Join us for the first ever Startup Grind All-Stars! A battle of 1-minute pitches as part of an international pitch tournament across 70+ Startup Grind chapters.
In the Chicago battle, startups personally trained on 1-minute pitch delivery by Chicago Chapter Director & Startup Hypeman Founder RajNATION will take the stage in front of community members and investors. The winner earns the title of Chicago's Rising Startup of the Year!
As an attendee you'll log how you want to follow up with each founder, whether that's to invest, be their customer, form a partnership, or provide a service.
This winner advances to the global semi-finals, grouped by industry. Each industry winner in the virtual semi-finals advances to the finals where they pitch at the (virtua) Startup Grind Global AI Summit. The ultimate winner secures a free exhibitor spot at the 2026 Startup Grind Conference, complete with VIP access, and investor matchmaking.
It's a night of community competition!
Meet our All-Star lineup:
Bettor Vision
CoGo
Collars
GenYous
Gesund Health Data
Headrush Learning
Inciteful
Kavodax
LOOK
My CheckUp Health
Tabbird
VocaTales
Voyager AI
and more to be announced!
Event brought to you by Hubspot for Startups. Download their free CRM to track all your customer and investor conversations, and join the Hubspot for Startups community HERE.
Agenda
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Host
Rajiv Nathan - Startup Grind Chicago / Startup Hypeman (Chapter Director / Founder)
Known as the Heavyweight Champion of Story, Rajiv 'RajNATION' Nathan is Founder of Startup Hypeman, helping growing companies not suck at telling their story so they stand out to their audience, stand apart from competitors, and break through in their category. He was named an ""Agent of Change"" by Huffington Post, has given a TED Talk, and been featured in Inc, Forbes, and more. He's also a hip…
Judges
Jonathan Pipek - Blue Manta Consulting
Jonathan Pipek is the founder of Blue Manta Consulting, where he helps B2B SaaS startups scale with proven GTM strategies. Named a Top 100 Product Marketing Influencer in 2024, he combines over a decade of hands-on experience with a practical, no-nonsense approach to product marketing.
Jillian Lorenz - Exit Quotient Ventures (Venture Partner)
Jillian is a dedicated entrepreneur passionate about personal and professional growth. She co-founded, expanded, and successfully sold The Barre Code, a national fitness franchise that ranked in the Entrepreneur 500 for four consecutive years. She now serves as a Venture Partner at Exit Quotient Ventures where she invests in the next generation of Entrepreneurs.
Alonso Cisneros - P33 (Founders Team Associate)
Alonso Cisneros works on Founders Initiatives at P33, a Chicago non-profit on a mission to transform the region into a tier-one technology and innovation hub driving inclusive economic growth. At P33, Alonso co-leads TechRise, a program that provides non-dilutive capital to Chicago-based founders through pitch competitions and connects them with investors, mentors, and resources to accelerate …
Kate Calabra - Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (CEO)
Kate is serving as the CEO of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition. Kate has a professional history of stakeholder engagement and business development with a focus on cross-sector collaboration and technology. Kate has held previous positions at Verizon, City Tech Collaborative, American Planning Association, and Metropolitan Planning Council. Kate has a Graduate Certificate in Commun…
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Global Partner
Google Cloud (https://cloud.google.com/resources/content/future-of-ai-report?utm_source=events-with-google&utm_medium=et&utm_campaign=FY25-Q1-NORTHAM-SMB31054-website-dl-AIThoughtLeader-52420&utm_content=startup-grind&utm_term=-&hl=en)
Presenting
HubSpot for Startups (https://offers.hubspot.com/startups/fundraising-kit/startupgrind-dec2024-0?hs_preview=wywiYwuJ-183697931776)
The HubSpot for Startups program offers discounted access to HubSpot's CRM platform, along with tools for marketing, sales, and customer service, specifically designed to help early-stage businesses grow. In addition to special pricing, startups also receive exclusive resources, training, and support to accelerate their growth and streamline operations.
🎁 Free Fundraising Kit: Get access to pitch deck templates, investor tracking tools, and more!
Partners
Startup Hypeman (https://www.startuphypeman.com)
Startup Hypeman develops fundraising and customer pitches so you don't just go to market, you become The GOAT to Market
System Seltzers (https://systemseltzers.com/)
System Seltzers is the World's First Inclusive Drinking System™
Big Star Cocktails (https://www.instagram.com/bigstarcocktails/?hl=en)
Spicy margaritas, margaritas, and palomas from your favorite Chicago taco spot, ready-to-drink straight from the can!
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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-chicago-presents-startup-grind-all-stars-pitch-night/.
