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Partners

All in all, this event marks Chicago's coming of age. Never before has our city managed to bring in such high profile names as it is right now...Yes our winters are cold, but our technology is hot...

-The Next Web

Featured Speakers

  • Jason Fried

    Founder & CEO, 37Signals

    Jason is the Co-Founder and CEO of 37signals, a privately-held Chicago-based company committed to building the best web-based tools possible with the least number of features necessary. Jason co-wrote all of 37signals books, including their latest "Rework.", and is invited to speak on entrepreneurship, design, management, and software all around the globe.

  • Leah Busque

    Founder, Task Rabbit

    A true visionary, Leah Busque is the founder of TaskRabbit.com, the pioneer in service networking. Now an industry-wide concept, service networking describes the productive power of a web-based, social-networked community. Since its founding in 2008, Leah has grown the company to more than 45 employees and has expanded the service to 7+ cities in the US.

  • MATT MICKIEWICZ

    Co-Founder, 99designs

    Matt has been recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 and Inc Magazine 30 under 30 lists, for successfully building 3 multi-million dollar businesses. Matt is the co-founder of SitePoint, the #1 online destination for Developers & Designers, 99designs – which has disrupted the graphic design industry, and Flippa, a marketplace that transactions millions of dollars worth of websites every month.

  • Travis Kalanick

    Co-Founder and CEO, Uber

    Travis Kalanick is a successful entrepreneur in the areas of consumer internet, transportation, and enterprise content delivery. His most recent company, Uber, an on-demand black car service, seeks to be "Everyone's Private Driver" by bringing disruptive technology and business innovation to urban transportation challenges.

  • Matt Barrie

    CEO, Freelancer.com

    Matt is an award winning entrepreneur, technologist and lecturer. He is Chief Executive of Freelancer.com, the world's largest outsourcing marketplace connecting over 2.5 million professionals from around the globe. Freelancer.com primarily connects small businesses and individuals from the western world with freelancers in the developing world, empowering entrepreneurs on both sides of the globe.

  • Gurbaksh Chahal

    CEO, RadiumOne

    At 28, Gurbaksh Chahal is already leading his third start-up, RadiumOne. Like the two companies that preceded it, RadiumOne is pioneering new ways for Web users to be connected with the brands, ideas and products that interest them. Through its proprietary and patent-pending "Social Retargeting" technology, RadiumOne allows companies to take advantage of the ever-increasing amount of "social" data on the Internet to zero in on the consumers most likely to be receptive to their messages.

  • Ben Milne

    CEO, Founder, Dwolla

    Ben Milne is a mobile payments outsider and founder of Dwolla, a new payment network based in the heart of the Silicon Prairie. The company continues to disrupt Visa and Mastercard by building useful and innovative online and mobile products on top of its open and low-cost payment network.Ben is a repeat entrepreneur, having created and sold another multi-million dollar startup with oversea operations back in 2008.

  • Stephan Hoover

    CEO, PARC

    Stephen is CEO of PARC, a Xerox company, which is in the business of breakthrough innovation. He oversees PARC's work – for Fortune Global 500 and medium-sized companies, government agencies/ partners, and startups – in diverse areas ranging from networking and novel electronics, to ethnography services, cleantech, and intelligent mobile computing.

See More Speakers →

Register for Techweek 2012 and get an early bird discount (until May 25). Group discounts are also available for those who qualify

The 5 Days of Techweek

  • FRIDAY: THINK: INNOVATIONS & SOLUTIONS.
  • The first day of Techweek kicks off celebrating the renaissance of technology and entrepreneurship in Chicago.
  • Keynotes from the world's top technology and business visionaries.
  • Hear about technology solutions that are changing the way we live our lives and run our businesses.
  • Participate in discussions about the technologies that drive innovations in education, economic development, public health, civic engagement, and the environment.
  • SATURDAY: LEARN: TECHNOLOGY SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT.
  • Programming includes sessions on technology development with introductory-level workshops.
  • Eye-opening presentations about the latest on programming languages and design practices.
  • Learn tips and insights from expert instructors.
  • This day will feature the Techweek Hiring Fair, Rip Cord recruiting events and corporate alumni meetups.
  • Test your skills in coding and design. Discover a new interest or passion.
  • This day also features sessions on video gaming technologies.
  • SUNDAY: LEARN: NEW BUSINESS METHODOLOGIES.
  • Sharpen business and entrepreneurial skills on the third day of Techweek through presentations and workshops on Lean Startup methodologies, social media strategies and best of practices.
  • Jason Fried, founder of 37Signals, will provide a keynote for the day.
  • The Techweek startup competition, Startup Madness, begins at 1871, a new co-working space located in the Merchandise Mart.
  • MONDAY: START: ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVORS & SCALABLE STARTUPS.
  • The fourth day of Techweek promotes the launching and shipping of startups and businesses.
  • Captivating speakers will share their stories of hardship and success.
  • Listen to presentations by startup entrepreneurs including a keynote by Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber.
  • The day also features the final four teams from Startup Madness competing on the Techweek stage in front of a panel of esteemed Angel investors, VC's and startup founders.
  • TUESDAY: GROW: LATER STAGE & EXITS.
  • Focusing on the importance of technology in the economy, the last day of Techweek presents discussions on late-stage private companies.
  • Hear the stories of extraordinary ventures that have gone from bootstrapped to $50 million in revenue.
  • Find out about the biggest investment trends in the industry. Celebrate business and technology with top CEO's and investors.