Chicago

12690 members

USA

Welcome to Startup Grind Chicago – the city's longest-standing startup community and your gateway to the world’s largest startup network of over 125 countries and 600 cities! We host monthly events to connect, inspire, and educate the Chicago ecosystem.
We operate on 3 core values:
Give First
Make Friends
Help Others
KEY LINKS & RESOURCES: 
Click the 'Join' button down below to officially become a chapter member (FREE!) and get our newsletter where you'll never miss an event, perk, or announcement.
Take our quick survey so we can bring the right resources to you.
Meet the 2025/'26 Chicago Rising Startup of the Year, Collars! Cofounded by Cheri and Rocco Molfese, Collars is the tradesworker app bringing blue collar BACK. Watch their winning 1-minute pitch video from Startup Grind All-Stars 2025!
LOVE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

Grow Better. Scale Smarter.Startup Grind Chicago events and more are made possible by Hubspot for Startups!
Save up to 90% on Hubspot's leading AI-powered customer platform PLUS get access to Hubspot's CRM tool completely free!
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Thank you to System Seltzers and Big Star Cocktails for being official beverage partners of Startup Grind Chicago. System Seltzers is the world's first inclusive drinking system, offering hard seltzers at 0%, 5%, and 8% abv. Big Star Cocktails include Margaritas, Spicy Margaritas, and Palomas from your favorite Chicago taco joint, ready-to-drink straight from the can. Just pop the top and get the party started! 21+ only. Please drink responsibly

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Startup Grind Chicago is led by Rajiv 'RajNATION' Nathan and Sid Khaitan. RajNATION is the Founder of Startup Hypeman, a globally-recognized pitch firm. Sid is Sr. Product Marketer at Beekeeper, Content Artist at Startup Hypeman, and founder of Milan.
Connect with us on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivnathan/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidktan/

We can't wait to meet you!

🚀 Need help raising your next round? Join the Startup Exhibition at the SG Conference in Silicon Valley on April 27-29, 2026! Our top 100 exhibitors from past years have raised over $1.5B, and we can't wait to see what deals come from the 2026 batch. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your startup to 5,000+ entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. Apply now as a startup or scaleup for 2026!

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Upcoming events

2025年10月14日

In-Person Event

The Art & Craft of AI: A Hands-On Workshop

The Art & Craft of AI is a live learning experience to help you move from AI overwhelm to confident experimentation.

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2025年10月15日

In-Person Event (Free)

Free Community Coworking Day at Intercom

Cowork with Startup Grind Chicago from the sweet digs of Intercom office in bustling Fulton Market!

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2025年10月15日

Community [External]

Dinner-Com: Private Founder Dinner with Intercom!

An invite-only dinner for early-stage founders hosted by Intercom. No panels, no pitches — just great food, real conversations, and meaningful connections.

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2025年10月28日

Community [External]

Startup School: GenAI Media is your opportunity to build the next generation of

Startup School: GenAI Media starts on Tuesday, October 28th! This training series is more than just a course; it's a launchpad for your startup's future. Whether you're looking to enhance user experience, automate content creation, or develop entirely new AI-driven products, we’ll provide you with the tools and expertise to succeed.

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