Breakthrough Technologies, in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education, was nominated for the 2016 Chicago Innovation Awards. Breakthrough was identified as a finalist and the awards ceremony was held on October 25th. The Breakthrough team was there to honor the awards winners, network with the finalists and winners, and soak up the great Chicago business entrepreneurship vibe.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was on hand to kick off the awards, as was Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. Several companies in addition to Breakthrough were honored in their contributions to education, and Ms. Preckwinkle, a longtime educator herself, made a great mention of that. In our category, the terrific startup Leap Innovations was honored. Leap Innovations is essentially a consulting organization and clearinghouse for education technology providers and determining patterns for their implementations at the classroom, building, and district level.
The Breakthrough Team had a great time. We enjoyed seeing and meeting the hundreds of diverse companies and ideas represented in the thriving startup and innovative marketplace of Chicago. We were honored to have a seat at the table, and we hope to be back next year!