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Chicago’s creative sector continues to gain momentum, converging with world-class manufacturing, enterprise infrastructure, and a rising founder community. Last month’s Chicago Media & Entertainment Tech Summit, presented by Good Chaos, The Coleman Foundation, @dell, and @nvidia highlighted the strengths and opportunities of these industries with a high-impact global gathering of founders, investors, and industry leaders at the forefront of the creative economy.

The summit kicked off with opening remarks from Phil Clement of @worldbusinesschicago, an update on the economic impact of Illinois’ creative economy from @artsallianceil, and the signing of an MOU between 2112, @musictechde, and Music Tech Embassy. We featured curated panels and innovation spotlights exploring: Chicago as the New Capital of Creative Technology and Future of Media; XR, Virtual Production & Experiential Innovation; Dual-Use Technologies; The Future of Sports, Music & Live Experiences; Chicago in the International Ecosystem; The State of Creative Tech Investment in 2026, and Intelligent Systems.

Day 1 culminated with a keynote presentation by @ericsheinkop of @the_desire_company and a pitch competition presented by The Coleman Foundation, which spotlighted the region’s most compelling creative technology companies with $25,000 in cash prizes. Congratulations to @scottlynchfilm of @loccol_space for winning the Judge’s Choice Award, and @cesarbacaro of @giigsapp for taking home the Audience Choice prize. Each finalist was also awarded a year-long membership to 2112 and business development support from the ILT Academy. The night concluded with an industry reception hosted by @jpmorganchase .

Refreshments throughout the summit were provided by 2112 Members @backtothegrind.co @drinknouvie @systemseltzers @catanpisco and @philomarketchicago.

Video by 2112 Member @castlelightproductions

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Capitalize VC x Shopline x EDLI Commerce Collective 7/21

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🚀 ROUND CLOSED. We are incredibly thrilled to officially announce that institutional venture capital firm Capitalize VC has invested in READYBAR!

Partnering with Capitalize VC and Managing Partner Tessa Flippin (Chicago) marks a massive milestone for us as we scale to fuel the nation.

As our Founder & CEO, Ryan Dowdy, PhD, puts it:

"I'm excited to announce Capitalize VC's investment in READYBAR! Tessa and the Capitalize team invest more than dollars - they put real time and energy into the success of their portfolio companies. That's the kind of partner READYBAR needs as we scale."

We’re just getting started. 💥

#smallbusiness #venturecapital #mealbar

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Applications are open through June 5th for the CMET Summit Pitch Competition, spotlighting the region’s most compelling creative technology companies, with direct pathways to capital and global exposure.

Finalists must have a minimum of one year of operation and recorded operating income. 15–20 additional entrepreneurs will be spotlighted throughout the event.

$25,000 in Cash Prizes

Additional prizes include:
-Equity investment opportunities from attending VCs
-Hardware, software & business services packages
-One-year membership to 2112 (mentorship, workspace, network)
-Professional pitch videos
-Pitch opportunity at the Music Tectonics Conference in Santa Monica
-Global exposure opportunities & press coverage

DM us for the link to apply!

Music, film, fashion, sports, gaming, immersive tech — Chicago’s creative industries are converging with world-class manufacturing, enterprise infrastructure, and a rising founder community. What’s been missing is a stage.

The Chicago Media & Entertainment Tech Summit fills that gap: a high-impact gathering of founders, investors, and industry leaders at the forefront of the creative economy.

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Our final Founders & Funders Roadshow of the year, is coming to SF on August 17th 💰

If you’re raising capital or planning to in 2026/2027, you need to be in this room.

We’re bringing 10+ of the most active consumer investors, including:

TSG Consumer Partners, Rucker Investments, Encore Consumer Capital, VMG Partners, Capitalize, FF2032, Rich Products Ventures, Albertsons, Convivialité Ventures (Pernod Richard), Corazon Capital, Rosenthal Capital Group, and more coming soon.

How the 1:1 Meetings Work: Secure your ticket and then submit an investor ready one-pager by May 5. Investors review them in advance and choose who they want to meet. ‼️Your one-pager is only shared with investors if you have a ticket. If you’re not selected, you’ll still have plenty of valuable face time with investors throughout the event!

Los Angeles and New York sell out weeks before the event, make sure you grab your tickets for SF ASAP!

Comment “SF Roadshow” for the ticket link. Do not wait till they sell out!

#FoundersandFunders #StartupFunding #ConsumerBrands #CPGFounder #StartupEvents

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Forge your own path. Don’t wait for permission. Lessons from this year’s Women’s History Brunch: Power, Pathways & Possibilities.

Help us create more pathways for women in investing by donating today !

#PowerPathwaysPossibilities #Trailblazers #WomenWhoLead

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Join VCs + Founders in Austin during SXSW.

In the middle of the rush, we’re creating space to actually connect. Capitalize VC, Transparent Collective, and V313 are hosting a laid-back, high-intent happy hour for real conversations. No panels. No programming. Just good drinks and meaningful connections.

📍 Thursday, March 12
⏰ 5–7 PM
📍 Austin, TX

Spots are limited. Come early. Stay late.

RSVP In Bio

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i know how getting personal can feel risky or awkward but i also think it’s important if we want conversations that actually mean something.

i set out this year to host conversations about building businesses, customers, marketing, technology, the things people are usually very prepared to talk about. i’ve been too scared to go beyond that because it feels like there’s a line i shouldn’t cross professionally.

but so many of those conversations didn’t stay there for long. at some point, something would soften. someone would hesitate, qualify a sentence, or share a story that wasn’t part of the original plan. and the energy would shift from performance to presence. i think that’s what makes people uncomfortable, when the conversation moves from what you do to what you’ve lived, when there’s no script for how much you’re supposed to share or whether it still “belongs” in a work setting.

those were the moments that stayed with me most this year. not because they were dramatic, but because they were honest, and because they reminded me how much of our lives are shaped by things we rarely name out loud.

tag someone in the comments who may need to hear this ahead of the new year (so many possibilities!!!) 🫶🏾

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What an incredible time at #ArtBasel 2025 — and a milestone moment for Philadelphia! This was the first year that #1Philadelphia and @AmplifyPhilly teamed up to bring the Philly House to Miami, and under our theme of creative collision, we showed the world exactly what happens when Philly’s tech, arts, and creative sectors move together with purpose.

From conversations about the future of tech and culture, to immersive creative showcases, to highlighting the major events already building momentum for 2026, the energy was unmistakable: Philadelphia is rising, and people are paying attention.

For so many attendees, this was their first time seeing the full scope of what’s happening in our city. And that’s why being present on global stages like Basel matters. Philly’s tech ecosystem is accelerating, but it takes intentional visibility to make sure the world knows. By showing up, telling our story, and celebrating the brilliance happening across our city, we made sure Philadelphia is firmly on the radar of investors, creators, founders, and partners who may not have looked our way before.

And the best part? This is just the beginning.

2026 is going to be a massive year for Philadelphia, and the excitement we generated at Art Basel is already opening new doors for the city.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported, shared their talent, helped bring the Philly House to life, and pushed this vision forward. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Halloran Philanthropies, @cityofphiladelphia, @artphilly2026 and Sanctum Foundation. Shout out to our partners who made this possible: @RECphilly and @theblackexcellence

📷: REC Philly

@cmthomasphl @bgadair @micheemichee520 @rashidzakat @davesilver__ @SylvesterMobley @plainsightvc @capitalize_vc @mandybynum @raheem_manningphl @djdiamondkuts

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Through bold conversations, cross-city collaborations, and a spotlight on Philadelphia’s thriving creative economy, Philly House @ #ArtBasel will bring together innovators from across the country to explore how art, culture, and technology are driving a new era of possibility.

Join us down in Miami on December 4th to hear some amazing speakers:
@cmthomasphl (Philadelphia City Councilmember)
@bgadair (@artphilly2026)
@micheemichee520 (@AmplifyPhilly)
@rashidzakat (Artist)
@davesilver__ (@RECphilly)
@SylvesterMobley (@plainsightvc)
Tessa Flippin (@capitalize_vc, Kauffman Fellow)

See you at the Philly House!
Register at the link in our bio.

Special thanks to our sponsors - Halloran Philanthropies, @cityofphiladelphia, ArtPhilly - and partners - REC Philly and @theblackexcellence.

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Thank you @grownmag for welcoming me to speak at the first-ever #FoundHERSummit ✨ It was such an honor to share what I’ve been building with FOCUS Magazine (@wearefocusmag), a passion project I’ve poured SOO much love into. Being recognized and given a platform alongside my talented peers is a beautiful reminder of how important it is to preserve stories that matter 💛 I loveddd meeting everyone in attendance and chatting all things media and print. Every time i hand someone a copy of a magazine it lights them up in a way an Instagram page and website simply can’t compare to! (But we still love socials :))

Grateful to @thekayanova and @grownmag ‘s entire team for the opportunity and for putting together such an amazing event where women can connect and support each other 💐

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