ThinkCERCA is Named Among the Top 100 Finalists for the 13th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards

CHICAGO - Oct. 1, 2014 - PRLog -- Out of an astounding 552 nominees,ThinkCERCA (http://www.thinkcerca.com) has been selected as one of the Top 100 Finalists still in the running for the 13th annual Chicago Innovation Awards.  The awards celebrate the most innovative new products and services in the Chicago region across all organization sizes, sectors and industries.  1500 business and civic leaders will come together to honor the winners when they are announced on October 30, 2014 at Chicago’s Harris Theater.

ThinkCERCA is a school-wide educational resource that provides a framework for students to analyze texts and form evidence-based arguments across subject areas. ThinkCERCA, a graduate of the Impact Engine Accelerator and a Bill & Melinda Gates Grant recipient, is available in schools nationwide.

“Chicago is in the midst of a monumental upsurge in innovation,” said Tom Kuczmarski, co-founder with Chicago journalist Dan Miller of the awards.  “It’s inspiring to see the range of vision and the depth of talent among organizations in the Chicago area.  Companies are investing in innovation and taking more risks to launch new ventures and uncover new value.”

As one of the Top 100 Finalists, ThinkCERCA will receive a $2,500 scholarship to attend The Practical Innovator, a day-long executive education course on September 23rd led by top faculty who teach innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

“We developed ThinkCERCA with the goal of ensuring every student in every classroom graduates with the literacy and critical thinking skills necessary for college and their careers,” said Eileen Murphy, ThinkCERCA’s CEO and also a career educator. “We’re honored to be recognized among the other amazing 100 finalists for the Annual Chicago Innovation Awards.”

Each of the Top 100 Finalists is also in the running for the annual “People’s Choice Award,” selected through online balloting at www.chicagoinnovationawards.com. The deadline to vote is October 3^rd 2014.

Out of the Top 100 Finalists, the judges will select 10 winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards, as well as winners of the Up-and-Comer Awards representing innovation in the start-up community, the Social Innovator Award and the Collaboration Award.  The winners will be invited to ring the NASDAQ Bell in New York City, invited to separate meetings with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Governor Quinn, and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle to discuss their innovation, profiled in Crain’s Chicago Business, and invited to business leadership training at Disney Institute in Orlando.

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Contact:

ThinkCERCA:

         Lindsay Mullen

         Lindsay@MosherMullen.com

         248-670-2262

Chicago Innovation Awards:

        Paul Kitti

        paul@chicagoinnovationawards.com

        312-988-1543

About The Chicago Innovation Awards

The Chicago Innovation Awards, established in 2002, has grown from a single awards ceremony to a year-long series of events and activities designed to celebrate innovation in the Chicago region, educate people and organizations about the principles of innovation, and connect the corners of the economy by building relationships that strengthen companies, grow the economy, and create jobs. The organization’s expansion has included formation of the Chicago Innovation Foundation, which promotes innovation education and provides scholarships to college students each year, as well as The Innovators Connection, which connects large companies with Chicago-based start-ups. For more information, visit www.chicagoinnovationawards.com.

About ThinkCERCA

ThinkCERCA (http://thinkcerca.com/) is a school-wide online educational resource designed to prepare students for career and college by helping them build analytical reading and writing skills across subject matter. ThinkCERCA graduated from the inaugural class of theImpact Engine Accelerator in December 2012 and won theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation Literacy Courseware Challenge in July 2013. To learn more, please visit www.ThinkCERCA.com.