This past weekend my dreams came true 🚀 Techstars Chicago Startup Weekend 2026 powered by Future Founders (April 10-12) at mHUB was everything I had imagined and more!
Thanks to all the partners and sponsors who made it possible: Zentry Pass (CSW alumni), DePhi Media , World Business Chicago, Farmer's Fridge, Nuts On Clark Inc , Balsamiq , Chicago Innovation, TAVO Sleep , Slicing Pie !
This years organizing team blew my socks off: Alexa Smith (event director), Fiona Chen (operations chair), Mayank Mehta (recruitment chair & web design), Liza Smirnitskaya (sponsorship chair), Mariel Mudrik (marketing chair), Nathan Goswick (videography), and Scott Issen (nonprofit president)! You all made this possible!
Thank you to our judges and speakers: Troy Henikoff , Sam Yagan , Charlotte Trecartin , Arielle Johncox , Steven Jiang , Umama Kibria , John Hill , Rohan Subramanian, Connor Cofoid, and Martina Matthews!
Thank you mentors and volunteers, there’s too many to name, but I can’t stress how important you are to our event!
Thank you university partners Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University and Polsky Center at the University of Chicago for funding 10 student tickets each!
Most of all I’m proud of our founders, congratulations to all of you for finishing our weekend! I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you build next!
FINAL RESULTS
1st place: LOOP lead by María Benítez de Lugo Casucci
2nd place & audience choice: Flywheel lead by Eshaan Bhattad
3rd place: AuthFlow lead by Sanjana Waghray
The whole thing was recorded by DePhi Media including following around one of our teams SideQuest throughout the whole event and final pitches 🤯 look out for that video coming soon 👀
MY ASK OF YOU: Chicago Startup Weekend is a nonprofit event… which means it relies on your support! If you love supporting diverse entrepreneurship reach out to me with connections to sponsors and details on how to donate 💵 THANK YOU
Thanks to all the partners and sponsors who made it possible: Zentry Pass (CSW alumni), DePhi Media , World Business Chicago, Farmer's Fridge, Nuts On Clark Inc , Balsamiq , Chicago Innovation, TAVO Sleep , Slicing Pie !
This years organizing team blew my socks off: Alexa Smith (event director), Fiona Chen (operations chair), Mayank Mehta (recruitment chair & web design), Liza Smirnitskaya (sponsorship chair), Mariel Mudrik (marketing chair), Nathan Goswick (videography), and Scott Issen (nonprofit president)! You all made this possible!
Thank you to our judges and speakers: Troy Henikoff , Sam Yagan , Charlotte Trecartin , Arielle Johncox , Steven Jiang , Umama Kibria , John Hill , Rohan Subramanian, Connor Cofoid, and Martina Matthews!
Thank you mentors and volunteers, there’s too many to name, but I can’t stress how important you are to our event!
Thank you university partners Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University and Polsky Center at the University of Chicago for funding 10 student tickets each!
Most of all I’m proud of our founders, congratulations to all of you for finishing our weekend! I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you build next!
FINAL RESULTS
1st place: LOOP lead by María Benítez de Lugo Casucci
2nd place & audience choice: Flywheel lead by Eshaan Bhattad
3rd place: AuthFlow lead by Sanjana Waghray
The whole thing was recorded by DePhi Media including following around one of our teams SideQuest throughout the whole event and final pitches 🤯 look out for that video coming soon 👀
MY ASK OF YOU: Chicago Startup Weekend is a nonprofit event… which means it relies on your support! If you love supporting diverse entrepreneurship reach out to me with connections to sponsors and details on how to donate 💵 THANK YOU