Catalyst
The Catalyst newsletter is a monthly publication that spotlights components of the state’s innovation ecosystem. Each month, we feature a column written by a leader from the tech community, highlight innovation news in Illinois, or offer perspective on current issues in the innovation community. Catalyst is the best way to stay up-to-date on all things science and technology in Illinois.
Employers Guiding STEM Talent: 2nd Annual Employer Summit Recap
On June 12th, the Illinois Science & Technology Institute (ISTI) and NIU’s Education Systems Center hosted our 2nd STEM Employer Summit focused on STEM talent pipeline development and building effective learning partnerships in Illinois. Employers and stakeholders...
How Corporate-High School Partnerships Cultivate Illinois Innovation
BY ISTC Board Chair Shelley Stern Grach, Director, Civic Engagement for Microsoft Chicago For the past five years, Microsoft has participated in ISTI’s STEM Challenge program to authentically engage with Chicago Public School students by presenting a technology...
Beyond the Index: The Critical Role of Foreign-Born Entrepreneurs
Q/A WITH SAI PRASHANT BOYREDDY, PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER, GREAT LAKES NEUROSCIENCE Earlier this month, we at the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) released new data on the record growth of startup activity at in-state universities through...
Catalyst Conversations: Chicago’s Promise For Female Entrepreneurs
Q&A with Co-Founder & CEO of Ms.Tech - Nicole Yeary In this edition of Catalyst, we talk with Nicole Yeary, Co-Founder & CEO of Ms.Tech, to discuss her co-facilitation of WiSTEM,1871's premier female entrepreneurial boot-camp and Chicago's...
Catalyst Conversations: How Chicago Can Become a Black Tech Mecca
Q&A with Co-Founder & CEO of Black Tech Mecca - Fabian Elliott In this edition of Catalyst, we talk with Fabian Elliott, Co-Founder & CEO of Black Tech Mecca, to discuss the current state of Chicago’s Black Tech Ecosystem and the city’s role in...
Illinois’ Leading Role in the Next Big Tech Disruption
By Andreas Cangellaris, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Engineering and Incoming Provost University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Computer scientists and engineers have always been comfortable with disruption. Where others see a threat, we see a promise. Where others...
The Startup Act: What Is It And How It Would Help Illinois
In Partnership with SSTI, October 2017 In late September, Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) along with Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) re-introduced the Startup Act to grow innovation and foster economic growth...
Rosalind Franklin University Accelerating Health Innovation In Illinois
By Ronald Kaplan, PhD, Executive Vice President for Research, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science In this issue of Catalyst, we highlight new ISTC member Rosalind Franklin University (RFU) and their efforts to accelerate health innovation in...
Startup Visa, DACA Under Threat: Why It’s Bad, And What You Can Do About It
In Partnership with FWD.us and the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) The contribution of immigrants to the American workforce, entrepreneurship, and innovation is vital. Immigrants make up an outsized proportion of the workforce and start companies at a...
Catalyst Conversations: Inside Northwestern’s Innovation Machine
Q/A with Dr. Alicia Löffler Associate Provost for Innovation and New Ventures; Associate Vice President for Research; and Executive Director, INVO, Northwestern University In this issue of Catalyst, we sit down with ISTC/I Board Member Dr. Alicia Löffler to...
Fermilab’s Greatest Hits — And What’s Up Next
by Timothy I. Meyer, Chief Operating Officer, Fermilab This June marked 50 years since Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) began operations in Illinois. Over the last 50 years, Fermilab has been home to some of the most advanced science and...
Getting the Most out of High School STEM Partnerships
by Allie Barwise, Managing Director, ISTI On May 11th, the Illinois Science & Technology Institute, in partnership with Northern Illinois University’s Education System Center, hosted an Employer Summit to discuss building effective learning partnerships. This...
The Federal Science Policy Landscape
Q/A with Dan Berglund, President & CEO, SSTI The Federal government plays an instrumental role in advancing science and technology innovation in the United States. Illinois is a top 10 state in receiving critical investment in basic science and R&D, which has...
Beyond the Index: Spotlighting Two Illinois University Startup Founders
Q/A with Ashley Moy, CEO, Cast 21, and Alex Niemczewski, CEO, BallotReady Earlier this month we released our Illinois Innovation Index, detailing record levels of entrepreneurship activity from Illinois universities, with over 800 companies founded and $630 million in...
Inside mHUB, Chicago’s Newest Manufacturing Incubator
Q/A with Haven Allen, Executive Director, mHUB Incubators and coworking spaces like 1871 and MATTER coalesce Chicago's digital/IT and healthtech startup communities, create jobs, and drive economic development. With the creation of the makerspace mHUB,...
An Inside Look at Argonne’s Startup Incubator
Q/A with Andreas Roelofs, Director, Chain Reaction Innovations and Nano Design Works, Argonne National Laboratories Known for its strengths in supercomputing and clean energy, Argonne National Lab has a long tradition bringing together some of the world’s foremost...
The Illinois Innovation Ecosystem
Since our inception more than 25 years ago, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) has worked to promote and enrich the state of Illinois' research and technology community. Over the last several years in particular, the state has experienced significant...
The Critical Role of Immigrants in Illinois’ Tech Economy
Immigration was one of the most talked about issues of the 2016 presidential election. With the election now behind us and a new administration entering the White House in 2017, immigration reform will continue to be top of mind. For this issue of Catalyst we’d like...
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