1871 Events: Emerging Tech Innovation Summit | Build The System

​Chicago has always been a builder's city.

​AI, blockchain, and quantum are no longer ideas to track, they are systems being built, deployed, and scaled right now. Following the Convergence Policy Summit on May 27, this summit moves the conversation from policy to production - what's working, what's not, and what comes next.

​Come find out:

• ​The Reality Gap: What’s real vs. what’s hype in 2026.

• ​The Hard Truths: What actually breaks between a demo and a global deployment.

• ​The Capital: What is getting funded in a "production-first" market.

​Who Should Attend

• ​Founders building in AI, blockchain, quantum, and deep tech

• ​Enterprise leaders deploying emerging tech into production

• ​Platform and infrastructure operators

• ​Investors backing scalable, production-ready companies

​Featured Speakers From

​What to Expect

​⚡ No Hype, No Hedging

​Operators and founders who are shipping tell you what's working — and what isn't.

​🧠 The Signal Shorts

​Fast, focused sessions on the hardest questions in emerging tech, no fluff, no endless panels.

​🚀 Founder Showcases

​See emerging tech in action with demos from high-traction startups.

​🤝 The Room

​Founders, enterprise leaders, operators, and investors. Intimate enough to foster real connections.

​Agenda

​Supported by

​Built in partnership with C:TPI