1871 names first female CEO

Feb. 13--Chicago tech hub 1871 just hired its first female CEO.

Betsy Ziegler, chief innovation officer at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, will take the helm of 1871 in April, the Merchandise Mart-based tech center said Tuesday in a news release.

She replaces Howard Tullman, who led 1871 for four years. He continues to serve on the 34-person board of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, 1871's nonprofit parent. The CEO search has been underway since shortly after Tullman announced that he was leaving last August.

Although she hasn't even met all the team members at 1871 yet, Ziegler said she's excited to get started.

"The entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of the organization; they are why 1871 exists, so my first priority is to them," she said. "And I do think there's room to extend the reach of 1871 throughout the ecosystem."

Ziegler, 46, spent the last seven years at Kellogg. She was named to the newly created CIO role in 2015 and was in charge of integrating technology into the school's educational experience. She also served as an associate dean.

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That experience gave her "a keen sense of the importance of the universities in our community," Ziegler said. She knows what works today and what doesn't and will be looking for opportunities to strengthen the flow of students into Chicago's tech community, she said.

Prior to her university stint, Ziegler was a partner at McKinsey & Co.'s Chicago office and led the firm's insurance operations and technology practice. She has also invested in, coached and mentored dozens of young companies, according to the release.

Founded in 2012 with former Google executive Kevin Willer as CEO, 1871 has grown to become a north star for entrepreneurial activity in Chicago. The hub in Merchandise Mart is home to more than 400 early stage digital startups, as well as accelerators, incubators, venture capitalists and satellite offices for more than a half-dozen universities.

The tech hub has made a push to support diversity and inclusion in recent years, including launching a program for female founders called WiSTEM. Tech companies have faced scrutiny recently for their lack of inclusion, and Ziegler said being hired as the organization's first female CEO sends a signal that things are different in the Midwest's tech scene.

"If me being in this role creates a feeling of greater access or opportunity or level of support ... I'm absolutely thrilled to do that," she said.

amarotti@chicagotribune.com

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