Unaffiliated Businesses

The University of Illinois Research Park hosts a CEO + Founders Roundtable open to CEOs/Founders of Champaign-Urbana scientific and tech companies. Currently, the chair is Chinmay Soman, CEO of EarthSense. Typically held 3-4 times per year, the C-U Tech CEO Roundtable provides a peer community and resource-sharing opportunities. Since 2005, the CEO Roundtable has provided a forum for local entrepreneurs and business leaders to engage in discussion and learn from each other. Participants range from early-stage startup founders to leaders of established companies. The event includes dinner, a guest speaker, and networking. The CEO Roundtable is an invitation-only event. If you would like to participate, please contact Laura Appenzeller at lfrerich@illinois.edu. Previous chairs of the CEO Roundtable are CU Aerospace’s David Carroll; Starfire’s Brian Jurczyk; and PhotoniCare’s Ryan Shelton.  

In addition to the resources provided by Research Park, Champaign-Urbana is home to a broader tech community that supports innovation and entrepreneurship. Champaign County organizations help support entrepreneurship through programs including the SBDC, Urbana-Champaign Angel Network, First Friday mentoring, and TechMix social events. Urbana-Champaign Angel Network (UCAN) The mission of the Urbana-Champaign Angel Network (UCAN) is to provide a forum for accredited investors to access and review selected investment opportunities in a confidential, efficient and effective manner. UCAN’s emphasis is to further economic development in the Champaign County area by matching capital providers with some of the best startup business opportunities. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) SBDCs provide assistance to new and existing small businesses. First Friday Business Review First Friday (formerly known as Second Saturday) is a group of local business people with a variety of backgrounds who get together the first Friday of each month to review business plans and give feedback to startup companies, primarily high-tech. For more information or to apply to pitch, contact First Friday organizer Don Elmore. The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation is a public-private partnership dedicated to fostering a cooperative, county-wide approach to economic development.  EDC is the force behind the You’re Welcome CU campaign that highlights the tech and innovations that are growing out of Champaign-Urbana. Learn More Learn more about the local tech community at yourewelcomecu.com. Explore our calendar for upcoming tech-focused events.

The Illinois University Incubator Network supports entrepreneurship by providing resources, technical assistance, and guidance to university incubators. The Network assists incubators and the entrepreneurial ecosystems associated with higher education in 10 Illinois counties. These counties represent distressed regions in need of economic development assistance. Led by the EnterpriseWorks incubator at the University of Illinois Research Park and supported by a grant from the Economic Development Administration, the IUIN provides direct resources  to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Institutions and other incubators south of I-80 may join the EDA University Center Small Business Assistance Program.

The University of Illinois EDA University Center specializes in providing support for incubation, entrepreneurship, and technology-based economic development projects in Illinois with a primary focus on serving downstate communities. The Center provides support and programming for existing incubator development, growth, and expansion of resources throughout Illinois with priority focus on expanding entrepreneurship capacity, programming, services, and resources for technology-driven businesses. Submit a Small Business Assistance Application. EDA Services Small Business Assistance for qualified entrepreneurs through the Shared Services program. This assists entrepreneurs with short-term projects related to marketing, business development, branding, and communications. Expertise from the University of Illinois Department of Urban Planning and EnterpriseWorks incubator to provide assistance to communities seeking to strengthen their entrepreneurial ecosystem and add resources for startup companies. Assistance can be in the form of site visits, sharing of best practices from other comparable communities, and feasibility planning for new programs. Types of Projects Company name search Defined market research and assessment Logo design and visual branding Pitch deck review Social media strategy review Website development Referral Partners An incubator Small Business Development Center (SBDC) International Trade Center (ITC) Illinois University Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) University of Illinois Extension Offices Previous Projects View recent projects completed through this program. [accordions id=’738′] This program is supported by federal grant funding from the United States Economic Development Administration. For more information, please contact us at research-park@illinois.edu or 217-333-8324.