As the 3rd largest monthly startup event in the United States, Technori is a showcase of the Midwest's most innovative startups, debuting their latest technologies.Â
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Each month, 500 impassioned entrepreneurs, developers, designers, investors, and tech enthusiasts gather to watch five companies present for exactly five minutes each, with an interactive Q&A session that involves the entire Technori audience.
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The results have been amazing. 44+ showcases and 19,000+ attendees. Over 200 companies have presented. They now employ over 1000 people and have raised over $176 million in funding. Many have gone onto Y Combinator, Techstars, and AngelPad. Several have exited and many more will in the coming years.
Catherine left behind a career in venture capital and private equity to pursue her calling. At age 27, she founded the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), a nonprofit organization that serves men in the Texas prison system. PEP was nationally recognized for its groundbreaking results, including a recidivism rate of less than 5%, and an employment rate of 98%.
Driven by her hatred for injustice and love for the underdog, Catherine founded Defy in 2010 after being given her own second chance to lead. Catherine became an Ashoka Fellow in 2013, and in 2014, was recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. She was presented with the MDC Humanitarian Award in May 2015.
 Catherine and her grads have spoken nationally to business and faith-based audiences including The Willow Creek Leadership Summit, SXSW, Catalyst, Harvard and Stanford Business Schools, EO, Chicago Ideas Week, Brooklyn Beta, and Philanthropy Roundtable. Defy has earned the trust of funders including Google, Yelp, Bloomberg, LinkedIn, American Express and Capital One.
