FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Kim Blomquist
872.222.5279
kim@mhubchicago.com
mHUB Announces New Board Members and Appointment of Meredith O’Connor, International Director at JLL, as Vice Chair
(CHICAGO Feb. 23, 2022) – mHUB, the nation’s largest and fastest growing independent hardtech innovation center, today announces the appointment of Meredith O’Connor as vice chair of its board of directors. O’Connor has been an active member of the mHUB executive board since 2017, when the organization was founded, and was integral to accelerating its launch by supporting mHUB on its real estate strategy.
“Meredith’s experience and guidance has been invaluable to mHUB,” said Kevin Willer, mHUB board chair. “Meredith is engrained in Chicago’s corporate ecosystem with a keen understanding of the assets that position Chicago as a tech hub within a diversified economy. She’s help build the organization’s ongoing value proposition to stakeholders in the Midwest innovation and manufacturing ecosystems.”
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 MATTER.
O’Connor has 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.
“mHUB provides mentorship, invaluable resources, and access to capital and is a true leader of Chicago’s innovation ecosystem,” said O’Connor. “I could not be more excited and honored to be named vice chairman of the board of directors.”
Joining the mHUB Board of Directors this year is Laura Ferris Anderson, a 20 year Veteran of JPMorgan where she served in a variety of capacities, and Garth N. Walker, Senior Medical Director of Value Based Care at Rush Health.
Laura Ferris Anderson served as Chief of Staff to the Office of the Midwest Chairman for JPMorgan Chase where managed the strategic planning and initiative implementation for the region’s senior leadership. She had served as a Senior Banker in J.P. Morgan’s private banking business and as a Director of Payments Strategy, eCommerce. As an active civic leader, Anderson serves on the Executive Committees of the Board of Directors of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and of the Wood Family Foundation; the Board of Directors of the IL Mentoring Partnership; the Advisory Board of Best Buddies Illinois; and the Women’s Boards of the Field Museum and the Joffrey Ballet. She is also currently Chairperson on the Revieve Board of Advisors.
Dr. Walker is a healthcare executive and academic board certified emergency physician with state, federal, and private sector experience. He is the senior medical director for Rush Health, responsible for identifying and developing innovative reimbursement models in value-based care. Prior, Dr. Walker served as the Deputy Director for the Illinois Department of Public Health at the height of COVID-19 and was then appointed by President Biden to serve as a White House fellow and Senior Advisor with the department of Health and Human Services at the Office of the Surgeon General under Dr. Vivek Murthy. He is recognized as a healthcare and public health thought leader, contributing insights and expertise centered at the intersection of public health and healthcare delivery.
“I’ve seen firsthand how innovation can deliver exponential impact from both the government and private sector arenas,” said Dr. Walker. “The opportunity for mHUB to serve as a catalyst that improves all communities through hardtech innovation, particularly from a health equity lens, can bring great impact to Chicago and across the United States. I look forward to joining the already deep bench of the mHUB board of directors.”
“mHUB, with the direction and support of its board of directors, is poised to have an unforgettable 2023,” said Haven Allen, mHUB CEO and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the mHUB Product Impact Fund I. “Meredith has shown tremendous support and understanding of the mHUB mission and will continue to play an important role in its growth as a premier center for hardtech development globally. We are also thrilled to welcome Laura to the board, who has vast experience leading entrepreneurial communities in Chicago, and Garth, who brings expertise in healthcare and medicine that will impact our growing portfolio of startups in that sector.”
mHUB celebrated its five-year anniversary in 2022. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $721M in revenue, launched more than 1,398 products, hired more than 3,987 employees, and raised over $1B in capital.
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 428 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 $721M in revenue, launched more than 1,398 products, hired more than 3,987 employees, and raised over $1B in capital.
