EnglewoodBlue is training the workforce for these types of solutions with major industry employers!

Cisco partners with FANUC on product to fix robots before they break

Cisco unveils a slew of new IoT products in the manufacturing, oil and gas, electricity and transportation industries

October 7, 2015 | By Fred Donovan

If you use robots to manufacturer your products, you worry about one of them breaking down and halting production. That costs time and money for your company.
Well, IT behemoth Cisco has a product for that. Cisco has partnered with Japanese robot maker FANUC on its Zero Downtime product that knows manufacturing robots need to be fixed before they break down, known as proactive maintenance.
Andy Denny, vice president at FANUC America Robot Operations, told Cisco's Global Editors Conference this week, that FANUC and Cisco have been working with GM on a pilot product to test the "zero down time" product. "The problem is automotive plants are running at full capacity and they don't have the ability to schedule for downtime….With Zero Downtime, it gives us the ability to predict a failure a few weeks before it happens. Then they can service the product before they have downtime."

Using Cisco's cloud and big data analytics, the FANUC Zero Downtime product proactively detects and informs of potential equipment or process problems before unexpected downtime occurs, allowing the maintenance issue to be addressed in a planned outage window.
But Cisco's not done. It also announced IoT products for oil and gas, electricity and transportation industries, as well as a portfolio of IoT security system products at the conference.
For example, Cisco has teamed with Schneider Electric on an IoT product that monitors oil and gas pipelines for leaks.
In addition, Cisco unveiled a substation security product designed to provide security to the power grid and enable utilities to comply with North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection standards.
The IT company announced a converged network architecture product that is based on the company's IoT system, which enables transit systems to improve automation, collaboration, video, cloud-to-fog agility and business intelligence.
In addition, Cisco unveiled its IoT System Security portfolio that includes a new security appliance, the ISA-3000 for application visibility, policy enforcement and threat defense, and a Fog Data Services security solution.
The portfolio enables the IoT network to act as a sensor and enforcer to provide security policy enforcement within router and switches. It also provides solutions for IoT physical security with video surveillance cameras, physical access control, and video surveillance manager with advanced security analytics.
For more:
- check out Cisco's news release
- see the FANUC release
- view the press conference video
Related Articles:
SanDisk beefs up flash memory card portfolio to handle extreme IoT environments
Spotlight: Industry group formed to promote IoT use of unlicensed LTE spectrum
IoT will be key technology to optimize inventory management, says IDC

Alderman Willie Cochran Announces Strategic Digital Alliance With Microsoft and the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation

Alderman Willie Cochran Announces Strategic Digital Alliance With Microsoft and the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation

Alderman Willie Cochran Announces Strategic Digital Alliance With Microsoft and the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation

Unique City of Chicago Alliance Benefits Community Residents with Digital Proficiency Education, School-based Program Support and Capacity-Building for Small Businesses

(Chicago, IL.) – Chicago Alderman Willie Cochran today announced a wide-ranging strategic alliance with Microsoft Corp. that will bring increased technology access and computer-skills training to community residents, provide new resources for teachers and students and implement development initiatives aimed at helping small businesses in the Englewood, Woodlawn and Washington Park communities grow with technology.

As part of the City of Chicago’s first Microsoft Digital Alliance, the Greater Englewood CDC through their EnglewoodBlue.com Technology Education and Business Development Center will deliver digital literacy hands-on workshops and technology tools to help ensure that program participants can develop the digital skills required for many of today’s best career opportunities.

Additionally, Chicago Public Schools will work with Microsoft to provide Microsoft’s IT Academy curriculum content at the community level to support teachers with increased access to technology resources to bolster their ability to teach vital technological skills effectively.

"There has been a gap in our community regarding digital literacy for too long. We want to provide essential technical skills to prepare our workforce and we believe this relationship with Microsoft will assist us in that goal.” -Glen Fulton, Executive Director Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation.

“By combining the numerous digital and ed-tech assets of Microsoft with our unique state-of-the-art technology infrastructure we will deliver high impact programming to our community stakeholders. This relationship will empower more community residents, businesses and organizations to realize their full potential,” said Bruce Montgomery, Chief Technology Officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

“Digital skills are more important than ever to every facet of daily life — work, school or community involvement,” said Shelley Stern Grach, Director of Civic Engagement, Microsoft. “Microsoft is proud to be part of the Greater Englewood CDC’s and Englewood Blue’s work to grow new businesses, give young people the skills to pursue technology careers, and help everyone in the community be more productive and empowered in their daily lives.”

Economic Impact and Job Creation - The Digital Alliance will initially focus on two aspects of job creation within the Greater Englewood CDC service area: workforce development and capacity-building for Englewood-based small businesses. Greater Englewood CDC will identify candidates with gaps in digital literacy and close those gaps by exposing residents to digital basics through the Microsoft IT Academy Digital Proficiency Curriculum.

The EnglewoodBlue.com education team and Microsoft will also provide residents with education on Microsoft’s latest productivity software including Office 365, SharePoint and Azure Cloud Services. Upon completion of our technology workforce education programs, many participants will receive a certificates of technology proficiency that can be added to their résumés in pursuit of career opportunities.

Microsoft will also provide significant support and engagement as well as business-development resources to businesses connected to the EnglewoodBlue.com business accelerator. These community based firms will receive access to Microsoft product groups, technical training, sales-pipeline support and marketing strategy and material development services. Such investments, usually reserved for larger organizations, can significantly help minority business enterprises (MBE/WBE/DBE) to accelerate the growth of their businesses..

Education - For educators and students of the Greater Englewood, Washington Park and Woodlawn communities, the City of Chicago-Greater Englewood-Microsoft Digital Alliance will provide resources to bolster professional development for educators and broaden access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning opportunities throughout the community. Working with Chicago Public Schools, City College of Chicago and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, the relationship will have two core components at the start.

Microsoft Imagine - Teachers, Students and Parents will also gain exposure to the growing career opportunities in STEM fields as part of this Digital Alliance. Local students and families will attend community based technology exposure events such as Microsoft DigiGirlz and Minority Student Days where they will take on technology challenges through small-group work, interact with Microsoft executives and learn about technology-related careers to prepare them early of lifelong learning and success.

Youth Spark Hub - resources are designed to inspire youth about the full spectrum of computing skills, ranging from digital literacy to computer science engineering. In addition to providing access to the Microsoft Imagine tools, the YouthSpark Hub brings together opportunities to participate in activities such as YouthSpark Live and our own EnglewoodBlue.com Youth Business Development Incubator.

About The Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders.

EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

To learn more about the services offered as part of this unique alliance, please visit: www.greaterenglewoodcdc.org and www.englewoodblue.com.

Follow EnglewoodBlue on Facebook and Twitter!
www.facebook.com/EnglewoodBlue
www.twitter.com/EnglewoodBlue

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Glen Fulton
Executive Director Greater Englewood CDC
gfulton@greaterenglewoodcdc.org
+1-773-651-2400

Bruce Eric Montgomery
Chief Technology Officer
www.EnglewoodBlue.com
bruce@englewoodblue.com
+1-312-725-8601

IT-Ready No Cost Training at EnglewoodBlue Now Accepting Applications

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com - See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com - See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Creating IT Futures Foundation to Train Adults for Tech Jobs in Chicago

Sep 09, 2015

Applications for Tuition-Free Training Now Open

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Creating IT Futures Foundation is bringing its IT-Ready model of training and job placement to Chicago this fall to help unemployed and under-employed adults gain their first jobs in the information technology (IT) field, which has a shortage of qualified workers.

The accelerated tech training program is no cost to students (18 years of age or older) and earns them a foothold in an upwardly mobile IT career. Since the program was established in 2012, 90 percent of students graduating from IT-Ready classes managed by Creating IT Futures have earned their CompTIA A+ certification and more than 80 percent have landed paid IT jobs.

Partnering with the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (CDC) and their EnglewoodBlue Business and Technology Accelerator, Creating IT Futures will host an eight-week IT-Ready class at EnglewoodBlue for as many as 25 adult students starting on October 26. Applications will be accepted through October 12 at www.ITReady.com.

“Chicago’s tech communities continue to grow, and we need more people with quality tech skills to help our city’s entrepreneurs thrive,” said Glen Fulton, executive director, Greater Englewood CDC.

“We look forward to bringing the IT-Ready model to our EnglewoodBlue state-of-the-art IT education facilities and helping more workers join the developing tech industry,” said Bruce Montgomery, chief technology officer, Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue.

Chicago is the third pop-up location of IT-Ready for the Foundation, following success in Omaha, Neb., in 2014 and in Philadelphia this spring. Creating IT Futures uses the one-time, pop-up format to introduce communities to the IT-Ready model for potential long-term management by local, non-profit partners. Accelerated programs that meet IT-Ready standards currently are offered year-round in Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis / St. Paul; New York City; and the Washington, D.C., area by the IT-Ready Network of partners.

“Last June at the Clinton Global Initiative, we launched the IT-Ready Network with the goal of training 5,000 people for IT careers by 2018,” said Charles Eaton, CEO of Creating IT Futures Foundation. “Both the Foundation and our parent organization, CompTIA, are headquartered in the Chicago area, so it’s only natural that Chicago is the next city in our expansion. We are committed to helping hard-working individuals get the skills training and employer connections they need to find career success in the IT industry. We’re excited to partner with Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue in the expansion of the IT-Ready model.”

What Do IT-Ready Students Learn?

In the IT-Ready training model, students get hands-on labs taking apart and building desktop computers and other hardware; learn about motherboards, printers, peripheral devices, memory and physical storage, connections and mobile devices; set up computer networks and troubleshoot networks, displays, printers, and operating systems; configure operating systems and hardware; and secure networks, systems and data.

IT-Ready students also receive targeted professional development in key business “soft” skills such as professional communication and presentation, teamwork and collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving. IT-Ready graduates are grounded in these key skills and prepared to apply them on day one of their new jobs. After completing their eight weeks of initial training, the students sit for the CompTIA A+ certification exam which covers desktop and help-desk technical support duties and skills.

IT-Ready students receive:

• Free tuition, books and learning materials,
• More than 240 hours of classroom and hands-on tech and soft skills training,
• Certification vouchers toward the CompTIA A+ exam, and
• A mentor to guide the student during their classroom training and on-the-job work experience.

Beyond recruiting for participants for IT-Ready training, Creating IT Futures is looking for Chicago businesses to commit to considering the resumes of CompTIA A+ certified IT-Ready graduates and interviewing qualified candidates for entry-level IT positions. Dozens of participating IT-Ready employers in other cities include such recognized names as HealthPartners, JPMorgan Chase, Pomeroy, TEKsystems and Time Warner Cable. These companies have received the benefits of skilled workers and simultaneously helped their communities. Interested employers should contact Amy Spear at aspear@comptia.org.

Potential employers, mentors, students and community partners can learn more at www.ITReady.com.

About the Creating IT Futures Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of CompTIA, the Creating IT Futures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation/EnglewoodBlue.com
The Greater Englewood CDC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to “rebrand, rebuild and revitalize” the Greater Englewood Community by building on community assets and facilitating sustainable public/private collaborations with residents and key community development stakeholders. EnglewoodBlue.com is a small business accelerator and workforce development IT Training center. It is physically located and operated by the Greater Englewood CDC. Our mission is to offer start-up, early stage, small businesses resources and IT training to accelerate the development entrepreneurial ventures and advance their job creation efforts.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures Foundation
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org

Bruce Montgomery
Greater Englewood CDC/EnglewoodBlue
312-725-8601
bruce@englewoodblue.com

- See more at: http://www.creatingitfutures.org/about-us/news/pr/2015/09/09/creating-it-futures-foundation-to-train-adults-for-tech-jobs-in-chicago#sthash.v0mYLyZ0.dpuf

Why Chicago Is Shaping Up to Be One of the Hottest Tech Startup Scenes

For the second year in a row, Chicago trails only New York City as the No. 1 hub for fast-growing private companies on the Inc. 5000. Here's a quick look at why. 

IMAGE: Getty Images

There's a reason why more and more entrepreneurs are calling the Windy City home.
Currently, Chicago hosts as many as 104 private companies on the Inc. 5000 (last year, it counted 95), landing second place on the list of Top Cities for Fast-Growing Companies. New York City grabbed the No. 1 spot. Of those 104 businesses in Chicago, 38 fall under the IT services sector.
In a 2015 report from investment firm CBRE, Chicago ranked as the 5th largest and 11th fastest-growing tech market in the country. Over the past four years, the capital city has created more than 40,000 tech jobs. (CBRE's research team used 13 metrics to give each market a score, depending on its competitive advantage, ability to draw talent, and ability increase its pool of tech professionals.)
Indeed, technology is revamping an already-strong startup ecosystem, argues Howard Tullman, an Inc.com columnist and the CEO of 1871, a business incubator that currently works with 425 companies and 1,600 clients.

Office interior at 1871

The advent of 3D printing makes manufacturing less costly. At large, the manufacturing sector is being infused with many technological advancements, he says, noting that the maker movement in particular is good for business.
"In Chicago, you see a lot of marketplace businesses and software as services," adds Stuart Larkins, founder of Chicago Ventures. The two-year-old venture capital firm provides seed and early stage funding to 44 startups in the area. One of those includes SpotHero, a Chicago-based on-demand parking app, which just announced that it raised $22 million in a Series B funding round on Wednesday. 
"I personally think Chicago is very approachable," Larkins adds. "We find it very easy to get our companies introductions to new people for new business opportunities."
Still, the Windy City isn't trying to follow in the footsteps of its Western brother, Silicon Valley, as Pritzker Group founder J.B. Pritzker discussed with Tullman at Inc. and CNBC's iCONIC conference last May. "We aspire to be a great tech hub with great entrepreneurs," he said.
Here are three reasons for the Midwestern city's recent emergence as a major force for small businesses:

1. It's rich with industry diversity.

Chicago is famously home to large companies in diverse sectors. Industry giants like Boeing and United Airlines prove that transportation continues to thrive there, while health care and education services are also gaining traction. 1871 counts 100 companies in health care I.T., and 24 in education, the latter of which are bringing tech solutions to the classroom.
Infiniteach, for example, is an app that helps individuals with autism to better communicate and learn new skills. In March, the startup won the audience choice award at the Google-Autism Speaks pitch competition, including a cash prize of $10,000.
Another growing industry in Chicago is mobility, which includes parking and shared vehicle services like SpotHero. Essentially, the sector encapsulates "everything outside of a car," says Tullman. Major French car companies, along with executives from BMW, are now being drawn to the incubator's spacious digs. He predicts that bike-sharing will soon morph into electric car-sharing in the city proper, as the surplus economy continues to grow.
A wealth of big businesses provide new market opportunity for smaller ones: Startups are increasingly going the business-to-business (B2B) route, meaning they frequently work with other companies as opposed to going directly clients. "From the very beginning, they're focusing on how they can be bought," Tullman explains. "The frequency of exits is growing."
In fact, 2014 was the city's best tech year to date, according to Built In Chicago, an online community for startups. Overall, 155 companies received nearly $1.6 million in funding, while 34 exits raked in $7 billion. Still, Tullman doesn't expect to see many billion dollar exits any time soon, since successful founders are increasingly electing to launch secondary and tertiary ventures.
Industry diversity also means that it's easy for Chicago startups -- especially those B2B models -- to get in front of their customers, because larger companies want exposure to smaller ones.

2. It has a robust VC scene (though startups don't need much these days).

Chicago Ventures doesn't disclose its investments, but Larkins says he's seeing more Midwest startups receive minimal funding in the early stages, as opposed to raising big funding rounds.
A startup that launched in 2000 may have needed $10 million. Today, however, companies can get away with an investment as low as $500,000 and reach similar accomplishments, he says. Thanks to advancements in technology, tasks that would have been expensive a decade ago are much cheaper.
Increasingly, Chicago startups are turning to alternative financing models. Early stage funds, angel investors and crowd funding are now popular means of raising capital. "Traditional venture guys are migrating upstream to private equity, because these startups just don't need 5 or 10 million dollars," Tullman adds.
What's more, those larger venture funds can't afford to invest in small amounts, since they're trying to accrue their own capital.
Tullman encourages businesses at 1871 to focus more on creating a steady revenue stream instead of raising funding from a third party.

3. There's a bevy of tech talent.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduates hundreds of engineers and computer scientist each year, and ranks as having the sixth-best engineering program nationwide, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
The caveat, however, is the challenge of retaining the talents. Millennials are frequently lured away from Chicago by the promise of working in Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley. Many University of Illinois graduates move out of the state after graduation. The so-called "brain drain" is detrimental to the state's economy.
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel has been active in bringing in (and keeping) more tech talent. In 2012, he created the annual ThinkChicago: Lollapalooza competition. The event invites 125 elite tech and computer science students from universities nationwide to come and learn about the city's thriving business ecosystem and culture. In 2014, the Mayor launched the first-ever Chicago College Start Up competition, which gives 10 winning businesses free access to office space and mentorship.
The overall quality of life in Chicago may make up for its perceived sluggishness, at least compared to  New York City. A recent "Livability" report, published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (E.I.U.), finds that Chicago ranks No. 33 for its stability, which is also the second-highest of any U.S. city.
Larkins, for his part, nods to the overall "ho, hum" attitude taken by Midwesterners. Windy though Chicago may be, there's little bluster. "We believe in karma and doing favors," he says.
While the cost of living in Chicago is significantly lower than The Big Apple, it's not exactly cheap. In a 2013 study from personal finance website NerdWallet, Chicago was ranked the 31st most-expensive city in America, with the median home price hovering at $436,871. Weather, too, may be more than just an anecdotal issue. A recent snowstorm accounted for at least 13 deaths in the metro area this year.
Still, if the sheer number of Chicago exits are any indication -- and coupled with this year's enviable Inc. 5000 data -- the city might just be an ideal place to launch your next venture (or two, or three).

By Zoe Henry

Reporter, Inc.@ZoeLaHenry

Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation Work Together To Benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Annual Quotes for Education Program Raises Up to $200,000 in Scholarship Funds for Current and Future HBCU Students

August 03, 2015: 09:00 AM ET

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate will donate up to $200,000 to the Tom Joyner Foundation as part of the company's Quotes for Education (QFE) program to support current and future generations of students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Between August 1 and November 30, 2015, Allstate will donate $10 per quote for every person who receives an insurance quote from a participating Allstate agent and mentions "Quotes for Education," or quotes online at www.allstate.com/HBCU.

Funds raised through the program will be given to the Tom Joyner Foundation and earmarked for general scholarship funds to assist students attending HBCUs. Additionally, for the fourth year, HBCU supporters will have the chance to cast their vote on www.allstate.com/HBCU for the HBCU of their choice to receive an additional $50,000 in scholarship funding from Allstate.

"HBCUs need support and funding now more than ever," said Cheryl Harris, senior vice president at Allstate and alumna of Florida A&M University. "Our hope is that the HBCU community will join Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation in supporting this program that will create educational opportunities for the next generation of HBCU students."

According to a 2014 study by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, half of the HBCUs surveyed have a black student graduation rate of 34 percent or lower within six years. Through the QFE program, Allstate and the Tom Joyner Foundation are challenging HBCU advocates to invest in the future of HBCUs across the country by giving back, honoring the distinct missions and legacies of their alma maters.

"With more than 100 institutions across the country, HBCUs have a heritage and history worth investing in and protecting," says Tom Joyner, a Tuskegee University alumnus and chairman and founder of the Tom Joyner Foundation. "During these trying economic times, the annual scholarship gives hope and helps these students continue to strive for academic success. HBCUs are part of my DNA and I'm so glad to share the love, pride and passion that I have for the HBCU community and investing in future generations of HBCU graduates."

In addition to its QFE partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation, Allstate has been the title-sponsor of the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion for the past 11 years. Both of these programs are part of Allstate's year round commitment to programs that empower the African American community.

To participate in the QFE program, visit allstate.com/HBCU to find a nearby participating agent, receive a quote online and for official rules.

About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate,Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In the 20 years since Allstate became a fully independent public company, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners have donated more than $405 million to support local communities.

About The Tom Joyner Foundation
The Tom Joyner Foundation (http://tomjoynerfoundation.org) was founded in 1998 as the brainchild of nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner. The mission of the Foundation is to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with scholarships, endowments and capacity-building enhancements. The Foundation has provided necessary support to every HBCU in its 18-year history to help sustain and preserve the legacies of these valuable institutions. Through fundraising and donor development initiatives, $65 million has been raised to support more than 29,000 students attending HBCUs. Additionally, the Foundation has recommended internships, offered matching grant support, and career development to deserving students.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130404/MM88193-b

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/allstate-and-the-tom-joyner-foundation-work-together-to-benefit-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-300121998.html

SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company