Inclusive Venture Acceleration Fellow

Inclusive Venture Acceleration Fellow

About mHUB

mHUB is a leading independent hardtech and manufacturing innovation center located in Chicago, Illinois with a mission to convene the entrepreneurial ecosystem around physical product innovation and ensure that the manufacturing industry continues to accelerate, grow and thrive. Launched in 2017, the mHUB has supported more than active and alumni companies which have raised $1B, generated more than $430M in revenue, launched more than 1,200 products and hired more than 2,100 employees. mHUB provides a hyper-resourced environment to entrepreneurs with the goal of commercializing new hardtech innovation that will lead to new businesses, intellectual property, investment, revenue and job creation.

Background: Major Milestones at mHUB in 2021-2022 

• 12/14/21: mHUB Hardtech Innovation Center Announces Climate and Energy Tech Accelerator Supported by Initial Industry Partners Invenergy and Nicor Gas
• 12/13/21: mHUB Driven 2025 Clean Tech Economy Coalition Awarded $500k in Phase 1 of EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge
• 12/9/21: mHUB Director of Community Impact and Engagement Shares Updates about New Programs to Drive Equitable Access to Entrepreneurship
• 11/10/21: mHUB Announces Portfolio Teams of Premier MedTech Accelerator Cohort
• 11/9/21: mHUB Hosts Roundtable Talk with U.S. Secretary of Commerce on Restoring U.S. Manufacturing and the Promise of Additive Manufacturing
• 6/8/21: DOE Selects the Midwest Regional Innovation Partnership for Award from Energy Program for Innovation Clusters
• 6/3/21: mHUB Announces MedTech Accelerator with Industry Partners Baxter and Edwards-Elmhurst Health Venture Capital
• 5/27/21: mHUB, MATTER, and 1871 Secure $2.78M Federal Grant to Rebuild Illinois Economy Post-COVID-19 Through Tech and Manufacturing Innovation

About the Role

mHUB is seeking a Graduate Fellow to support mHUB’s Programs and Engagement team in developing programs and supports for entrepreneurs. They will work hand-in-hand with mHUB leadership to assess and build venture acceleration programs that aim to support entrepreneurs in all stages of their business and product development. This Fellow will review mHUB’s framework for building a hardtech business, the technical assistance plan in pilot, and our on-demand digital curriculum in development. We are looking for support in analyzing structures recently put in place, support in any pivoting identified, and ensuring the programs work in tandem, across business units at mHUB. It is essential that this fellow come with a lens of inclusion and belonging, helping us ensure our programming is supportive of and meets the needs of all entrepreneurs, specifically thinking of women and people of color. Fellows receive career and leadership coaching and the opportunity to network with Chicago’s corporate, civic and nonprofit leaders across the tech ecosystem.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Program development that includes but is not limited to cohort-based synchronous learning and technical assistance and digitizing curriculum across the Chicago tech ecosystem designed to support increasing opportunity and access for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
• Partnering across business units at mHUB including the Community Impact and Engagement team, Accelerated Incubation, and Hardtech Development to ensure new programs are working in sync with existing programs on the Programs and Engagement side of the business.  
• Working with key stakeholders across the tech ecosystem to develop strategies to make Chicago tech more inclusive and equitable for underrepresented founders.
• Making programmatic and operational recommendations on how to best implement diversity, equity and inclusion strategies directly through organization and larger tech ecosystem. 

 

Qualifications

• Must be a current graduate program student focusing on areas of policy, economic development or business administration.
• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners and donors.
• Expert written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
• Demonstrated ability to partner with high-level leaders to work towards outcomes, leading by consensus.
• Experience in research and asset mapping.
• Experience with program development and coordination.
• Prior experience in a nonprofit environment is a plus.
• Prior experience with entrepreneurs or business support organizations is a plus.

Salary and Duration

A stipend of $1,000 per month will be provided. Fellowships will last a minimum of 11 weeks between May 2022 to the end of August 2022, depending on the applicant’s academic calendar year, with an opportunity for extension beyond the summer.

To Apply

Please send resume and cover letter to info@mhubchicago.com by February 20^th, 2022. If applicants are interested in more than one role, please state that within the submitted cover letter.

mHUB is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.