Mayor Lori Lightfoot and several Chicago tech leaders gathered Monday morning to celebrate the third annual Chicago Tech Day, and highlight the 2,000 new jobs that 15 local tech companies have added over the last several months or will be adding in 2020.
The event was hosted at the office of Relativity, a legal software startup that’s grown to be one of Chicago’s biggest tech players. Earlier this year, the company brought on LinkedIn veteran Mike Gamson as its CEO and announced an aggressive hiring spree that includes adding 400 new jobs by the end of 2020. Relativity currently employs more than 1,000 people.
“From startups to Fortune 500s, tech companies are putting down roots and really growing exponentially in Chicago,” Lightfoot said at the event. “We see you as vital and essential partners in Chicago’s future.”
Other local tech companies hiring significantly include Cameo, the celebrity shout out platform that raised $50 million in June. According to World Business Chicago, a nonprofit aimed at fostering economic growth, Cameo will have brought 80 new jobs to Chicago by the end of 2020.
Fyllo, a cannabis-tech company, raised a $16 million round of venture capital funding in September and said it planned to use the financing to expand its staff. World Business Chicago says Fyllo is expected to bring 120 jobs to Chicago within the next 14 months.
Additionally, Kin Insurance (100 jobs), LogicGate (170 jobs) and Snapsheet (200 jobs) are all expected to bring new jobs to the area.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that tech jobs in Chicago have grown 38.6 percent since 2010, employing more than 143,000 people.
“Chicago Tech Day is all about recognizing and celebrating the innovative work that’s going on across the community in tech,” Gamson said at the event. “We’re doing everything we can as tech leaders to create jobs and boost the local economy and to increase the inclusivity.”
Next year, Relativity is launching “Relativity Fellows,” a program that aims to find, train and employ people from Chicago’s underserved communities, particularly on the South and West Sides of the city.
“We’re going to make sure that they get a job here at Relativity, or with our customers and partners,” Gamson said.
Relativity isn’t the only company focusing on providing more opportunities to Chicago’s underserved communities, though. Evanston Technology Partners, a cybersecurity support services provider, recently opened an office in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. The company already employs 40 people in the neighborhood and plans to add another 90 jobs within the next year.
“That’s what success looks like in this industry,” Lightfoot said. “Together as partners, we can be a city that ensures residents in every community have the tools, resources and skills they need to be part of Chicago’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem, where economic opportunity is fully accessible to all of our residents and not just the lucky few.”
