Read the full article on the January Advisors blog.

Down in the basement of a Chicago bar, the Startup America regional summit kicked off with drinks, appetizers, and hugs. About a hundred entrepreneurs from across the country packed into the party room, making introductions and swapping stories. I was pretty tired from an early morning flight from Houston, followed by a full day’s work at 1871, but this room full of strangers literally welcomed me with open arms. They know what it looks like to work until you drop. “These are my people,” I thought to myself, and I ordered a beer.

I found my second wind as I navigated the crowd, shaking hands, memorizing faces, and learning something new in every conversation. Alongside the entrepreneurs, I met other Startup America supporters, including our corporate sponsors, members of the press, political consultants, policy makers, and university tech transfer folks. The diversity of the crowd wasn’t a surprise. Startup America is a community of purpose that started as a White House program, but it was quickly adopted by a not-for-profit and backed by corporate sponsors. It sits at the nexus of government, business, and academia — all in service to a national startup community led by entrepreneurs.

What surprised me was how quickly startup communities have been growing across the country. It mirrors what we’ve seen in Houston over the past few years, and it signals a larger, national trend. Generally, entrepreneurs are optimists. And against all odds, that sense of hope is alive in every new venture and in every conversation. Chicago was the perfect setting for this surprise. In the last two years, they have pulled together as a city and transformed their startup community. We were watching a case study unfold.

Read the full article on the January Advisors blog.