As a vice president at the CEC, Kristin helps to manage programming and operations at 1871. 

Prior to the CEC, Kristin ran operations for Excelerate Labs, a top-ranked technology startup accelerator, helping build educational programming and mentorship as well as ensuring the program ran smoothly. Kristin also worked with startups and early-stage investments through Hyde Park Angels. 

Kristin started in entrepreneurship while working on new ventures and corporate strategy for Redbox. She identified potential new businesses, built business plans and supported fledgling businesses through their pilots. She has also worked in management consulting with A.T. Kearney, touching a variety of industries including pharmacy, logistics, and agricultural goods.

Kristin earned an MBA with Honors at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and her undergraduate degree in journalism and economics from Northwestern University. In her free time, Kristin is working on her fluency in Spanish and can often be found with her nose in a book.

Kristi Dula is the Event Coordinator for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). In this role, she is the main contact for events and responsible for coordinating and executing all events held at 1871.

Kristi started with the CEC in May of 2012 as an Operations Coordinator, where she managed day-to-day functions of the facility.

Prior to the CEC, Kristi was a Senior Sales Manager for Officebroker.com in Dallas, TX as well as a Client Account Director for Carr Workplaces in Irvine, CA.

Kristi graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University. 

As the VP of Development, Mike manages partnerships and fundraising for both the CEC and 1871, including The Momentum Awards Dinner - the CEC's annual fundraiser.

After several years in Washington D.C. working in politics and political consulting, Mike made the move to Boston for an opportunity to get involved with an early-stage digital tech startup called FreeCause that focused on custom loyalty solutions.  The company quickly expanded from a converted apartment loft space in Boston's leather district to a team of 60 in downtown Boston.  Leading the Business Development efforts for three years, the company was eventually acquired by international e-commerce powerhouse Rakuten.

Melissa Lederer is a marketing consultant and currently serves as the CEC’s Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Melissa is responsible for defining and supporting the organization’s strategic marketing and brand initiatives to build awareness and value in the Chicago start-up community. She is also responsible for the PR and communications for both the CEC and its flagship project, the technology center for digital startups, 1871.

A seasoned marketing and communications professional with nearly 20 years of broad experience in both agency and corporate settings, Melissa has served a variety of digital and traditional businesses of all sizes, and has a passion for working with high-growth startups to help them build their brand foundation.

Prior to starting her Marketing consultancy in 2008, Melissa was the SVP of Marketing for Q Interactive (formerly CoolSavings) where she oversaw all marketing, communications and creative functions and served on the company’s Senior Leadership Team. Before Q Interactive, Melissa served as a Vice President at S&S Public Relations.

Melissa is involved in a number of charitable organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation. She is a graduate of The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Caity Moran is the Director of Strategic Projects for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC).

In this role, Caity oversees strategic projects and partnerships geared towards continually improving the 1871 experience for members and partners. Additionally, she manages the websites, social media and newsletters for CEC and 1871.

Caity is also on the board of Entrepreneurs Eve, an annual New Year's Eve charity event celebrating entrepreneurship. Prior to the CEC, Caity was a marketing intern at internet and VOIP start-ups as well as a sales associate at various retail stores.

Caity graduated cum laude from DePaul University with a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing and a minor in E-Commerce Technology.

In her role as the COO, Una makes sure that 1871 daily operations run smoothly and effectively, and that 1871 is a strong launchpad for amazing content, ideas exchanges and relationship building. 

On the front end, this includes regularly connecting hundreds of startups with mentors, advisors and investors, and collaborating with partners to launch initiatives that grow and promote the startup community. On the back end, this means building a strong operational and managerial platform that supports hundreds of members having an amazing place to work and learn each day. 

As a business advisor, Una works with high-growth startups on financial models, investment presentations, strategic decisions and financing strategies to achieve targeted business results.

Prior to the CEC, Una worked at Gap Inc. where she managed multiple retail locations and was responsible for revenue generation, store operations, human resources and merchandising strategies. 

Una holds MBA degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a concentration in entrepreneurship and finance. She also lived in France where she graduated from the American University of Paris and fell in love with her husband. Born and raised in Croatia, she spends her precious summer vacations on the Adriatic coast.