ChickTech Chicago gets $15,000 to start a new entrepreneurship program where students created their own conceptual startup

Project Brief: In partnership with the Chicago Learning Exchange, ChickTech and 220 worked together to help aspiring entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. Participants used 220 Online Courses to develop their ideas, supplemented by workshops hosted at 1871- Chicago’s Technology & Entrepreneurship Center. Each participant created a minimum viable app design and presented their passion project at the culminating “pitch” event.

The ChickTech / 220 partnership empowered individual students to change the trajectory of their lives. Through the program intervention of self-discovery, leadership and social entrepreneurship, students will expand their perspective of what is possible for themselves, their community and the world whereas if the intervention did not occur, they might have settled for much less.

By empowering more individuals to optimize their potential and become positive, contributing citizens, students can transform their schools and organizations, and the community by solving some of its greatest challenges. 

“Thank you so much for leading such a great experience for the students! I agree that there was still a big impact on those that participated.” 

-Katie SanFillipo, ChickTech CEO 

“My passion project was to create a mobile app that is an outlet for those who want to volunteer, organizations who need volunteers, as well as planning out the volunteering itself.” Program Participant

“Hi Joseph, Thank you for having us, I loved the workshop. You guys do an amazing job and I really enjoyed it!” -Ana Parrott, ChickTech Mentor