Come back to move forward.
We’re on a mission to find wildly curious tech professionals who started in Chicago and want to return to solve the biggest problems of today and tomorrow, while reaching their greatest potential in and out of the office.
Unstoppable growth.
Come join us and be part of a thriving tech scene.
378
Startups were founded over the last five years
6,151
Chicago tech companies
#1
Best Big City in the U.S. four years in a row
34%
Chicago has the highest percentage of women-owned startups anywhere in the world
Plug back into Chicago.
We've created a personal concierge service to help you navigate Chicago's tech scene and job opportunities. Share your email and LinkedIn to get started!
Plus, get the chance to win* the Welcome Back Pack below.
Experience Chicago.
Rediscover why Chicago’s the best big city in the nation. Your pick of three:
- Airbnb Food Tour
- Lollapalooza Tickets
- Membership in The Executives' Club of Chicago
- Eight Towers Adventure at
The Forge—the world’s largest aerial adventure park - Virtual Shark Feeding at the Shedd Aquarium
- Signed copy of Rising Together - the story of Chicago's innovation ecosystem
- Virtual Tour of the Museum of Contemporary Art
Expand your network.
Speak with up to three tech leaders at Chicago companies.
Get the chance to connect with leaders from 30+ established and emerging tech companies in Chicago. See full list of participating companies below.
*A minimum of ten respondents will be selected to receive the Welcome Back Pack. Some prizes apply for certain dates only in calendar year 2021 and may be contingent on COVID related restrictions or regulations. Additional details will be shared upon signup.
In good company.
These rising tech professionals have chosen to grow their careers in Chicago.
Find out what they appreciate about the local tech scene and what makes them excited in their leadership roles.
Steve Gall
Vice President of Engineering at M1 Finance
Roshni Joshi
Director of Customer Engineering (Cloud) at Google
Bharani Sankar
Lead Solutions Engineer at RheaplyChicago visionaries.
These influential tech founders and leaders started in Chicago—and stayed in Chicago.
Find out what made them choose their hometown as the place for pursuing their dreams and defining their purpose.
Building a zero-waste city.
Garry Cooper
Co-founder of Rheaply
Driving representation in marketing.
Horace Flournoy
Co-founder of SwayBrand
Breaking barriers with the largest software startup exit in Chicago History.
Chris Gladwin
CEO, Co-founder of Ocient
Innovating at the forefront of Fintech.
Al Goldstein
CEO and Co-founder of Amount and Avant
Championing inclusion in gaming.
Keisha Howard
Founder of Sugar Gamers
Fueling investment in Black tech.
Samir Mirza
Co-Founder and Executive Director of Fifth Star Funds
Making work work for women.
Suzanne Muchin
CEO, Co-founder of Bonfire
Expanding access to healthcare.
Mike Pykosz
CEO of Oak Street Health
Supporting Black and Latinx tech founders.
Desiree Vargas Wrigley
Founder of Pearachute and Executive Director of TechRise at P33
Tap into a growing ecosystem of tech innovators.
