The Midwest Founder Exchange

Our BIG Announcement from Tech Chicago Week

Tech Chicago Day 2024 took place last Thursday as the culmination of a wildly successful/inspiring/fun as hell Tech Chicago Week. Attendees filled multiple floors of the newly built Sterling Bay at Lincoln Yards to check out a line-up that included Chicago Bulls legend Joakim Noah, rapper Common, and Dr. Mae Jemison - the first black woman to travel to space.

Oh, yeah, it also featured me :)

That’s right, the wonderful folks at P33 let my pal Nicole McCarthy and I play opening act to Dr. Jemison and former US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to announce a new project that World Business Chicago & Midwest House have been working on: The Midwest Founder Exchange.

The MFE is a collaborative program created to give Midwestern founders the opportunity to connect and engage with ecosystems around the Midwest. Born out of successes we’ve had bringing folks to places like SXSW - it aims to connect entrepreneurs with peers, with investors, and with opportunities throughout the region.

Over the course of the next 12 months the Founder Cohort will visit and connect in at least 5 cities: Indianapolis Detroit Columbus Minneapolis, & Chicago. And that’s just the beginning.

It’s our hope and belief that these trips will serve as connective tissue between our Midwestern ecosystems. Each Founder will get the opportunity to be inspired by new ideas and make new connections on each trip. They’ll return home ready to better build their businesses AND ready cross-pollinate ourregional community making it stronger, more diverse, and better connected.

Pretty cool stuff.

If you or someone you know is interested in applying to take part in the Midwest Founder Exchange - hit us up at the button below. We’re accepting applications from Founders throughout the Midwest, and will be providing entry to the event and a small travel stipend for those that are selected.

(If you or someone you know wants to get your community involved in the Midwest Founder Exchange - hit us up in the comment section below and we’ll make it happen.)

And it just so happens that the first stop for the Exchange happens to dovetail quite nicely with our regularly scheduled Midwest House summer plans…

That’s right! The Midwest Founders Exchange will be joining Midwest House at the Rally Innovation Conference in Indianapolis, IN later this August.

Midwest House will be taking over Cinderwood Event Space in downtown Indy at 601 S. Meridian (blocks from the Convention Center) where we’ll again teaming with local ecosystem partner ground game ventures to host founder focused programming, networking, matchmaking, etc.

We’ll be a home away home for the Midwest Founders Exchange, and for any of you that would like to attend. So grab a discounted Rally Badges (use code: RALLYxMidwest) and get in on our early RSVP list with button below.

The Midwestern good vibes will be oh so good and connections will be plentiful. Can’t wait to see y’all in Indy.