The Research Park has created an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program that hires local experienced technology entrepreneurs to provide monthly consulting to new startup ventures and prospective technology entrepreneurs. By sourcing this talent from the local region, the program selects peers that have faced similar challenges in commercializing research/early stage technology and are able to provide advice on their own path to successfully attracting investment, revenue, and industrial clients.
These workshops are for Research Park EIRs to share their wisdom, stories, and advice with the audience.






Past Workshops
- Crafting Messages That Stick with Harlee Sorkin
Presentation Video - How to Pitch with Karin O’Connor
- Angel Investing with Craig Vodnik
Presentation Video - Intellectual Property for Technology Based Companies with Alan Singleton
Presentation Video - Preparing your Series A Pitch with James Janega
- Business Idea Validation with Harlee Sorkin
- Your Go-To Market Strategy with Karin O’Connor
- A Career of Lessons Learned with Ed Moore
- Personal Branding with James Janega
- If I Could Do It Over with Craig Vodnik
- Business Model Building Blocks with Karin O’Connor
Presentation Video - Diversity in the Workplace with Lori Patterson
Presentation Video - Business Idea Validation with Harlee Sorkin
Photos
Presentation Video - M&A for High-Tech Startups with Rob Schultz
Presentation Video - Preparing Your Pitch with James Janega
Presentation Video - Exit Strategies for the Tech Business with Alan Singleton
Presentation Video - Angel Investing 101 with Karin O’Connor
Presentation Video - Essential Elements of Startup Excellence with Tim Hoerr
- Building an Effective PR Strategy Through Relationships with Craig Vodnik
Presentation Video - Straight Talk on Raising Money from Investors with Karin O’Connor
- Technology Commercialization with Chad Stiening
- Startup Sales with Lori Patterson
- What’s Your Story? with James Janega
- 7 Mistakes Scaling Companies Make with Craig Vodnik
Startup Cafe
Startup Cafe is a luncheon series that highlights successful entrepreneurs with connections to the Research Park as guest speakers.
The forum gives a chance for entrepreneurs to share their story and provide their insights on their success, things they wish they would have known before getting started, and lessons from their entrepreneurial journey.






Past Speakers
- John Renaldi, CEO of Jiobit
Presentation Video - John Busbee, CEO of Xerion Advanced Battery
Presentation Video - Ron van Os, CEO of Inprentus
- Craig Bethke, Founder and CEO of Aqueous Solution
Presentation Video - Tom Parkinson, Senior Director of Illinois Ventures
- Troy Henikoff, Managing Director of Techstars Chicago
Presentation Video - Ashley Whitney and Sean Litza, Co-Founders of Tiesta Tea
Presentation Video - Pree Walia and Casey, Co-Founders of Preemadonna
Presentation Video - Steven Marciniak, CEO and Co-Founder of TrackBill
- Teresa Esser, Managing Director of Silicon Pastures Angel Network, Author of Venture Cafe
- Steve Miller, founder and Principal of Origin Ventures
Event flyer - Tim Hoerr, founder and CEO of Serra Ventures, Presenation Video
Event flyer - Glenn Kowack, CEO of EUnet, Presentation Video
Event flyer - Daphne Preuss, CEO of Chromatin
Event flyer - Alex Zoghlin, founder of Orbitz, CEO of Visual Marketing Services
Event flyer - Frank Gruber
Event flyer - Mark Laufenburg, co-founder and President of PowerWorld
Event flyer - Constantine Polychronopolous, founder and CTO of Bytemobile (acquired by Citrix)
Event flyer - Quesnell Hartman, founder and CEO of EpiWorks
Event flyer - Mike Folk, President of The HDF Group
Event flyer - Alex King, CEO of Common Ground Publishing
Event flyer
Presentation video - Brian Jurzcyk, President of Starfire Industries
Event flyer - Patrick Chapman, CTO of Solarbridge Technologies
Event flyer
Presentation video - David Goldberg, Co-founder of ShareThis
Presentation video
Event flyer - Gary Eden, Co-founder and CSO of Eden Park Illumination
Presentation Video - Ben Barbiari, President of ISS, Inc.
Presentation Video - Alex Bratton, CEO of Lextech Global Services and Lextech Labs
Presentation Video Part I, Part II - Lane Segerstrom, CEO of Corn Board Manufacturing, Inc.
Presentation Video - Neil Kane, President of Advanced Diamond Technologies
Event Flyer
Presentation Video - A.G. Karunakaran, President and CEO of MulticoreWare, Inc.
Presentation Video - Clif Burdette, President and CEO of Acoustic MedSystems, Inc.
- Roger Dickey, Founder of Mafia Wars
Presentation Video - Matt Miller, Co-founder of Delcross Technologies
Event Flyer
Presentation Video - Sanjay Patel, President and CEO of Personify (formerly Nuvixa)
Event Flyer
Presentation Video - Andrew Cittadine, CEO of DxP
- John Flavin, Executive Director of Chicago Innovation Mentors and Managing Director of Flavin Ventures
- Matt Gornick, Founder of Orange QC
Presentation Video - Gene Glaudell, First CIO of Tesla Motors
Presentation video
Presentation slides - Dr. Michael Philpott, Associate professor, University of Illinois Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering
- Jonathan Alter, President and CEO of PathFound, LLC
Presentation Video - Arpan Shah, CEO of PrintEco
Presentation Video - Glenn Shimkus, Vice President of Real Estate Solutions for DocuSign, CEO of Cartavi
Presentation Video - Sultan Meghi, Innovator, Entrepresneur, and Advisor
Presentation Video - Craig Vodnik, founder and VP of Operations of Cleverbridge, Hyde Park Angels Investor
Presentation Video - Tom Siegel, Managing Director of IllinoisVENTURES
Presentation Video - Ben Blumenfeld, Co-director of the Designer Fund
Presentation Video - Brett Walker, Founder and CEO of ElectronInks
Presentation Video - Karin O’Connor, President and CEO of Pathfound LLC
Presentation Video - Steve LaValle, CEO and Founder of Oculus
Presentation Video
Presentation Slides