# Terry Howerton

> Terry Howerton is the Chicago-based cofounder and CEO of TechNexus Venture Collaborative, where he connects early-stage companies with corporate investors and operating partners. An entrepreneur since his teens, he also cofounded Chicago Tech Academy and the Illinois Technology Association, and writes about entrepreneurship, corporate growth and regional innovation.

- **Role:** Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at TechNexus Venture Collaborative
- **Organizations:** TechNexus Venture Collaborative, Chicago Tech Academy, Illinois Technology Association, FastRoot
- **Known for:** Cofounded TechNexus in 2007 with Fred Hoch., Cofounded Chicago Tech Academy, a public high school connecting technology and entrepreneurship education with industry relationships., Founded the Illinois Technology Association.

## Career timeline

- **Age 15** — Started a publishing business offering an improved local phone directory in southwestern Missouri.
- **1991** — Left college to start a publishing company.
- **1997** — Ran a Boy Scouts online community and e-commerce business employing 25 people, according to a 2012 career account.
- **2001** — Moved to Chicago and launched FastRoot, a hosting and software-delivery business.
- **2005** — Founded the Illinois Technology Association.
- **2007** — Cofounded TechNexus with Fred Hoch.
- **2009** — Chicago Tech Academy, which he cofounded, opened in September.
- **2017** — Returned as Chicago Tech Academy board chairman for a second term; TechNexus and Brunswick announced a joint venture in September.
- **2021** — Appeared with Fred Hoch in a Chicago Venture Summit fireside chat moderated by Alya Woods.
- **2026** — Wrote about connecting Midwest university research, industrial markets and strategic capital.

## Achievements

- Cofounded TechNexus in 2007 with Fred Hoch.
- Cofounded Chicago Tech Academy, a public high school connecting technology and entrepreneurship education with industry relationships.
- Founded the Illinois Technology Association.
- Leads a firm reporting stakes in more than 150 portfolio companies whose businesses have raised more than $4 billion in follow-on capital.
- Helped develop corporate venture partnerships including Brunswick and THOR Industries.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Interviewed with Fred Hoch about the TechNexus model for corporate-startup collaboration in Global Corporate Venturing on June 9.
- **2026-02** — Published “Where the Midwest Should Replicate Silicon Valley” in StartMidwest on February 26.
- **2025-10** — Discussed Chicago’s corporate base, AI adoption and regional innovation in a StartMidwest interview published October 24.
- **2025-09** — Spoke on a collaborative technology ecosystems panel at the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable summit in Washington, DC, on September 16.

## Links

- Website: https://www.terryhowerton.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryhowerton/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/terryhowerton

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/terry-howerton
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09