Organization · Community
Chicago:Blend
Chicago:Blend is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that focuses on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the venture capital and startup community. They provide insights, support emerging talent, and collaborate with investors to strengthen the ecosystem.
Overview
What Chicago:Blend does
What Chicago:Blend is
Chicago:Blend is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that focuses on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the venture capital and startup community. They provide insights, support emerging talent, and collaborate with investors to strengthen the ecosystem.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports community capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Community
- Founded
- Founded in 2018
- Approximate age
- About 8 years
- Structured capabilities
- Community
- Last reviewed
- March 5, 2026
Official channels
Find Chicago:Blend elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Chicago:Blend as a community
Community overview
Chicago:Blend is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and based in Chicago. The organization aims to create a more inclusive venture capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing industry data and insights, supporting emerging talent, and collaborating with venture capital investors to strengthen Chicago’s startup community.
Community focus
Chicago:Blend focuses on addressing inequities in the venture capital industry, particularly for marginalized communities. The organization measures the venture capital access gap and empowers a new generation of investors through initiatives such as the Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship, which trains aspiring venture capitalists.
Membership
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Schedule
- rolling-admissions
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Founders · Investors · Students
- Benefits
- mentorship and network-access
- Program types
- community and fellowship
- Selection criteria
- open
- Regions
- United States
Community activity
Notable members
Joey Mak - Chief Executive Officer; Salvador Dueñas - Senior Director of Programs; Lindsay Knight - Founder & Board President; Gale Wilkinson - Board Vice President & Treasurer; Jackie DiMonte - Board Secretary; Tessa Flippin - Board Director; Devon Leichtman - Board Director; Jason Mercer - Board Director; Samir Mirza - Board Director; Elle Ramel - Board Director; Marina Rostein - Board Director.
Common questions
What to know about Chicago:Blend
Upseed classifies Chicago:Blend under the Community organization type. Its current public profile includes community capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 5, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.