[FORGE]
Forge 2026

March 28-29 | Chicago

APPLY HERE

Forge is the Midwest's largest student-run startup weekend! Connect with VCs, entrepreneurs, and top student startups, pitch for prizes, attend workshops, and refine your ideas!

FORGE 2025 WINNERS

1st Place

InstaEnglish

InstaEnglish is your personal English-speaking coach in your pocket. We help English learners reach conversational fluency in just 10 months — no fluff, just smart cramming. Since launching in Japan in 2024, we've broken into the top 50 educational apps on the Apple App Store. Powered by a multilingual team fluent in 7 languages, we're now gearing up for global expansion to capture a share of the $340B language learning market.

2nd Place

LaneTrax

Bowling analytics is broken—less than 5% of alleys have tracking systems. LaneTrax removes this barrier by turning any phone into a tracking device so every bowler can analyze, improve, and dominate.

3rd Place

VeriGuard

VeriGuard is an AI-powered platform that helps media and PR teams detect deepfakes in real time—protecting brands from misinformation, fraud, and reputational harm.

FORGE 2025 SPEAKERS, MENTORS & JUDGES

Keynote Speaker:

  • Priya Shah, The Simple Good
  • Abin Kuriakose, World Business Chicago
  • Bob Okabe, Discovery Partners Institute

Judges:

  • Nick Arnett, 1517
  • Lynette Correa-Velez, HACE
  • Ilan Pragaspathy, TDS
  • Catrina Patton, Rise8
  • Nadia Vedhapudi, Culligan ZeroWater
  • Liz Yuhas, Chicago Blend
  • Brittany Canty, Inciteful

Mentors:

  • Advay Gupta, PathLit AI
  • Joshua Love, Zite AI
  • Alex Kosyakov, Natrion, 30u30
  • Nick Militello, Omnipher
  • Eric Mills, BlackInk AI
  • Marshall Budin, Pharus
  • Jake Marmulstein, Janover Connect
  • Josh Jay James, Other.OOO
  • Peter Pellizzari, Threadable
  • Catrina Patton, Women in Product
  • Nadia Vedhapudi, Culligan ZeroWater