Posted by: admin
Though a little late, we want to take a moment to reflect upon a great night Dashfire was luckily enough to attend: The 5th Annual CEC Momentum Awards dinner presented by JP Morgan Chase.
On October 24th, 2012, over 750 of Chicago’s leaders gathered to celebrate entrepreneurship in Chicago. It was the perfect October night at Millennium Park for more reasons than just the incredible weather.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was in attendance and spoke extremely highly of Chicago’s success thus far. As many of you know, Rahm has had a profound effect on Chicago’s tech community. We first saw Rahm speak at The 1st Annual Moxie Awards in June shortly after 1871 opened, and then again at 1871 this Fall. To listen to his supporting words about the community of entrepreneurs he’s had faith in for so long is always inspiring and encouraging.
As far as awards went, The Merrick Momentum Award finalists were introduced by Jeff Bennett, Managing Director at Merrick Ventures. The finalists included Braintree, Narrative Science and Trunk Club, each of which’s success was honored in a short film. Braintree won; founder Bryan Johnson graciously accepted the award. Next was The Corporate Champion Award, where Michael Ferro of Merrick Ventures and Glenn Tilton of JP Morgan Chase were honored. Both Michael and Glenn, as well as Merrick Ventures and JP Morgan Chase have been crucial parts of Chicago’s growth over the years. Glenn Tilton said something that stuck with us: “Bueurcracy is the enemy of innovation.”
Having been a part of 1871 since the start, it’s been an honor to be a part of Chicago’s booming entrepreneurial scene. The 12th floor of The Merchandise Mart has become a home for idea-generation, made up of a family of wonderful people who were honored to work beside. The CEC and JP Morgan Chase put on an incredible evening to showcase and honor the work we see on a daily basis. Thanks to everyone who made this night such a great success, and a special thanks to our hosts Lon Chow from Apex Ventures and Matthew Brown from Katten Law, we had a great time!
The night reassured something we’ve been coming to terms with over the past couple years, specifically 2012: Chicago is the greatest city to start a company in. In terms of what this means for Dashfire, the possibilities are endless. So, wanna start something?
p.s. and Rick was in the 1871 video that was featured! He’s famous: CEC 1871 (minute 3:01)
