: CEO, Relivable
- Brad Schnitzer: Program Manager, Techstars Chicago
- Brad Spirrison: CEO, Grown In
- Brian Lee: Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Roamli
- Cate Brady: Founding Director, Bulk AG Innovations
- Charles Kwon: Managing Partner, Concitor
- Chereesca Bejasa: CEO, Zenevate, LLC
- Chris Sorensen: Founder & CEO, Lake Forest Venture Management
- Chris Foltz: Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence, Founder Institute
- Christina Holloway: Executive Coach, Compass Enterprises LLC
- Cory Warfield: Chief Connection Officer, Coryconnects
- Craig Zingerline: Founder and CEO , Growth Minded
- Dan Ushman: Founder and CEO, TrendSpider
- Dan Bauer: President, Bauer & Associates, Inc.
- Daniel Roberts: Founder, Scout Alarm
- David Culver: Co-Founder, VentureSHOT
- David Douglas: Founder & CEO, Yolobe Inc.
- David Rosen: CEO, Acrelic Group
- David Zaretsky: CEO, Chief Scientist & Co-Founder, Snips Media
- David Hurst: CEO, Orbital Transports
- David Kirshenbaum: Founder/Connector in CHief, www.MeadeConnect.com
- Derick Jiwan: Founder, Upbound Partners LLC
- Desiree Vargas Wrigley: Chief Innovation Officer & Executive Director of TechRise, P33
- Don Bora: Principal Technology/Owner and Co-Founder, Eight Bit Studios
- Eddie Patzsch: Co-Founder, PartnerPortal.io
- Eric Broughton: CEO, OK2Charge
- Fernando DeLeon: Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, Innovare
- Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Co-Founder, Vitamin CS Coaching
- Garry Cooper: CEO/ Co-Founder , Rheaply
- Gary Gaessler: SaaS Community Builder, Nylas, Co-Founder of CloudElements
- Gavenraj Sodhi: Senior Product Manager, Hitach Vantara
- Gavin Martin: Founding Partner, onPurpose Growth
- Genevieve Thiers: Founder, Sittercity
- George Powell: Founder, CEO, Easy Beauty
- George Khalife: Vice President, U.S. Capital Formation, Toronto Stock Exchange
- Gigi Kizhakkechethipuzha: Founder, ImpelHub
- Greg Jaros: Founder & CEO, PocketKnock
- Heather Holmes: CEO & Founder, Genivity
- Jacqueline Kuehl: Managing Director, Digital Marketing Concentration, DePaul University
- James Napier
- Jason Randolph: Head of Marketing, JuiceX
- Jason Jacobsohn: Managing Director, Propellant Ventures
- Jean Bordelon: Vice President of Data Management, Bounteous
- Jed Abernethy: Corporate Innovation and Startup Executive, Entrepreneur / Digital Transformation
- Jeff Lyons: Operating Director, City Capital Advisors, LLC
- Jeff Hyman: Chief Talent Officer, Strong Suit Executive Search
- Jeff Weber: Founder, Chalenj
- Jeffrey Coney: Executive Coach and Mentor
- Jeremy Baras: Director of Business Development, Startup Space
- Jill Miller: CEO, Lunum
- Joe Bezdek: Co-founder, DivX, Inc.
- Joe Born: CEO, Aiwa Corp.
- Joe Lee: CEO, Inverse
- John Dallas: CEO, Enclave Academy and Hillview Partners Network LLC
- John Ernst: Chief Growth & Technology Officer, Founder, Advisor, Entrepreneur, Executive
- June W Choi: Managing Partner, Serval Ventures
- Karim Djerboa: Business Development Specialist, MAVENTERSE
- Katie Hench: Co-Founder, Infiniteach
- Kelly Fitzsimmons: Co-Founder, Custom Reality Services
- Kevin Taylor: Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Stetson University
- Kim Rubenstein: Cofounder, Chief Research + Product, Compatibility
- Kord Kutchins: Development Advisor, ESO HUB
- Laurence Hayward: Venture Partner, Independence Equity
- Lavina Ramkissoon: AI Ethics and Technology Policy, African Union
- Louis Morales: President, The Catnip Times
- Maaike Doyer: Founder, Epic Angels
- Marisa Bryce: CEO, Lightning Snow
- Mark Achler: Managing Director, Math Venture Partners
- Mark Phinick: B2B Deal Coach, Let's Make It Rain
- Marsha McVicker: Founder & CEO, Lyla
- Marshall Stanton: Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, Catalina Marketing Corporation
- Matt Mandell: Principal, PayCard.com
- Matthew Miller: Director, Product Strategy & UX, Digital Intent
- Matthew Willis: CRO, MedTechnologies
- Meghan Hoover: CEO, SceneSave
- Michael Carruth: President/Founder, Fiodan Corporation
- Michael Kramer: Founder and CEO, ManageHub, Inc.
- Michael Kelly: CEO, DeveloperTown
- Michael Carney: President, MWC Accounting
- Michael Lamb: Co-Founder & President, nativeMSG
- Mike Kritzman: Founder & CEO, SkillNet
- Mike Anguiano: Founder, SupplyHive
- Mike Moyer: Founder, Fair and Square Ventures, LLC
- Mindi Knebel: Founder & CEO, Kaizan Health
- Miriam Odabe: Founding Principal, reThink Strategy
- Mohammad Hossein Tavangar: Director , Founder Institute Germany
- Moshe Mikanovsky: Product Director, Rootquotient
- Neil Kane: Founder & President, Illinois Partners, LLC
- Nicholas Freeman: Co-founder & Chief Growth Officer, Innovare
- Nick Farina: Co-Founder & CEO, EeroQ
- Nicole Loftus: Founder & CEO, Pop Venture
- Parminder Batra: CEO, TraknProtect
- Patricia Riskind: Head of Global Healthcare, Qualtrics
- Peter Tapling: Managing Director, PTap Advisory, LLC
- Phil Leslie: Founder, Golden Tassel Group
- Pinaki Saha: Founder & CEO, Anshar Labs
- Prateek Mathur: CEO, Activated Scale
- Raakesh Premkumar: Machine Learning Scientist III, Chewy Inc
- Rajanish Karki: Founder, Beats Bazar
- Rajesh Voddiraju: Founder & Group President, HealthiPASS Inc
- Reva Minkoff: Founder and President, Digital4Startups Inc. and DigitalGroundUp Inc.
- Rinku Patel: Co-Founder & CEO, Polysight
- Rod Hart: Founder & Principal Advisor, LayLine Innovation Advisors
- Ronald Franczyk: CTO & Partner, Red Foundry
- Ross Kimbarovsky: Founder and CEO, crowdspring
- Ryan Jeffery: MR, gener8tor
- Sagar Pande: Co-founder, Blaze Power
- Sanjaykumar Patel: Founder -Patent & Trademark Attorney, EXCELON IP - Patent & Trademark Attorneys
- Scott Issen: President & CEO, Future Founders
- Shaniqua Davis: CEO and Founder, Noirefy
- Shawn Park: Founders Team Associate, P33
- Sina Roshan: Cofounder & CPO, Peekage (Techstars 2020)
- Stephen Meade: Founder & CEO, MonetaPro
- Sukhi Singh: Managing Director, SSS Ventures
- Ted Greene: Partner, Old Willow Partners
- Timothy Kelley: CEO, TeleRay
- Tino Go: Founder & CEO, Baru
- Tokiah Kennedy: Head of Platform (S4P), Spotify
- Tom Giles: Founder, Megatron Ventures
- Ujjwal Gupta: Cofounder & COO, BenchPrep
- Vern Chan: Certified Startup Coach, Your Pivot
- Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
- William Furlong: Founder & CEO, SquareStack
- William Mortimore: CEO, Project Foundry
- Yarin Gaon: Strategy & Marketing Specialist, Y.G.
- Yemi Oluseun: Growth & GTM For FinTechs, The Change Hive
In the Founder Institute's pre-seed accelerator program, early-stage entrepreneurs and teams build their business alongside a critical support network of local startup experts that share equity in their success, and through a structured and challenging business-building process that has helped alumni raise over 2BN.
After Graduation, the new Chicago Founder Institute Portfolio Companies now have a fast-growing company that has been fully validated by experienced startup founders, with access to the Founder Institute's global network and post-graduate support programs to continue building their business.
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to raise funding, building a co-founding team, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities and 100+ countries, the Founder Institute’s mission is to Globalize Silicon Valley and empower talented and motivated entrepreneurs to build companies that will create one million new jobs.
The next Chicago Founder Institute program is being planned now. If you are interested in being notified when applications open, visit FI.co/apply/chicago.
Alumni of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over 2BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
