FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Kim Blomquist
872.222.5279
kim@mhubchicago.com
mHUB Announces Meredith O’Connor, International Director at JLL, As Chair of the Board, Succeeding Kevin Willer of Chicago Ventures
(CHICAGO June 17, 2024) – Today, mHUB announces the appointment of Meredith O’Connor to chair of its board of directors. O’Connor has been an active member of the mHUB executive board since its founding in 2017 and was integral to accelerating its launch by supporting mHUB on its real estate strategy. She will succeed Kevin Willer, following his three-year term. Willer will remain on the executive committee.
"I'm thrilled that my good friend Meredith, a longtime business and civic leader, will chair the board of directors for the next exciting phase of mHUB's growth," said Kevin Willer, outgoing mHUB board chair. “Meredith’s experience and guidance has been integral to mHUB’s ability to scale its footprint and impact. Not only did Meredith help find mHUB’s first and second home, she is engrained in economic and tech development in Chicago and understands the unique regional attributes that make the city attractive to both startup and corporate innovation teams.”
As an International Director and member of the JLL Brokerage Executive Committee, O’Connor has assisted dozens of clients on corporate relocations. Prior to joining JLL, she was Managing Director of World Business Chicago where she managed business development initiatives for the region’s tech sector and bridged public-private relations for corporate tech and entrepreneurial leaders. O’Connor also spent time as Deputy Commissioner with the City of Chicago where she founded a unit in the Department of Planning and Development for growing economies around science and technology. O’Connor previously served on the founding teams of 1871 and the First Women’s Bank.
Most recently, O’Connor serve as vice chair since 2022 alongside Willer as chair. Previously, she served on the mHUB Board of Directors Corporate Partnerships and Development Committee and as Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee for mHUB’s annual Fourth Revolution Awards. She was one of the first board members to contribute to the mHUB Catalyze Initiative, which focuses on driving equitable access within the hardtech innovation ecosystem. O’Connor’s new role as chair of the board is effective immediately and will be held for a three-year term.
“mHUB is unique because it’s a hyper-resourced environment with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced prototyping labs, but it also offers access to some of the best industry experts in the world,” said O’Connor. “I’m thrilled to have helped mHUB grow into what it is today, and I look forward to these next few years of being chair and working with the board of directors and mHUB leadership to build on the impact of the organization and what its innovators can achieve.”
“Meredith has been essential to establishing mHUB as a national economic development institution,” said Haven Allen, CEO and Co-Founder, mHUB. “She has shown tremendous support and engagement of the mHUB mission since before it was even launched, and today she leads the board as the organization charts to further expand its impact and expertise in commercializing technologies that impacts humanity. Meredith played a pivotal role in securing the long-term home of mHUB to ensure Chicago remains the premier destination for hardtech innovation, and I look forward to working side by side to further grow its reach and impact.”
In April 2023, mHUB completed a $50.2 million transaction to acquire, renovate, and relocate its headquarters to 1623 West Fulton Street for generations to come. This transaction included support from the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and other private entities.
To learn more about the mHUB Board of Directors, visit: mhubchicago.com/board
About mHUB
mHUB is a leading independent hardtech and manufacturing innovation center that exists to convene the entrepreneurial ecosystem around physical product innovation to ensure that the manufacturing industry continues to accelerate, grow, and thrive. The mHUB community includes over 500 active and alumni startups and small businesses supported by a deep talent pool of product designers and developers, entrepreneurs, engineers and manufacturers, corporate leaders, industry experts, mentors, and investors. mHUB provides a hyper-resourced environment to entrepreneurs with the goal of commercializing new hardtech innovation that will lead to new businesses, intellectual property, investment, revenue, and job creation. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $1.57B in revenue, launched more than 1,600 products, hired more than 5,500 employees, and raised over $1.89B in capital. To date, mHUB has invested in 46 startups across sustainable manufacturing, climate and energytech, and medtech.
