1871 jb pritzker biography

1871 is a nonprofit digital startup incubator in the Merchandise Mart, Chicago, Illinois.^[1] It was founded in 2012 by J. B. Pritzker and is the flagship project of The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), a nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build high-growth, sustainable businesses that serve as platforms for economic development and civic leadership.

Led by CEO Betsy Ziegler, 1871 has become a major hub of Chicago's technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem and hosts over 400 early-stage companies as well as nationally recognized accelerators, industry-specific incubators, and tech talent schools.^[1][2] In 2019, UBI Global recognized 1871 as the Top Private Business Incubator in the World and Most Promising Incubator for Women Founders.

History

In the early 2000s, some of the major players in Chicago's economy were the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, the Chicago Innovation Awards, Chicago Ideas Week