Innovate Springfield

In this episode of Community Voices we share Innovate Springfield's podcast, "Founders, Failure and Fun." The episode features Paul Magelli, a seasoned entrepreneur and director of Illini Angels, a network of University of Illinois alumni investors. Conducted by Innovate Springfield's Director Ben Hage, the interview delves into Magelli's journey in founding multiple companies, his early interest in entrepreneurship sparked by fireworks, and the invaluable lessons he learned about customer relations in his startups. Magelli also shares stories about his most memorable ventures, including founding Apertio, and discusses the importance of maintaining connections with people from his past companies.

Innovate Springfield, the University of Illinois Springfield’s business incubator, hosts a speaker series, called Founders, Failure and Fun, which features lessons from entrepreneurs. In December, Brandon Yates spoke to a crowd at Innovate Springfield about his experience as the cofounder and CEO of DeepWalk, a company that uses scanning software to assist with ADA compliance of sidewalks. He shared the challenges of starting a business and how the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provided the ideal environment to start a company.

Mark Achler is a venture capitalist and the former senior vice president of Redbox. He is also a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and he's co-authored the book “Exit Right.” He recorded an interview with Innovate Springfield for the Founders, Failures and Fun podcast during which he spoke about his journey as an entrepreneur and lessons he’s learned along the way.

Paul Couston is the co-founder of Ascent Integrated Tech, which enhances firefighter safety by providing critical information about team location, health and environment during firefighting. He spoke with Director of Innovate Springfield Ben Hage for the series titled "Founders, Failures & Fun." He shared what it's like at a startup company, how to pitch to investors and how to meet customers' needs. For more about Innovate Springfield visit: https://www.uis.edu/innovation

Last November UIS Innovate Springfield and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln hosted a public event titled “The Next Technology Revolution,” which featured, Springfield native and Vice Chairman for equity private markets at Jefferies’ Global Technology Investment Banking Group, Cully Davis.Davis has nearly 30 years of investment banking experience and worked with numerous businesses known for being on the cutting edge of technology including, Google, Groupon, Lyft, Box, Kite Pharma, MicroStrategy, and SunPower to name a few. At this event, Davis shared lessons he’s learned in Silicon Valley and the elements needed to make Springfield the home of the next technology revolution.

Innovate Springfield will be part of the UIS Innovation Center.

State government has set aside $15 million for a new university building in downtown Springfield.University of Illinois Springfield officials are in the…

It was announced on Tuesday that Innovate Springfield, a business incubator and social innovator that started four years ago, is now partnered with the…