Everything Is the Way It Is. Because Someone (Like You) Changed the Way That It Was.

Inside the mindset shift powering AI and Web3 disruption at the 1871 Emerging Tech Summit in Chicago

Most people show up to learn what's new.

The ones who will lead what’s next? They show up to unlock what's possible.

That’s the message Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871, delivered as she kicked off the Emerging Tech Summit in Chicago, an inspiring two-day convergence of AI, Web3 infrastructure, and the leaders building the future.

But what struck me most wasn’t the tech, it was the tone.

This wasn't just an event about innovation. It was a call to create. To rewire our assumptions. To step into the chaos and build anyway.

The Exponential Mindset Shift

Betsy offered a thought experiment: What’s farther, 30 linear steps or 30 exponential ones?

30 linear steps might take you across the room. 30 exponential steps take you around the globe 26 times.

That's the pace of change we’re in. That’s what emerging tech, AI and Web3, is unlocking. And that’s why our brains, still wired for local and linear thinking, need a reboot.

Because what's coming isn’t incremental. It’s exponential.

And it’s going to take mindset, community, and real responsibility to shape that future.

Founders and Builders: The Real Story

This year's summit marked the largest Emerging Tech event 1871 has ever hosted. It also marked their last signature event in the iconic Merchandise Mart auditorium, a bittersweet send-off to a space where thousands of founders have pitched, pivoted, and grown.

But if there was nostalgia in the air, it was matched with momentum.

As Betsy reminded the room, the name 1871 itself commemorates a rebuild, the rebirth of Chicago after the Great Fire.

That spirit still runs deep. Especially among the startup founders who raised their hands when Betsy asked: "Who's building the future?"

That’s who this summit was for. Not just to hear what’s happening in AI and Web3, but to see themselves as a force that shapes it.

The Real Transformation Isn't the Tech, It’s the People

Betsy closed with a powerful reframing of innovation:

Emerging tech is not the story. People are. The real transformation happens when we decide how to apply these technologies, who we build for, and how many voices we bring into the process. - Betsy Ziegler, CEO, 1871

That message hit home.

Whether you're leading a startup, navigating corporate change, or just starting your AI journey, it's not about chasing the next shiny object. It's about grounding innovation in community, courage, and collaboration.

Because as Christopher Lochhead puts it:

Everything is the way that it is. Because someone (like you) changed the way that it was. - Christopher Lochhead

Let's not forget that.

Are you showing up to learn what's new, or to unlock what’s possible?

Either way, your next exponential step might just change what’s possible for all of us.

About the Author

Jason Hauer is CEO of HauerX Holdings and an Inc. 500 honoree. He partners with commercial AI tech and solutions companies to turn ambition into market leadership.