Future Founders and Google Spend Week Empowering Female Leaders of Tomorrow
Check out all the highlights from Startup Spring Break 2021
Meet the Future Founders Fellow and Newest Techstars Founder That’s Keeping Restaurants Safe and In Business
Derek Canton is the founder of Paerpay, a contactless payment platform for touch-less commerce.
Future Founders Launches 2021 Startup Bootcamp – Meet the 45 Founders Joining the Program
Learn more about the launch of our latest program, the 2021 Startup Bootcamp.
Meet the Future Founders Fellows Climbing the Forbes “30 Under 30” List
Meet the six young alumni of our Fellowship program that have been recognized by the Forbes “30 Under 30” List.
Making Mental Health More Accessible to All
Meet two young founders from our Fall 2020 Blackstone Fellowship Program that are making mental health more accessible to all.
4 Young Founders Taking Education Beyond the Classroom
Meet the four young founders from our Fall 2020 Blackstone Fellowship Program that are taking education beyond the traditional classroom.
Meet the Young Female Founder on a Mission to Change the Future of Women in Politics
Meet a female founder from our Fall 2020 Blackstone Fellowship that’s changing the future of women in politics.
Future Founders Awards $12,000 in Seed Grants to Chicago Entrepreneurs
Meet the six young founders who were awarded Future Founders seed grants this fall.
Future Founders Announces Semifinalists for U.Pitch 2020
See the list of 18 startups that will be competing in this year’s U.Pitch National Collegiate Elevator Pitch Competition
Future Founders 2019-20 Annual Report
Future Founders Adds Capital One VP Becky Getz to its Board of Directors
Future Founders welcomes Jason VandeBoom, Founder of ActiveCampaign, to its Board of Directors.
Future Founders Announces Founders Joining the Next Phase of the 2020 Startup Bootcamp
Meet the 22 ambitious young entrepreneurs joining our 2020 Startup Bootcamp.
Meet the Winners of the 2020 Pitch for Good Middle School Competition
Check out our full slate of virtual programming for Chicago middle and high school students.
Future Founders Partners with Techstars & Blackstone LaunchPad for New Fellowship
The Summer Startup Fellowship will help students directly affected by COVID-19.
Meet the Winners of the 2020 Pitch for Good Competition
Future Founders Launches Summer 2020 Virtual Programming
2020 Economic Impact Report: Future Founders Fellows Achieve Record-Breaking Milestones
Learn about the tremendous economic impact achieved by our Fellowship cohorts of millennial entrepreneurs.
Future Founders Launches The Pitch for Good Challenge
Our first ever 100% virtual program for Chicago high school students, the Pitch for Good Challenge is looking for problem solvers, leaders, and changemakers to help solve our global crisis.
Future Founders Announces 2020 Alumni Accelerator
Meet the 36 entrepreneurs who are part of the 2020 Future Founders National Fellowship Alumni Accelerator.
Future Founders Featured on Comcast Newsmakers
Watch as President & CEO Scott Issen explains our work empowering youth to create their own opportunity
Future Founders Adds Accomplished Tech Entrepreneur to its Board of Directors
Future Founders Announces Entrepreneurs Joining 2020 National Fellowship Cohort
Check out the 20 founders joining our 2020 Fellowship Cohort.
Future Founders Announces Founders Joining Fall 2019 Residency Cohort
Meet the 19 ambitious young entrepreneurs joining our Fall 2019 Residency Cohort
Mi Terro Takes First Place at U.Pitch 2019
Check out the full list of winners from the 2019 U.Pitch National Collegiate Elevator Pitch Competition & Showcase
Future Founders Announces Semifinalists for U.Pitch 2019
ChicagoNEXT Recognizes Future Founders
Future Founders awarded ChicagoNEXT Award by Mayor Lightfoot and other Chicago business leaders
Future Founders Empowers Its 35,000th Young Entrepreneur!
Future Founders crosses major milestone empowering its 35,000th student
Future Founders Awarded Record Grant to Empower More Chicago Youth
Future Founders selected to receive prestigious Invest for Kids Grant to expand our work empowering Chicago youth
Future Founders & Ford Motor Company Award $15,000 in College Scholarships to Chicago Teens
Scholarships given to participants in Future Founders’ annual Summer Entrepreneurship Internship Program
Future Founders Chairman Named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year
Brad Keywell, Board Chairman of Future Founders, was named the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2019.
Future Founders Announces Spring 2019 Residency Cohort
Meet the 23 entrepreneurs from 19 companies who were selected to participate in its Spring 2019 Residency Cohort.
Future Founders Appoints EY Executive to Board of Directors
Future Founders welcomes the appointment of Ram Ramanan to its Board of Directors.
Economic Impact Report: Future Founders Fellows Achieve New Milestones
Mingle with Chicago Entrepreneurs & VCs at Smart Bet Poker
Future Founders is honored to be a beneficiary of Smart Bet and their Charity Poker Tournament on March 28.
Future Founders Introduces New Format for Spring 2019 Residency
The Residency Bootcamp is an experiential workshop series that exposes participants to the lean startup methodology.
Thank You for Your Support!
Future Founders celebrates our victory as one of 10 organizations to win the Google.org Impact Challenge Illinois.
Future Founders Announces 2019 Alumni Accelerator
Meet the 30 entrepreneurs who are part of the 2019 Future Founders National Fellowship Alumni Accelerator.
Vote Now to Help Future Founders Win $250,000!
Future Founders was one of 10 organizations selected (nearly 170 applied) for the Google.org Impact Challenge Illinois.
Future Founders Announces 2019 National Fellowship Cohort
Meet the 18 entrepreneurs who were selected to participate in the 2019 Fellowship program.
Quevos Takes First Place at U.Pitch 2018
The shelf-stable egg-white chips were delicious enough to win over the entire panel of judges.
Future Founders Announces Semifinalists for U.Pitch 2018
Future Founders announces the 18 semifinalists for its 5th Annual U.Pitch National College Elevator Pitch Competition & Showcase.
Future Founders hosted our annual “Be Your Own Boss” Summer Entrepreneurship Camp for CPS high school students.
"Be Your Own Boss" Summer Camp Blog
Future Founders hosts annual two-week long “Be Your Own Boss” Summer Entrepreneurship Camp!
Future Founders Receives $400k Grant to Expand Residency Program
Future Founders was selected to receive continued support from the Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Future Founders Recognizes Winners of 2nd Annual EntrepreneurshipU Awards
Future Founders recognized Illinois colleges and universities at the 2nd Annual EntrepreneurshipU Awards!
Capital One Highlights Future Founders Alum in "My Future Self" Video Series
Future Founders alum Jasmine Leatherwood is one of six people nationwide featured in Capital One’s “My Future Self” campaign.
Future Founders Adds Talent to Support Millennial Entrepreneurs
Future Founders announces the addition of one Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) and six Growth Coaches to its talented cohort.
Future Founders Appoints Motorola Solutions Executive to Board of Directors
Future Founders announces the appointment of Heidi Hattendorf of the Motorola Solutions Foundation to its Board of Directors.
Data Release: Future Founders Fellows Achieve Significant Economic Impact
Future Founders shares its 2nd Annual Fellowship Impact Report detailing the economic impact achieved in 2016 and 2017.
Future Founders & Google Announce 2019 Spring Break Camp for Middle School Girls
Future Founders is teaming up with Google to bring back Startup Spring Break, a free week-long bootcamp for middle school girls.
Future Founders Launches National Accelerator for Fellowship Alumni
The Alumni Accelerator is a program designed to engage those Fellowship alumni who have demonstrated significant traction.
Future Founders Announces Semifinalists for 2017 U.Pitch National College Elevator Pitch Competition
Future Founders announces the 18 semifinalists for its 4th Annual U.Pitch National Competition presented by Capital One.
Big Names Confirmed for U.Pitch 2017
Future Founders is thrilled to announce the six judges for the U.Pitch Finals at the 2017 competition.
Future Founders Appoints Two New Board Members
Future Founders announces the appointment of two new board members to its organization: Karl Darin and William Ridgway.
Future Founders Seeks New Role: Partnerships Coordinator
Future Founders is excited to announce a new role to support its youth entrepreneurship programming: Partnerships Coordinator.
Future Founders Launches New Program for Minority and Millennial Entrepreneurs
Future Founders will launch a new program, branded the Chicago Cohort, designed for ages 18-30 from underrepresented groups.
Future Founders hosted their “Be Your Own Boss” Summer Entrepreneurship Camp Student Showcase.
Future Founders Selected for Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurship Grant
Future Founders selected to join a cohort and receive funding from the Blackstone Inclusive Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Data Reveals Future Founders Collegiate Entrepreneurs Create Real Economic Impact
Future Founders announces the economic impact achieved by its first two Fellowship cohorts of collegiate entrepreneurs.
Future Founders Recognizes Winners of Inaugural EntrepreneurshipU Awards
Future Founders recognized colleges and universities for their contributions to the entrepreneurial community.
Future Founders Welcomes Top Collegiate Entrepreneurs to Chicago for Founders Weekend
Future Founders flew their 2017 Fellows to Chicago for the first of two Founders Weekends.
Future Founders Teams Up With Google to Launch Startup Spring Break Camp for Middle School Girls
Future Founders and Google to launch Startup Spring Break, a free week-long bootcamp for middle school girls.
Future Founders Adds Talent to Support Collegiate Entrepreneurs
Future Founders announces the addition of two Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) and a staff promotion.
Future Founders Announces Entrepreneurship Awards Event for Chicagoland Universities
Future Founders announces awards to highlight the work of the entrepreneurial universities in Chicagoland.
Future Founders Names 2017 Fellows: 17 Entrepreneurs You Should Know
Future Founders announced the 17 entrepreneurs who were selected to participate in the 2017 Fellowship.
Get Unique, Entrepreneur-Made Holiday Gifts with Our 2016 Fellowship Holiday Gift Guide
Give your loved ones something exciting this holiday season, and support our entrepreneurs at the same time!
2016 Future Founders U.Pitch Competition & Showcase Recap Video
Future Founders hosted their 3rd Annual U.Pitch National College Elevator Pitch Competition on November 10 at 1871 in Chicago.
2015 Future Founders Fellowship Spotlight: Ryan Hesslau, foreverU
We sat down with different members of the 2015 Fellowship to hear about their Future Founders experience.
Future Founders Announces Distinguished Panel of Finals Judges for U.Pitch 2016
Future Founders is thrilled to announce the six judges for the U.Pitch 2016 Finals.
Future Founders Announces 18 Semifinalists for U.Pitch National College Elevator Pitch Competition
Future Founders announces the 18 semifinalists for its 3rd Annual U.Pitch College Competition
Future Founders Introduces New Team to Inspire Elementary and High School Students & Welcomes 2016 School Partners
Future Founders is excited to announce the promotions of two staff members and school partnerships.
Get Your Tickets Now to the Third Annual U.Pitch National Elevator Pitch Competition and Showcase on Nov. 10
Join Future Founders for the 3rd Annual U.Pitch Competition & Showcase, an initiative of Future Founders Startup.
Future Founders Adds Entrepreneurs in Residence to National Collegiate Fellowship, Opens Applications for 2017 Cohort
Future Founders announces the addition of three Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) to its team.
The 5 Traits of a Future Founders Fellow
One of the most common questions we receive is: “What makes a good candidate for the Fellowship?”
Future Founders Fellowship Spotlight: Liliana Leon (Winefolded)
Future Founders Turns 5 Today
Our mission is even more important today as it was when we started.
Future Founders Spotlight: Josh Doering, U.Pitch 2015 Winner
We sat down with Josh Doering, the co-founder of Seed Slide and the winner of U.Pitch 2015.
2015 U.Pitch Finalist Seals Major Deal with Competition Judge’s Company
Sam Lukach announced that his company has partnered with ContextMedia:Health, reaching over 25,000 locations.
Future Founders Recognizes Top College Entrepreneurs During National U.Pitch Competition Featuring Shark Tank’s Daymond John
Future Founders hosted their 2nd Annual U.Pitch College Elevator Pitch Competition & Showcase.
Future Founders Invites Community to Annual Fundraiser on September 22
You’re invited to celebrate with Future Founders at our Innovation and Impact event at 1871!
The Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs on the Rise in Chicago
Three high school entrepreneurship programs in Chicagoland that are building the next generation of social entrepreneurs.
Future Founders Launches "Be Your Own Boss" Summer Entrepreneurship Camp
Future Founders has teamed up with After School Matters to launch an extended summer camp high school entrepreneurs.
Future Founders Announces Successful Pilot of Collegiate Scholars Program
Future Founders is excited to announce the successful conclusion of the pilot for its new collegiate Scholars Program.
Future Founders Announces Finalists for New Culminating Expo
Future Founders hosted competitions for student business plans created during the school year.
Future Founders and 1871 Announce Partnership
Future Founders Moves Headquarters to 1871 with help of Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.
Future Founders to Introduce New AdVENTURE Expo – An Initiative of Future Founders Ignite
Join us for an inside look at the next generation of entrepreneurs in Chicago on May 11th!
Future Founders Announces Members of 2016 Circle
The Circle is an exclusive group of students who embody the necessary skills to excel in the entrepreneurial community.
6 Future Founders Fellows and Alumni Named to Chicago Inno’s 2016 Tech Madness Bracket
Tech Madness is a friendly competition to see who the community thinks will be the most valuable tech company in five years.
Future Founders Appoints Three Board Members, Expands Startup Team
Future Founders announces the appointment of three new board members and the expansion of its Startup team.
4 Future Founders Startup Businesses to Compete in SXSW National Tournament
Student startup teams from 38 colleges and universities compete for top honors in Student Startup Madness tournament
Future Founders Fellow Daniel Yu Named One of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs of 2016
Congratulations to Daniel for everything he and his team continue to accomplish.
Fox32: Future Founders Fellow Kaeya Majmundar Proves Worth of Never Giving Up
Kaeya Majmundar is a role model for anyone who vows to never give up. Watch the video here!
Future Founders Fellow Kaeya Majmundar Featured on WGN
Meet the young CEO with two different startups: Ziptank and Bizzy Box
Two Future Founders Collegiate Entrepreneurs Named to Chicago Inno’s "10 to Watch in 2016"
Future Founders Fellowship member TagPrints Digital and 2015 U.Pitch participant NuGrad named top 10 to watch.
READ: Future Founders Named One of Chicago Inno’s 50 on Fire
On November 30th, 2015, Future Founders was named one of Chicago Inno’s 50 on Fire!
U.Pitch competition shows off a harvest of student startups
The finalists presented 90-second pitches then answered questions from judges, including Shark Daymond John.
Meet the 24 U.Pitch Student Startup Founders
Future Founders is hosting U.Pitch Elevator Pitch Competition and Showcase, a national pitch competition for top student founders.
Announcing This Year’s 50 on Fire Winners
Future Founders part of the 50 on Fire, a collection of companies, CEOs, startups, and entrepreneurs that are driving Chicago’s innovation forward.
Future Founders Announces 24 Semi-Finalists for U.Pitch College Elevator Pitch Competition Featuring Shark Tank’s Daymond John
Future Founders announces the 24 semi-finalists for its 2nd Annual U.Pitch College Elevator Pitch Competition & Showcase.
The 2015 Winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards
Congratulations to Daniel Yu, the founder of Reliefwatch, on winning a 2015 Chicago Innovation Award.
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