mHUB Forms Independent Board for mHUB Ventures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Press Contact:
Kim Blomquist 
872.222.5279 
kim@mhub.org 

mHUB Forms Independent Board to Guide Investment Strategy and Growth   

(CHICAGO — December 17, 2025) — mHUB has announced the formation of a new board of directors to support the investment strategy and growth of mHUB Ventures, a wholly-owned entity, established as the investment management company of mHUB.

The mHUB Ventures Board will provide strategic guidance, governance and fiduciary oversight, and seasoned investment expertise to support the growth of its venture funds, accelerator programs, and real estate investment activity. The board was established with three members that were selected by the mHUB Board of Directors to serve dual appointments on both the mHUB Ventures and mHUB nonprofit boards, two members of the mHUB management team, and two independent board members. 

"As we grow our investment platform, this board will play a critical role in shaping not only our capital strategy but also our emerging real estate investment activity,” said Haven Allen, mHUB CEO and Co-founder. “Their expertise positions mHUB Ventures to expand its footprint, launch new investment vehicles, and strengthen the pipeline of hardtech innovation across the Midwest. I’m proud to welcome such distinguished leaders to our inaugural board.”

"mHUB Ventures is already proving how targeted investment in hardtech can attract exceptional founders and technical talent to Chicago,” said Steven Koch, member of the mHUB Ventures Board of Directors. “By accelerating business creation and anchoring more of these companies here, we strengthen the city’s position as a national leader in manufacturing-driven innovation. The growth of mHUB Ventures has real economic implications—not just for the companies we back, but for the neighborhoods and communities that benefit from new jobs, new facilities, and sustained investment.”

Board members include nationally recognized leaders in real estate, private equity, venture capital, economic development, and corporate strategy—with collective experience spanning multibillion-dollar developments, institutional investments, and executive leadership at global firms.

The inaugural mHUB Ventures board includes the following:  

• Haven Allen (President of mHUB and Managing Director of mHUB Ventures Board of Directors) Haven is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of mHUB, leading national efforts to accelerate hardtech innovation and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. Since 2017, he has guided mHUB’s rapid growth with a foundation in entrepreneurship, public policy, and economic development. He serves on key national and regional advisory councils, shaping policy and supporting emerging innovators.
   
• Meredith O’Connor (Chair of the mHUB Board of Directors and member of mHUB Ventures Board of Directors): Meredith is JLL’s Vice Chairman and Leader of the Advanced Manufacturing and Economic Incentives Practice. Meredith brings over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate, providing expertise in tenant representation, business and economic incentives, zoning and land use, acquisitions and dispositions, strategic consulting, financial analysis and developing services.
   
• Steve Koch (member of both mHUB and mHUB Ventures Boards of Directors): Steve served as Deputy Mayor of Chicago from 2012–2017, overseeing economic development and municipal finance. He spent 27 years at Credit Suisse, where he co-led the global M&A group and advised on over $1 trillion in transactions. He later served as Co-Executive Chairman and interim CEO of Motivate, North America’s largest bike share operator. Steven currently serves on several civic and innovation-focused boards.
   
• Manas Mehandru (Treasurer of mHUB and Managing Director of mHUB Ventures Board of Directors) Manas is the Chief Operating Officer of mHUB, where he drives organizational efficiency, operational excellence, and financial performance. Working at the intersection of innovation, product development, and strategy, he brings a strong track record of guiding teams and scaling systems that support growth and played a formative role in shaping the early strategy for what would become mHUB. 

• Jonathan Romick (member of the mHUB Ventures Board of Directors): Jonathan Romick is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Linden Capital Partners where he oversees legal and compliance matters for the management company, its private funds, and portfolio companies. Jonathan has over 20 years of experience as general counsel and CCO in private equity and real estate investment and serves on the board of Abundant Venture Partners. 

• Michael Wallach (member of the mHUB Ventures Board of Directors): Michael is Head of Alternative Investments for Levy Family Partners, the Family Office of Larry Levy (Founder and former CEO of Levy Restaurants). Michael oversees the family’s venture & private equity investments including a global portfolio of direct and fund investments. In this capacity, he is responsible for deal origination, due diligence and fostering strategic relationships to maximize return potential. Over his career he has worked across the finance and investment sector.
  
  
• Kevin Willer (Chair emeritus of mHUB Board of Directors and member of mHUB Ventures Board of Directors): Kevin has been a key advisor since mHUB's founding in 2017. As a Partner at Chicago Ventures, he leads early-stage investments and supports high-growth startups across the Midwest. Kevin was the founding CEO of 1871, now one of the country’s top startup incubators, where he helped position Chicago as a national tech hub. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at Google, where he helped launch and scale the company’s Chicago office and its broader Midwest business.   
   

About mHUB Ventures
mHUB Ventures is the investment management arm of mHUB, governing both venture capital and real estate funds to accelerate hardtech innovation and strengthen U.S. industrial competitiveness. Its venture platform invests in early-stage startups across energy, medical technology, and advanced manufacturing, leveraging mHUB’s world-class prototyping facilities, engineering talent, and corporate partnerships to reduce risk and speed commercialization. Its real estate platform focuses on transformative industrial redevelopment and next-generation manufacturing facilities designed to support the full lifecycle of product development. Together, these integrated platforms create a unique engine for scaling physical technologies and driving manufacturing industry growth. 

About mHUB
mHUB is the nation’s leading independent innovation center dedicated to accelerating hardtech development—where physical products are designed, built, and launched to solve real-world challenges in energy, healthcare, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing. At the intersection of innovation and industry, mHUB incubates high-potential startups to commercialize critical technologies faster and with intention. Based in Chicago, mHUB operates an 80,000+ square-foot prototyping and micro-factory alongside deep technical and entrepreneurial mentorship, a robust investor and pilot network, and U.S.-based suppliers and manufacturing expertise. mHUB’s model includes mHUB Ventures, which has invested in 54 startups across smart and sustainable manufacturing, energy tech, and medtech, and HardTech Development Services, an R&D consultancy for manufacturers. Since launching in 2017, mHUB has supported over 1,200 entrepreneurs and 500 startups that have generated more than $1.96B in revenue, launched over 1,700 products, created nearly 7,000 jobs, and raised over $2B in capital. mHUB plays a critical role in strengthening U.S. competitiveness and building the physical future from the heart of the Midwest.