New tech center Syncubator was all decked out for its big opening last week in its 18,000 sq. ft. West Loop loft but had to postpone it because its VIP guest of honor couldn’t make it.
Mayor Daley was off on his visit to Asia but before he left he personally promised Syncubator founder, Mike Rhodes, to count on his attending when he returns.
The mayor will undoubtedly keep his promise given his advocacy of Chicago as an international tech center and supporting innovative tech ventures, of which Syncubator, a spin on traditional incubators, is certainly one.
As conceived this spring by tech expert Rhodes, a South Side Irishman energized by new challenges, Syncubator is “a new community of tech entrepreneurs” ? people who have promising internet business ideas but need the resources and capital to take them to market.
Syncubator has the capability to provide both.
Currently in place is a group of 13 carefully selected “preferred partners,” who provide the start-ups with services and solutions.
The 13 were personally invited into his community, based on two objectives, he said. “The first was, we needed a diversified stable of service providers, such as one SEO, one mobile app, one social media and so on.
“The second, they had to pass a vetting process to make sure they were bona fide and could deliver top quality work in their area of expertise.”
