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Morgan MFG, a six-building, 88,000-square foot campus comprised of a 19th-century manufacturing complex, opens in the West Loop next month. It will feature more than just a massive event space, a restaurant and a whiskey distillery: this project, developed by real estate entrepreneur Marc Bushala, will also feature an “innovations lab” incubator with its partner, the Innovators Connection.
“In today’s knowledge-driven economy, there is an increasing need for flexible new spaces that can accommodate unpredictability and enable information and collaboration to flow freely,” Bushala said in a press release. “My goal for Morgan Manufacturing is to be a resource center devoted to fostering the collaborations that lead to successful innovation.”
The former production plant will now offer a fitness center, outdoor dog run and open-air rooftop, featuring cabanas alongside sun-shaded workspaces after a $19 million adaptive re-use refurbishment. The renovation also gives the Innovators Connection, born out of the Chicago Innovation Awards two years ago, a permanent space to continue its mission of bridging the gap between corporations and innovative small businesses.
“So many startups say things like, ‘You know, I’ve got this amazing solution and I know it’s going to be the killer solution for Cisco, or for Dell, or for Walgreens. I just can’t seem to get a meeting with them’,” Luke Tanen, executive director of the 13-year-old Chicago Innovation Awards, said. "And here we are, seeing big companies doing innovation and they’re just really missing out on this opportunity to connect with startups and entrepreneurs—who frankly do have real products, services, and technologies, real sources of value that can help these big companies with their problems."
To make this connection, the team first works with the corporation to diagnose their needs and then turns to the startup community to find a company that can fill that need—serving as a matchmaker of ideas.
The Innovators Connection has also hosted “Demo Days” to introduce ideas by startups to 15-20 senior executives of larger companies that traditionally relied on internal innovation to solve problems—but without a physical location, they resorted to renting out conference rooms near O’Hare or asking the corporation to host the event. That changes next month, when Morgan MFG opens its doors.
“I think it's going to become a pretty big player in the innovation ecosystem here in Chicago,” Tanen said.
The innovation lab will now be able to house startups and provide space for the Innovators Connection’s Demo Days, meetings, and other events, as well as serve as a home base for the startups that have been linked to corporations through the Connection. The companies will be able to share resources with those in the lab who have not been connected to corporations, in addition to the space.
"We don't have a formal application process, simply contact us with your background on your organization or company, and what you're looking for. We aren't just looking for technology startups, but also arts organizations, community groups, charities, non-for-profits, etc. But we are focused on smaller, more nimble organizations across these sectors," Bushala said. "We aren't an incubator at all, we don't offer the kinds of services that incubators traditionally offer, and we don't pretend to be. We are offering space that we hope will grow into a resource center that will foster collaboration among technology startups, arts organizations, entrepreneurs, and charitable organizations, collaboration that will drive innovation in Chicago for years to come."
Additional tenants include Swedish digital agency Nansen and the Future Founders Foundation, a non-profit that works to inspire and mentor low-income youth in Chicago to explore professional and entrepreneurship opportunities. Morgan MFG has also announced a partnership with organizations such as the Illinois Technology Association, Rush Hospital, and Meals on Wheels to host fundraisers and meetings.
The opportunity for tech entrepreneurship in the West Loop is strong, especially with the opening of this new hub. It's clear that a new kind of product will soon be emerging from this old factory.
