Impact Engine

Impact Engine is a Chicago based venture capital fund specializing in impact investing. The fund invests in early-stage, for-profit technology businesses that aim to improve education, health, economic empowerment, and resource efficiency. It provides both financial and human capital to these businesses through a network of angel investors and mentors. Impact Engine was founded in 2012 and was managed by Chuck Templeton, founder and former CEO of Open Table.
Under Templeton’s leadership, Impact Engine functioned as a four month seed accelerator for start-ups. In June of 2014, Jessica Droste Yagan, was hired as Impact Engine’s CEO. The company is now raising a fourth fund. Impact Engine’s offices are located inside of 1871, a tech-incubation space in Chicago.
History
Impact Engine was founded as a seed accelerator in 2012 by Jamie Jones, then assistant director of social enterprise at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and Linda Darragh, then director of entrepreneurship and clinical associate professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
In 2011, Jones and Darragh began meeting informally with a group of people with similar investment interest. Later that year, they together organized an ‘Impact Investing’ conference to explore the possibility of launching an accelerator supporting for-profit social ventures.
In 2012, 2013, and 2014 Impact Engine hosted in a 12-week program, in which startups received $20,000 in seed funding, as well as mentorship, training, customer introductions, legal advice, tax consulting, feedback on pro-forma models, marketing, sales strategies, and, workspace at 1871.

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