DAVID WEINSTEIN

President
Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

(312) 494-6742
david@chicagolandec.org

David is president of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), an organization that seeks to make a lasting economic impact on the Chicagoland region by helping entrepreneurs build viable, sustainable and profitable enterprises. The CEC works with high growth entrepreneurs to create and sustain opportunities for business success, job growth and profitability. Since 2003, clients of the CEC’s advisory services secured contracts in excess of $160 million and financing valued at $105 million. David also is a founder and current Managing Director of the Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund (i2A), a $10 million seed-stage venture capital fund that is administrated by the CEC.

For the last 15 years, David has worked in a variety of management positions in the technology field, both in the public and private sectors. Previously, he was president of David Weinstein & Associates, LLC. (DW&A) a Chicago-based consulting and advisory service firm specializing in assisting businesses extend their technology services and products to the public sector.

David also was president and chief executive officer of BlueMeteor from 2000 to 2001 and was responsible for developing and implementing the company's strategic vision and corporate growth, a firm that grew to 110 employees. David led the technology firm in successfully raising over $30 million of venture capital and executing strategic alliances with major technology providers and equipment manufacturers that included: Oracle Corporation, TIBCO Software, Sun Microsystems, Exodus Communications, Storage Networks and EMC.

Prior to BlueMeteor, David worked in government for four years from 1996 to 2000. He was technology advisor to the mayor of the City of Chicago, Richard M. Daley from 1998 to 2000. In this role he managed the City's Technology Development Initiative and helped form the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors.

Throughout David's work life, he has been active in the local Chicago community and was recently appointed by Mayor Daley to be a member of the Chicago Plan Commission. He also participates on the board of directors for the Chicago Cultural Center Foundation, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Citizens Advisory Board, the Target Group Inc., and the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors. David was recognized for his work with technology entrepreneurs and received the 2006 City Lights Award from the Illinois Information Technology Association and has also been named to Crain's Chicago Business' 2008 "Who's Who in Chicago Business."

David Weinstein is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, receiving his degree with honors and distinction from the Phi Kappa Phi National All-University Honors Society and the Golden Key National Honor Society. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.