IllinoisVENTURES works with University of Illinois faculty entrepreneurs to mold their concepts, vision, and intellectual property into breakthrough, high-growth technology companies. IllinoisVENTURES provides skilled experts that offer entrepreneurs hands-on coaching, a network of resources and early-stage capital. With staff and offices in both Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, IllinoisVENTURES is able to work closely with University of Illinois departments and with the university's Office of Technology Management in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago to help faculty inventors protect intellectual property, license that property, and commercialize new technologies.

 

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, RPM Ventures focuses on seed and early-stage venture capital investments in high-tech and information technology. RPM Ventures professionals use their own entrepreneurial experience to help startups with marketing, operational and fundraising issues. Additionally, RPM uses its network to help open doors for their portfolio companies so that they can achieve early sales and cultivate business development partners. RPM believes in leveraging the "Centers of Excellence" in its own back yard and often works with faculty members at Midwestern universities to fine-tune and commercialize their research.

 

The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) is a state of Illinois agency that assists economic development in downstate Illinois by providing credit enhancement to worthy entities in agriculture and other business sectors. IFA offers high-quality, timely and effective service to lenders and their customers who use its financing programs. IFA has offices in Chicago and Springfield.

 

COUNTRY Financial and its alliances serve about one million households and businesses throughout the United States. Founded in 1925, COUNTRY Financial has nearly 2,000 exclusive agents in 14 Midwestern and Western states who help clients protect what they have, save for a comfortable future and achieve financial security. COUNTRY Financial, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, offers a full range of financial products and services from auto, home and life insurance to retirement planning services, investment management and annuities.