Innovate Springfield

Falling Walls Lab

jdeck5 — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:07:59 +0000

Falling Walls Lab jdeck5 Tue, 07/29/2025 - 13:07

Which wall will your research break? Pitch your innovative idea in just three minutes, showcasing a breakthrough that positively impacts science and society. Presented by the Illinois Innovation Network.

Learn more or apply

When

Fri, Sep 12 2025, 10am - 2pm Google Outlook iCal

Location

Innovate Springfield, 1 Horace Mann Plaza, 3rd Floor, Springfield, Illinois

Event Type

Innovation Center

Department

Innovate Springfield

Founders Day

jdeck5 — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:04:33 +0000

Founders Day jdeck5 Tue, 07/15/2025 - 14:04

Registration Is Now Open

Join us Oct. 7 for UIS' Inaugural Founders Day

Let's celebrate Illinois innovation!

Oct. 7, 2025

UIS Founders Day kicks off 2025 Founders Week, celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation across Illinois. Enjoy networking, live demos, and insights on how government partnerships fuel venture capital and growth.

Until Founder's Day!

Agenda

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

Check back frequently as we update the agenda.

8-10 a.m. | Pastries, coffee, networking

9-11 a.m. | Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Guided Tour

11 a.m.– 2:30 p.m. | Company presentations

12:30-3:30 p.m. | Lunch and Mentor Madness

3:30-5 p.m. | Panel Discussion: Government's role in supporting angel investing and founders

5-7 p.m. | Dinner + Keynote

Join our mailing list

Stay in the loop with updates leading up to the event.

Our Partners

Sponsorships Available

Support impactful innovation work in central Illinois by becoming an event sponsor.

Learn more about Founders Week at Illinois

Founders Day

jdeck5 — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:49:23 +0000

Founders Day jdeck5 Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:49

Join us for UIS Founders Day, a kickoff collaboration with 2025 Founders Week at 69��app Champaign Urbana.

Join UIS Innovate Springfield for an exciting day of activities and experiences to kick off a week of celebrating entrepreneurial successes, showcasing the Illinois innovation ecosystem while building a legacy of innovation and growth.

Experience Springfield history, network with founders and investors, experience demos from healthcare organizations, and enjoy a keynote and panel discussion highlighting the need for collaboration with government to leverage venture capital in Illinois to realize our potential in underserved communities.

Registration is required: https://uisits.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_abHL2OqkmGOjhD8

When

Tue, Oct 7 2025, 8am - 7pm Google Outlook iCal

Location

UIS Innovate Springfield, Third Floor, 1 Horace Mann Plaza, Springfield, IL 62715

Event Type

Innovation Center

Department

Innovate Springfield

UIS Innovation Center leasing space at Horace Mann to grow programs that support economic development

bwood8 — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:09:27 +0000

UIS Innovation Center leasing space at Horace Mann to grow programs that support economic development bwood8 Wed, 07/02/2025 - 09:09

AI Hands-On Prompt Training

nelha2 — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 04:03:27 +0000

AI Hands-On Prompt Training nelha2 Wed, 01/29/2025 - 22:03

AI Prompt Design: Get the Most Out of Your AI

So it's been about 2 years since AI models took us by surprise, now what? How can business professionals facing mounting workloads and rising costs, use these AI models to create better solutions that go beyond basic automation?

Come find out at our next workshop. In this AI session we will introduce you to a strategic approach to creating reliable AI assistants that can handle specialized tasks across your organization. You can be looking to streamline your marketing activities, or design a newsletter, or maybe enhance aspects of your customer service, or optimize your content production. Daniel Reifenberger will teach you how to effectively "train" AI agents to perform these functions with consistency and accuracy. The result? A scalable, cost-effective way to expand your team's capabilities without expanding your payroll.

We're asking you to imagine having specialized assistants who can handle your:

Content calendar management
Market research reports
Customer response drafts
Data analysis & reporting
Social media planning
Competitive analysis

So, Join us in this practical, hands-on workshop

Running a department or agency? Bring your team.

Meet Daniel Reifenberger, our AI implementation strategist and workshop leader. With over 14 years of experience in direct marketing and e-commerce optimization, Daniel brings practical expertise in transforming business operations through strategic automation. As founder of Loyal Tribe, LLC, he has helped e-commerce companies achieve 10-30% revenue growth in just 90 days by implementing smart systems and processes. His unique background, which includes leading a 50-person team at Apple and developing strategic marketing campaigns for global brands, gives him firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into existing business workflows. Daniel combines his entrepreneurial mindset with hands-on technical experience to help professionals like you transform their operations through practical AI implementation.

When

Thu, Jun 19 2025, 4:30 - 6:30pm

Location

15 S.Old State Capitol Plaza, 2nd Floor

Event Type

Innovation Center

Workshop

Department

Innovate Springfield

Thrive Solo

nelha2 — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 03:54:09 +0000

Thrive Solo nelha2 Wed, 01/29/2025 - 21:54

Innovate Springfield brings you a unique opportunity for solo-entrepreneurs, freelancers and business operators in our area. Dr. Harry Elston, Ph.D., CIH, PMP is the founder of Midwest Chemical Safety. He will lead this two-hour work workshop.

With over 28 years of experience serving clients like Argonne National Labs and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Dr. Elston offers insights based on real-world business operations.

The workshop covers essential aspects of solo entrepreneurship:

Business structure optimization
Financial management fundamentals
Resource identification
Strategic evaluation methods
Contract negotiations
Risk management
Accounting and tax considerations

Dr. Elston combines his technical expertise as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society with proven business acumen in maintaining a sustainable consulting practice.

Registration is Free.

Dr. Elston owns Midwest Chemical Safety, a small business specializing in providing safety and occupational safety solutions to clients such as Argonne National Labs, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and Cooper Machinery Services. He has over 28 years of experience owning and operating a small consulting business.

Dr. Elston is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association with a doctorate in physical chemistry. His expertise spans chemical process safety, environmental compliance, risk management, and helping organizations implement comprehensive safety programs while ensuring regulatory compliance with OSHA, EPA, and DHS requirements.

Dr. Elston is a Navy veteran where he served as a nuclear engineering officer and a plankowner of the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

When

Tue, Mar 18 2025, 4:30 - 6:30pm

Location

15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, 2nd Floor

Event Type

Innovation Center

Workshop

Department

Innovate Springfield

Innovate Springfield to host February events featuring serial entrepreneur Paul Magelli

bwood8 — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:18:40 +0000

Innovate Springfield to host February events featuring serial entrepreneur Paul Magelli bwood8 Tue, 01/28/2025 - 16:18

Double Feature - Podcast & Workshop

lkurf2 — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 01:18:24 +0000

Double Feature - Podcast & Workshop lkurf2 Sat, 01/25/2025 - 19:18

Double Feature - Podcast & Workshop

Founders' Corner Live Podcast Recording

Date: February 13th
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM (Recording starts at 1:00 PM)
Location: Innovate Springfield, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza
Be part of the live audience
Hear Paul's unfiltered stories of entrepreneurial challenges and triumphs

RSVP for Podcast Recording

Evening Workshop: Entrepreneurship - Myth vs. Reality

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Innovate Springfield, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza
Transform your entrepreneurial mindset
Learn practical strategies from Paul's journey of building and selling multiple companies

RSVP for Evening Workshop

69��app Your Host

Paul Magelli is a visionary entrepreneur renowned for his leadership in the technology and healthcare sectors. With over two decades of experience, he has successfully founded and scaled multiple companies to substantial exits. His achievements include:

Founded and sold Apertio to Nokia Siemens Networks for more than $200M
Served on the board during BroadSoft's $1.9B acquisition by Cisco
Built Apervita to serve 60% of U.S. hospitals
Currently directs Illini Angels, backing the next generation of groundbreaking startups

When

Thu, Feb 13 2025, 12:30 - 7pm

Location

Innovate Blog and Innovate Attend

Event Type

Innovation Center

Department

Innovate Springfield

Exclusive Private Markets Investment Panel

lkurf2 — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 01:04:45 +0000

Exclusive Private Markets Investment Panel lkurf2 Sat, 01/25/2025 - 19:04

Exclusive Private Markets Investment Panel

Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Date: February 12th
Location: Innovate Springfield, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza, by invitation only
Panelists:Paul Magelli, Greg Turk, Larry Sweat
Join an intimate gathering of qualified investors and selected entrepreneurs
Gain strategic insights from Paul's experience with multiple successful exits
Network with fellow investors over cocktails and hors d'oeuvres

Already invited? RSVP Here.

Not invited, but interested in attending? Apply for Consideration.

When

Wed, Feb 12 2025, 4:30 - 6:30pm

Location

Innovate Blog and Innovate Attend

Event Type

Innovation Center

Department

Innovate Springfield

Inside Angel Investing - The Illini Angels Case Study

lkurf2 — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 22:37:04 +0000

Inside Angel Investing - The Illini Angels Case Study lkurf2 Sat, 01/25/2025 - 16:37

Inside Angel Investing - The Illini Angels Case Study

Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM.
Day: February 11th
Location: Innovate Springfield, 15 S. Old State Capitol Plaza.
Get an insider's look at how angel investors evaluate and select promising startups.
Learn from real investment cases that shaped the phenomenal first year of Illini Angels.
Perfect for both potential investors and entrepreneurs seeking funding [RSVP for Angel Investing Case Study]

Join serial entrepreneur and investor Paul Magelli for an exclusive series of events. As founder of multiple successful ventures and Director of Illini Angels at Illinois Ventures, Paul brings decades of experience scaling companies, securing investments, and achieving successful exits.

We are Illini supporting Illini.

As bold as you are.

When

Tue, Feb 11 2025, 3:30 - 4:30pm

Location

Innovate Blog and Innovate Attend

Event Type

Innovation Center

Department

Innovate Springfield

Innovate Springfield

Falling Walls Lab

Founders Day

Registration Is Now Open

Join us Oct. 7 for UIS' Inaugural Founders Day

Let's celebrate Illinois innovation!

Oct. 7, 2025

Agenda

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

Join our mailing list

Our Partners

Sponsorships Available

Support impactful innovation work in central Illinois by becoming an event sponsor.

Founders Day

UIS Innovation Center leasing space at Horace Mann to grow programs that support economic development

AI Hands-On Prompt Training

Thrive Solo

Innovate Springfield to host February events featuring serial entrepreneur Paul Magelli

Double Feature - Podcast & Workshop

Double Feature - Podcast & Workshop

Founders' Corner Live Podcast Recording

Evening Workshop: Entrepreneurship - Myth vs. Reality

69����app Your Host

Exclusive Private Markets Investment Panel

Exclusive Private Markets Investment Panel

Inside Angel Investing - The Illini Angels Case Study

Inside Angel Investing - The Illini Angels Case Study

69��app Your Host