THE BOOK
These 25 up-and-comers are making a mark in Chicago-area technology. A number are entrepreneurs starting companies using technology to offer innovative products and services. Some startups are finding niches in businessto-business software, whether for targeted industries such as law, insurance and construction or for broader application such as cybersecurity and online payments. Many of the rising stars have specialties in software development, IT operations, cloud migration and data analytics needed to grow young
85
companies but also to help larger and more established enterprises make better use of technology. During the pandemic, their skills are in more demand than ever. They’ve helped firms transition their teams to remote work. And many are leading digital businesses that are surging, from e-commerce shipping to restaurant delivery. These stars are contributing to Chicago’s profile as an emerging technology center. By Judith Crown
METHODOLOGY: The rising stars featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials submitted. This list is not comprehensive. It includes only technical managers and executives for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after an editorial review. These honorees have less than 15 years in the profession and have demonstrated an impact at their company or in their field, with their work advancing Chicago as a tech hub. We asked for letters of recommendation, and excerpts are quoted in the profiles below.
CHRIS DEVITT
Director Altman Solon
Chris Devitt supports business development initiatives at the growing consultancy specializing in telecommunications, media and technology. His expertise is in wireless and network infrastructure, cloud computing, security and IT services. He’s a member of Altman Solon’s management committee. In the past 18 months, Devitt led strategic planning and due diligence on acquisitions for technology investors. Devitt previously was principal at Altman Vilandrie, a boutique consultancy that merged with Germany’s Solon Management Consulting this year. Earlier, he was a manager in Accenture’s wireless technology consulting practice. Devitt spent a few years in the San Francisco Bay Area and “brought his knowledge and skills back to his roots in the Midwest, where he has a foundation of business and academic relationships to build upon,” says company partner Patrick Marshall.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 85
RUBEN FLORESMARTINEZ
Founder and CEO Cashdrop
The Cashdrop app developed by entrepreneur Ruben Flores-Martinez enables small-business owners to quickly create an online store from their phone. The startup this summer raised $2.7 million seed funding led by Harlem Capital in New York. The company has more than 200 customers. In recent months, Flores-Martinez added features enabling merchants to accept payments in a variety of ways and bypass digital marketplaces that take commissions. Flores-Martinez immigrated from Mexico when he was 13 and taught himself to code through YouTube tutorials. He later became a U.S. citizen. Cashdrop has “proved to be a platform that empowers restaurants and other merchants to adapt quickly to a new way of doing business during the global public health crisis,” says Harlem Capital Managing Partner Jarrid Tingle.
BEN FORGAN
Co-founder and CEO Hologram
Entrepreneur Ben Forgan founded Hologram, a cellular platform for internet of things devices such as scooters, robots and farm sensors. The Hologram network covers 550 carriers in 220 countries, with connections through SIM cards. Hologram SIM cards automatically switch to the strongest network, which means devices won’t go offline. The platform is seeing a 150 percent increase in device usage over the past year, due in part to the increased demand for lightweight micromobility vehicles like scooters that have been used by contact tracers. “Ben has navigated his team through the COVID waters, and they are as strong as ever,” says board member Nick Solaro, general partner at Drive Capital. Hologram recently launched a product for managing fleets, which enables teams to work together in real time.
12/1/20 4:38 PM
86
CRAIN’S 2021
DANNY GARDNER
Founder and CEO Mesh++
Three-year-old Mesh++ makes solar-powered mesh nodes that provide Wi-Fi to outdoor spaces from local festivals and parks to remote locations in the developing world. Founder Danny Gardner started the venture as his senior project in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, where he explored whether a solar device could provide internet access to areas with unstable power grids. The company won a contract to provide internet access to 2 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the next two years. In response to COVID-19, Mesh++ began working with mayors in Chicago, Champaign, Miami, New Orleans and Columbia, S.C., to establish e-learning networks for children in underserved areas. Mesh++ has raised $3.1 million in venture capital and National Science Foundation grants.
ADAM HIRSEN
CEO UPshow
Co-founder Adam Hirsen leads the young company that supplies technology along with media and entertainment options for TV screens at brick-and-mortar locations. Founded in 2015, UPshow’s technology connects screens and mobile devices and is used in the hospitality, entertainment, fitness and health care industries. The technology reaches audiences at more than 10,000 locations through 25,000 screens. Clients include Buffalo Wild Wings and BetMGM. UPshow in the third quarter raised $14 million in Series A funding led by 4490 Ventures. Hirsen this year began providing customers with streaming access to movies, shows and events previously only available through pay-per-view or limited-access platforms. Before founding UPshow, Hirsen and partner Matt Gibbs founded a video and photo engagement platform for user-generated content that they sold in 2015.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 86
IRINA GAVRILOVA
Digital implementation manager Surgical Solutions
At Surgical Solutions, Irina Gavrilova oversees user onboarding and implementation of the company’s surgical cost management platform, a custom digital tool used to streamline billing and operations across 39 client hospitals. The Deerfield company backs up operating rooms with technical teams and surgical equipment as well as maintenance and repair. Originally from Russia, Gavrilova was program officer at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She joined Surgical Solutions last year. Gavrilova’s background in theater “prepared her for the interdisciplinary nature of technology product manager: putting the user, or audience-member, first and empathizing with that person,” says CEO Alyssa Rapp. Gavrilova is chair of the associates board for nonprofit One Million Degrees and serves as an associate member on the education committee at Steppenwolf Theatre.
EMMA JELLEY
Software engineering manager Jellyvision
Software Engineering Manager Emma Jelley has been building and launching two product lines at Jellyvision, which markets a benefits and savings guidance platform that helps clients’ employees make smart choices on their pay, benefits and savings. One product is a bot that will instantaneously answer basic employee benefits questions anytime on any device. It’s estimated to reduce the amount of repetitive questions HR teams receive by 70 to 80 percent and eliminate 24- to 48-hour wait times for employees. Jelley co-led the firm’s tech equity and inclusion group that created a formal mentorship program with the aim of giving members of the technology department more opportunities. Jelley “drove huge improvements to the monitoring and alerting systems and processes used to detect production problems,” says her manager, Joshua Horvath.
ETHAN GILLANI
Chief technology officer Micro-Tech USA
As chief technology officer, Ethan Gillani pivoted Micro-Tech’s core business from managed IT support to managed cybersecurity. That shift increased revenue by 20 percent, opened the company to an untapped market and secured an additional 3,000 business users. With a certification that became the basis of the firm’s cybersecurity practice, Micro-Tech has been able to help client businesses and nonprofits implement more secure practices, preventing data loss, ransomware attacks and security breaches. During the pandemic, Gillani led Micro-Tech’s conversion to remote work, which minimized employee travel time and reduced costs, with gains in morale, performance and productivity. The savings have been used to improve employee benefits. Micro-Tech also has helped its clients in shifting their employees to remote work. Gillani extended the company’s support hours until midnight.
TONY LE
Senior producer and creative technical director The Alliance Labs
Experience designer and software developer Tony Le is lead architect and mentor at the Alliance Labs, which provides digital marketing support for advertising, marketing and communications professionals. The company creates WordPress websites, microsites, splash/landing pages and custom HTML emails. Alliance bills itself as a teaching agency that employs and develops emerging technical and creative talent. Le guides a team with different experiences and expertise and adjusts his teaching style to train staff members based on their knowledge and learning styles. Le has started his own ventures specializing in games and websites. One of his ventures designs and develops WordPress plugins. At Alliance, “Tony’s extraordinary help has created employment opportunities for dozens of young adults wishing to work in creative tech,” says founder Jon Schickedanz.
12/1/20 4:38 PM
THE BOOK
ERIC MENDEZ
Associate director of IT finance Kraft Heinz
At Kraft Heinz, Eric Mendez is helping to transform IT finance and reshape the way finance is approached at the food giant. Mendez’s team uses data analytics to evaluate performance, reach goals and enhance efficiency. In the past 18 months, Mendez has begun to implement capability for analyzing SKU-level profitability. And he’s changed the way the company analyzes operating expenses across global financial categories. Mendez joined Kraft Heinz in 2018 from Deloitte. He teamed with a Chicago digital agency to develop a free iPhone app, StickText, which enables users to customize messages with different fonts and colors. “This partnership furthers the city’s presence in innovative app development solutions,” says Joe McNamara, head of IT finance, M&A and master data at the company.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 87
DANIEL MULLER
Founder and CEO AeroPay
Entrepreneur Daniel Muller founded AeroPay, a fintech platform for bank-to-bank digital payments that claims to lower costs, speed settlements and enhance security. In the past 18 months, the company expanded to include online and e-commerce payment capabilities. The company’s platform became compliant for transactions in the cannabis market, one of its target markets. Muller oversees the strategic vision for AeroPay, handles fundraising and works on building partnerships. Before starting the company in 2017, Muller was vice president of product and engineering at GPShopper, a mobile commerce platform and app developer for retailers that was acquired that year. Muller and his team have the “humility to listen and maturity to put aside emotions around tough decisions, instead relying on thoughtful research and data,” says investor and board member John Dicola.
87
KEVIN NOONE
Senior manager, data engineering Kraft Heinz
Kevin Noone leads data architecture for the Kraft Heinz cloud platform, as well as running the data operations process and data engineering. Noone helped bring technical capabilities in-house. He launched a top-notch process for DataOps, the discipline of collecting and delivering data efficiently. The company has more than 120 engineers in the U.S. and overseas developing and releasing code that covers data assets from all Kraft Heinz functions and geographies. Noone champions leading cloud technologies from major players such as Microsoft Azure and Snowflake (a cloud-based data-warehousing company) in combination with open-source software such as the data build tool to achieve holistic solutions. Noone joined Kraft Heinz in 2018 from Clarity Insights, where he was a principal. Earlier, he was a consultant at Infosys.
12/1/20 4:38 PM
88
CRAIN’S 2021
ALBERTO PERALTA
BADRI RAJAGOPALAN
Principal engineer, CTO office NuCurrent
Senior vice president, engineering Jellyvision
Engineer Alberto Peralta is the lead inventor at NuCurrent, a young company at the forefront of wireless power technology. The company last year ranked No. 1 on Crain’s list of the most innovative companies for the highest overall quality of patents issued. Peralta holds more than 75 international patents, pioneering new types of wireless power technology that enable simultaneous multidevice charging, ultrasmall wireless power systems and other types of transmission. He has given guest lectures on wireless power and works with industry standards organizations shoulder to shoulder with senior engineers and technologists twice his age. “Alberto is changing the way that people interact with electronic devices around the world and across industries,” says company founder and CEO Jacob Babcock. Peralta also is an accomplished pianist and competitive equestrian.
Badri Rajagopalan oversees the technology product development teams at Jellyvision, which markets a benefits and savings guidance platform that helps clients’ employees make smart choices on their pay, benefits and savings. At the start of the pandemic, Rajagopalan enabled the company’s technology teams to function remotely. He’s enabled Jellyvision to deliver on new chat and Health Savings Account products. He also rolled out metrics reporting and dashboards to enable managers and engineers to track products’ availability and status. With Jellyvision’s system complexity growing, Rajagopalan led the engineering teams to improve efficiency during benefits open enrollment, the company’s busiest time of year. Improvements helped Jellyvision hit its service-level agreement targets. Rajagopalan works with students in after-school computer programming classes, encouraging them to explore careers in technology.
ROBERT SALVADOR
CEO DigiBuild
Entrepreneur Robert Salvador launched startup DigiBuild, construction management software that uses IBM blockchain technology. Blockchain decentralizes and distributes information, making it harder to take down or corrupt a network. DigiBuild says blockchain promises increased efficiency and lower risk across construction processes such as supply chain, payments and productivity. The company counts three construction companies as customers, and 15 other firms have signed up for beta tests. Salvador also is founder and president of a construction firm specializing in hotel and apartment projects and also owns a consultancy. Barbara Res, a former executive vice president with the Trump Organization who has been publicly critical of the president, signed on as vice president. “DigiBuild’s blockchain solution is going to change the construction industry for the better,” she says.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 88
DHRUV SAXENA
CEO ShipBob
Dhruv Saxena and partner Divey Gulati launched the fulfillment company that handles inventory and shipping for e-commerce businesses. In October, ShipBob landed the No. 1 spot on Crain’s Fast 50 list of the fastest-growing companies, with five-year growth of 83,384 percent, 2019 revenue of $57.1 million and 650 employees. The startup has raised $130.5 million, including a recent round of $68 million led by Japan’s SoftBank. Before starting ShipBob, Saxena worked as a software developer and noticed long lines of e-commerce merchants at the post office waiting to ship packages. He convinced them his company could store and ship their goods and be competitive with Amazon on fast shipping. Since its launch in 2014, the company has grown to serve 3,600 businesses from 10 fulfillment centers.
CARMEN SAENZ
Senior DevOps engineer Peak6 Investments
At the financial technology and investment firm, Carmen Saenz works with on-premise and cloud infrastructure. Her expertise lies in building infrastructure-as-code and managing CI/CD pipelines that automate the software delivery process. In her current role, Saenz created a large-scale, multitiered cloud infrastructure that is scalable. “Carmen is breaking new ground with cloud architecture,” says Chief Technology Officer Brad Boven. “The programs we’re building have never run in a cloud-based environment, and her work is instrumental to that effort.” Before joining Peak6 in 2018, Saenz was a senior DevOps engineer at Jellyvision. She is active in the Chicago tech groups Technolochicas and Latinas in Computing. And she’s served as a panelist for events hosted by Techqueria, a nonprofit that supports Latinx professionals advancing in technology.
ALEX SHA
Co-founder and chief technology officer Bridge Legal
Alex Sha leads technology at Bridge Legal, a startup that created a marketing, intake and payments platform for law firms. The software enables firms to track prospects, take notes, automate emails, send text messages and take payments. Sha helped build the product and oversees its direction. He also manages the engineering and product teams and recruits team members. He joined Bridge Legal in 2018 from UpRight Law, where he was director, product and engineering. Bridge Legal founder and CEO Ed Scanlan says Sha is developing tools that help law firms and their clients work together more easily and will increase consumer access to affordable legal services, providing “a level of ease comparable to the customer experiences of global leaders such as Amazon or Zoom.”
12/1/20 4:38 PM
THE BOOK
YELENA SHKOLNIK
Partner Jump Capital
ADAM SHOGER
Executive vice president, strategy and innovation Guaranteed Rate
At the venture-capital firm, Yelena Shkolnik leads investment in digital media, e-commerce and supply chain sectors and has participated in more than a dozen investments in these fields, including TVision and UPshow. Shkolnik led Jump Capital’s investment in streaming platform Tubi, which was acquired by Fox this year for $440 million. Recently, she has focused on growing areas including sports betting and out-ofhome advertising (transit, street furniture and billboards) and the future of shopping. Shkolnik joined Jump in 2015 after working at MK Capital and DreamWorks. She began her career as an investment banker with UBS, specializing in technology and media. “In her five years at Jump, Yelena has grown adept at recognizing and understanding evolving media consumption habits among consumers,” says Sach Chitnis, co-founder and general partner of Jump.
At the retail mortgage giant, Adam Shoger focuses on strategic direction, product innovation and data science implementation. With low interest rates sparking mortgage demand this year, Shoger and his team released more than 10 platforms and services that automate and streamline a range of complex processes, saving money and time while enhancing customer service. By utilizing tools such as machine learning and data pipelining, Shoger’s team developed products that reduce loan turn times, remove human interaction from specific production steps and double processing efficiency in key departments. He’s been impressive in “helping the company develop and deploy our products in an effective and efficient way to improve the lending experience for our clients and business partners,” says Executive Vice President Lizzie Garner. Shoger joined Guaranteed Rate in 2015.
LUKE TANEN
UMA VANDEGRIFT
Executive director Chicago Innovation
Led by Luke Tanen, Chicago Innovation celebrates innovative products and services through the Chicago Innovation Awards. Because of the pandemic, the flagship awards event this year was a livestreamed show, and Tanen convinced event sponsors to renew or increase their funding for 2021. Overall participation in the nonprofit’s events grew to an estimated 10,000 this year from 7,300 in 2019. Tanen joined Chicago Innovation in 2010 when it was a part-time operation with a single event. He’s added year-round programming such as curriculum for elementary school students. Through the awards, Tanen “shines a bright light on the accomplishments and the steady growth of not only the tech sector but the entire ecosystem that emerged to support it,” says Thomas D. Kuczmarski, co-founder of the Innovation Awards.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 89
Principal, technology transformation Maven Wave Partners
Uma Vandegrift leads the technology delivery transformation practice at consultancy Maven Wave, which specializes in cloud integration at large companies. Vandegrift leads teams working on digital migration projects and also identifies new business opportunities. She has developed and led an internal training program to teach agile and project management skills to the firm’s consultants. Vandegrift also is active in the firm’s women’s resource group. She is an effective mentor, aiding the development of five high-performing junior employees, says Nicholas Polachek, senior principal and managing consulting practice lead. “She is also active in the broader Chicago tech ecosystem, working with startups and attending community networking events.” Vandegrift joined Maven Wave last year from her own retail-focused technology startup. Earlier, she was a senior consultant at Capgemini.
89
MATTHEW SUTIKA
Chief insurance officer Obie
Matthew Sutika manages the insurance side of the business at Obie, a startup insurance and risk-management platform for real estate investors. Sutika supports the sales team through the customer acquisition and closing process and works with the product and software engineering teams to continue to develop solutions to bring a fast, transparent and consultative approach to acquiring insurance. Sutika joined Obie this year, merging his own insurance brokerage into the young company. Earlier, he was a top-producing State Farm agent. “Matt not only has deep expertise in this industry, but has also recognized the advantages of bringing technology to the space early on,” says Obie co-founder Aaron Letzeiser. “He has seen firsthand what technology can do to move this industry forward, and we’re lucky to have him.”
LINXIN WEN
Co-founder and CEO Chowbus
As a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Linxin found food delivery apps didn’t offer the Chinese dishes he craved. So he started delivery service Chowbus, specializing in Asian fare. During the time he was delivering food door to door, he met software engineer Suyu Zhang, who helped build a platform to get the business off the ground. Since its 2016 start, Chowbus has expanded to 27 markets and raised $68 million, most of it in the past six months. Not surprisingly, business has exploded during the pandemic. “It would be fair to say that Linxin and his company have been a major asset in the survival of Chinese restaurants during the pandemic,” says John F.O. Bilson, dean of the Illinois Tech Stuart School of Business.
12/1/20 4:38 PM
90
CRAIN’S 2021
SUYU ZHANG
Co-founder and CTO Chowbus
Mobile developer Suyu Zhang teamed with Linxin Wen to grow the delivery service that specializes in Asian restaurants. Zhang built the platform connecting consumers with Asian restaurants and grocery stores. The app also provides local restaurants and stores with technology and marketing tools. Before joining Chowbus, Zhang launched a photo-sharing app and a ride-matching platform. Since its 2016 start, Chowbus has expanded to 27 markets and raised $68 million, most of it in the past six months. Not surprisingly, business has exploded during the pandemic. Co-founder Wen says Zhang’s platform delivers simplicity and convenience to users and customization capabilities to restaurants. “Despite the obvious financial risks, Suyu did not hesitate to leave a successful career to help me build Chowbus,” Wen says.
HIGH-TECH SOFTWARE/SERVICES JOB GROWTH, 2018 AND 2019 Vancouver, B.C. San Francisco Austin, Texas Seattle New York Toronto Dallas-Fort Worth San Diego Los Angeles Denver Baltimore Atlanta Nashville, Tenn. Boston Salt Lake City St. Louis Indianapolis Orange County, Calif. Portland, Ore. Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Washington, D.C. Silicon Valley Pittsburgh Phoenix Chicago
29.2% 26.9% 22.9% 21.9% 18.4% 17.1% 16.4% 15.4% 14.5% 13.5% 11.6% 11.4% 11.2% 10.2% 10.0% 9.7% 9.2% 7.7% 7.7% 7.1% 5.8% 5.2% 4.7% 4.6% 4.1%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statistica Canada
WHERE BIG IDEAS SPARK.
P085-P090_CCB_20201214.indd 90
12/1/20 4:38 PM