Build the System: 1871 Emerging Tech Innovation Summit

From Signal to System: What Are You Actually Shipping?

Overview

Technology has moved from signal to system.

AI, blockchain, and quantum are no longer ideas to track, they are systems being built, deployed, and scaled right now.

This summit is for the people doing that work.

Following May 27’s Chicago Accord Policy Summit, this day shifts from reading the signal → building the system:

What’s real vs hypeWhat’s actually making it to productionWhat breaks between demo and deploymentWhat gets funded and why

Chicago is where systems get built. This is where that happens in real time.

Who Should Attend

Founders building in AI, blockchain, quantum, and deep techEnterprise leaders deploying emerging tech into productionPlatform and infrastructure operatorsInvestors backing scalable, production-ready companies

What to Expect

⚡ Real Signal, No Hype

Blunt perspectives from operators and founders who are actually shipping, not theorizing.

🧠 The Signal Shorts

Rapid, high-intensity sessions tackling the hardest questions in emerging tech, no fluff, no panels dragging on.

🚀 Founder Showcases

Short, sharp demos from companies building real products with real traction.

🤝 High-Value Connections

Curated rooms of founders, enterprise leaders, and investors, designed for real conversations, not passive attendance.

Agenda Highlights

12:00–1:00pm — Invitation-Only RoomsA closed-door start to the day. Built for the people actively doing the work.

Corporate Innovation Leaders: Peer-to-peer exchange on what’s working and what’s notFounders x Investors: Direct connections between founders and the capital behind themBuilders / Tinkerers (Claude, Codex, + AI Agents): Builders connecting to share workflows and learn from each other

Access is based on approval. Placement is intentional.

Opening Provocation

Why Today MattersWe’re not here to speculate. We’re here to talk about what’s already being built.

Policy → Builder Bridge

The Signal Founders Keep IgnoringThe decisions being made right now will shape what gets built — and who wins.

State of the System

What Is Actually Being Built Right Now?What’s real. What’s noise. Where the market actually is.

Founder Showcase I

A small set of founders. No slides.What they’re building — and proof it’s working.

The Signal Shorts

No panels. No filler. Just the questions that matter:

Is quantum closer than we think — or still a decade away?Why do most AI pilots never reach production?Is emerging tech creating an infrastructure crisis?Is this the best time to build — or the most expensive?

Founder Showcase II

More builders. More signal. No fluff.

Closing Fireside

Is the 10x Engineer now the 100x Founder?What it actually means to build right now.

Startup Alley + Happy Hour

Where the room turns into partnerships, deals, and what happens next.

Supported by Microsoft, Deloitte, and DeVry

Built in partnership with C:TPI