Mission
Chicago Innovation Mentors supports university-based and local new technology innovation ventures through the use of mentor teams. CIM works with each science-based mentee venture to:
  • Encourage innovation
  • Catalyze tech commercialization
  • Strengthen the ecosystem necessary to support entrepreneurs
  • Enhance local economic development
  • Create stronger entrepreneurs
  • Embrace risk taking
Results
Chicago Innovation Mentors (CIM) is setting the stage for long term growth in Chicago-based entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization.

To date in June 2013 CIM has accumulated 168 mentors and mentored 82 venture teams, 4 of which have graduated the program. We are currently working with 66 active venture teams.

"We helped our mentee to stay organized and prepare for an important meeting with a potential investor" - CIM Mentor

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Resources
We strive to be a valuable partner to both the campus and external community. CIM has compiled our favorite helpful links and tools on our Resources page in the following areas:
People
CIM Operating Staff

John Flavin
Executive Director
Martha Wade
Operations Manager

Board of Governors

Alan Thomas, University of Chicago
Nancy Sullivan, University of Illinois
Barbara Goodman, iBIO Institute/ PROPEL
Alicia Loffler, Northwestern University
Deborah Clayton, Argonne National Laboratory
Latest news
MAY
15
MI Publishes Technical Article on Software Programmable Lab on a Chip
The Microfluidic Innovations (a CIM company) team recently published a technical article on Software Programmable Lab on a Chip devices. The article describes the power of MI’s approach to assay design at microfluidic scale and how the flexibility of the AssayMark System can shorten assay design time, cost and effort.
Read full article
APR
23
Chicago working on biotech incubator
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to announce Tuesday a plan to create a collaborative work center for biotechnology startups in downtown Chicago that will open early next year. The center will be based loosely on 1871, the hub for digital startups at the Merchandise Mart that opened in May 2012. Read more



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About our program
JohnChicago Innovation Mentors (CIM) was launched in November 2010.

John Flavin serves as the Executive Director of Chicago Innovation Mentors, a multi-institution initiative that cultivates university-based, and local technology ventures.

CIM was co-founded by the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, and iBIO Institute/PROPEL, and supported by a grant from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium. CIM matches innovating faculty with teams of experienced entrepreneurs, executives and domain experts. Argonne National Laboratory and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago recently joined CIM in 2012.
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