"Notes from the Future" Book: Episode #5: Support from the City, Support from the Crowd

In our fifth episode of “Notes from the Future”, we jump ahead to December 2011, and take a look back at how Chicago’s key business stakeholders – the mayor’s office, chamber of commerce, leading corporations and small businesses, academic institutions and entrepreneurs all were drawn into the Networlding Innovation & Collaboration Center (NICC) ecosystem and staked out their positions. How the Tribune Company was so supportive of converting their museum space in their Michigan Avenue headquarters, and why the Chicago Innovation Awards organization became a strong booster. Join Peter Balbus and me as we discuss the key factors that motivated all of their interest and what each party brought to the party. How this collective consciousness and critical mass drove the implementation of the NICC business plan, and why each of these players served such a critical role in achieving our shared goals.