Crafted in Chicago
The story behind my excitement for tech in Chicago and a new startup directory, set to launch next week
“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago. She outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them.” - Mark Twain, 1883
When friends and family visit Chicago, I always give the same piece of advice: “Check out the architectural boat tour.”
I promise, there’s no better way to understand this city’s history.
An often overlooked historical driver of the Windy City’s development is its tech roots. Chicago’s tech and startup history traces back to 1928—when Motorola was founded.
Chicago’s start-up community is built upon the values, culture, skills, and learning developed by decades of successful Chicago-founded and based corporations.
“Hog butcher for the world,
Tool maker, stacker of wheat,
Player with railroads and the nation’s freight handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the big shoulders.”- Carl Sandburg
Sears, Montgomery Ward, McDonalds, United. The list of Chicago-built businesses goes on and on—a post in itself.
Recently, that list has taken on a decidedly tech-centric focus.
The success of companies like Orbitz, FeedBurner, and Groupon sparked a sharp upswing in the growth of Chicago tech startups.
In 2010, 98 Chicago startups launched. By 2012, that number jumped to 197 companies.
Chicago startups—GoHealth, Braintree, Sprout Social, SingleHop, GrubHub, amongst countless others worthy of a shout-out—have ignited a culture of innovation and growth across the city.
But this isn’t a new story.
Chicagoans have always built meaningful, successful products and companies.
What is new, and even more encouraging, is the rapid growth of co-working spaces, accelerators, and venture capital funds in the city.
The Coop. 1871. TechStars. New World Ventures. lightbank. Sandbox Industries. Chicago Ventures. Hyde Park Angels. Hyde Park Ventures.
The tech scene feels a bit like a startup—young, hungry, rapidly developing—however, the infrastructure is firmly in place to sustain the growth of new businesses for years to come.
Great entrepreneurs are being supported by a growing network of advisors, angels, and institutional money.
They’re building great teams comprised of brilliant folks from around the country—but the core is often students from the midwest, or recent graduates of Chicago-based programs like The Starter League.
The community is powered by the cyclical reinvestment of local money and talent. It’s supported by leaders who have called the Chicago startup scene home for decads.
This is all to say: Chicago’s recent success is not a flash in the pan.
As the community grows, it’s important to maintain old connections and build new relationships.
It’s important to share resources, advice, and support.
But Chicago faces a problem, and it’s a great one to have: in recent years, it feels like there are too many start-ups to keep track of.
So, it was with great excitement that I got a note from Len Kendall a few weeks ago suggesting the creation of a Chicago startup directory.
‘Crafted in Chicago’ will be a new Chicago startup directory. It’s beautiful, simple, and readying itself for launch as I type.
If you’re a Chicago-based founder, check it out. Sign up for more information. Make sure that your company is represented.
If you’re curious to learn about the next generation of great companies to come out of the Windy City, sign up and check it out too.
This city has a rich history, and the future is even brighter.
CraftedinChicago launches next week - Sign up for more information
Adam London recently crossed over from a corporate life to the tech / startup world. He misses his old PC keyboard and Excel shortcuts, but enjoys wearing jeans to work and having an excuse to hold meetings at various Chicago coffee shops. You can find him on Twitter—discussing Chicago, tech, and other random tidbits—or blogging at A Brewing Thought.
