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Economy & Business / Community Voices

From Central Illinois to venture capital: Anna Palmer speaks in fireside chat about innovation, startups and what’s trending in tech

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Vanessa Ferguson

Published May 29, 2025 at 10:45 AM CDT

Anna Palmer is a venture capitalist, serial entrepreneur and Central Illinois native. At the 2025 New Venture Challenge hosted by Innovate Springfield at the University of Illinois Springfield, Anna shared insights from her journey building and investing in startups, her perspective on what’s hot in tech, and the challenges she faced as a co-founder of Boston Legacy FC. The conversated was moderated by Bruce Sommer.

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Economy & Business Innovate Springfield

Vanessa Ferguson

Vanessa was the Community Voices Production Coordinator at NPR Illinois from 2021-2025. She continues her passion for broadcasting as a co-host of the Beyond the Mouse podcast for the Front Row Network.

See stories by Vanessa Ferguson