John Pletz and Crain’s Chicago Business did a nice job highlighting some of the back story on Excelerate Labs this week.

“The main stage at the House of Blues is 40 by 20 feet, the centerpiece of a dark vaudevillian space that holds 1,300. It’s where you go to cash in.

The conference room at Excelerate Labs in 1871 at the Merchandise Mart is just 10 by 15 feet, stark, bright and white, with room for about a dozen. It’s where you go to pay your dues.

The entrepreneurs who come to Excelerate hoping to launch their companies as the next big thing don’t get their 10 minutes in the spotlight at the House of Blues in front of venture capitalists without spending hours polishing their pitches before Troy Henikoff and Sam Yagan, who lead the 90-day boot camp where startup dreams get reinforced, realized and sometimes ripped to shreds…”  Read entire article on Crain’s site