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This Is The Way
71 North Updates
71 NORTH
September 15, 2026
This Is The Way
Can you believe it’s been nearly three years since the 71 North Pulse first started publishing articles? The very first Pulse article came out on October 24, 2023. We’re about one month away from its birthday, so this week, we’re taking a moment to look back at our history and admire how far we’ve come.
In the beginning, the Pulse’s purpose was to provide its readers with a roundup of news, member spotlights, a calendar of upcoming events and workshops, and other valuable resources to ensure everyone stays in sync with “pulse” of the studio. In that sense, this newsletter hasn’t changed, but as the years went on and we polished our craft, it’s become something of a marvel. From a mere seven subscribers to well over 100, it’s been quite the ride.
A few months into working on the Pulse, we decided to format our post titles as “The ____ Way.” It became standard practice, and it hasn’t changed since… until today. With the addition of more studio members, we’re able to expand our workload and experiment with more templates, colors, and compositions, and with that, our titles.
Since October 24, 2023, we’ve written over 100 Pulse articles and maintained an open rate in the top 40%! It’s incredible how much care has gone into the Pulse over the years, and we think it shows.
In the future, you might notice more changes to this newsletter, so keep your eyes peeled for updates and special editions! A big change you’ll definitely notice is that we’re phasing out our big and busy calendar section in favor of an embed that’s easier to navigate and visually smoother. It’s a little easier to work with on our end, too. We hope you enjoy!
Now, some updates from the Studio. The tenth episode of our podcast, 71 North - Our Way is out! It focuses on the practical mechanics behind collaboration at 71 North, like utilizing the blocker format and living documentation, as well as two frameworks that support collaboration and reciprocal relationships between the studio and its members.
We’re celebrating the first Northern Exposure event of this semester, where we’ll hear from Professor Richard Ortiz about his research in graph theory, network analysis, and neuroscience. Northern Exposure is a program hosted by the studio that invites NIU professors to share their research with students in a format that the everyday person can understand. It’s accessible, engaging, and friendly conversation that makes complex ideas easy to comprehend, and it connects people who might not otherwise meet each other.
Two new events that you might not have seen before are popping up this week: Coffice Hours and Foundry Exchange. Beginning with Foundry Exchange, which is based in the Innovation Foundry program, this event is a weekly gathering for people actively pursuing the entrepreneurial journey. The meeting’s format will change depending on the needs of the community. It might revolve around pitch practice one day and funding preparation another. In any case, it’s a great way for entrepreneurs at any stage to come together and learn from those ahead of them and contribute to those coming up behind them.
Coffice Hours, on the other hand, focuses on a broader demographic - students, faculty, and local innovators - all of whom are encouraged to drop in and connect with whoever is in attendance. And of course, as the name implies, there will be coffee!
We hope to see you in the studio!
“Always be a little unexpected.”
🗓Week’s Schedule: September 15th-21st
Tuesday:
9:00-11:00 AM: Morning Brew & Write - NIU Faculty - are you looking for more time to write? We can’t give you more time, but we can provide accountability, community, and coffee to fuel your writing goals.
Come build sustainable writing habits with fellow faculty every Tuesday 9:00-11:00 AM at 71 North Innovation Partnership Studio (Founders Library lower level).
Schedule:
8:30-9:00 - Slow arrival with coffee & community connection
9:00-9:10 - Goal setting
9:10-10:50 - Focused writing
10:50-11:00 - Wrap-up & goal check-in
Perfect for: Journal articles, book chapters, grant proposals, any writing project.
Open to: All faculty across all disciplines.
No editing or reading of each other's papers required - just keeping each other accountable, focused, and moving writing projects forward.
Contact Dr. Anna Klis ([email protected]) or Dr. Matthew Deitch ([email protected]).
1:30-2:30 PM: Coffice Hours - A creative hub where students, faculty, and local makers collide. Drop in during office hours and connect with studio member. A splash of curiosity, good work, good company.
3:00-5:00 PM: Mindful Art Creation by CHILL - CHILL is a collaborative program at 71 North Partnership Studio that brings together students, faculty, and community partners to explore new approaches to health and innovation.
5:00-7:00 PM: Fiber Arts Club Meeting - We share a love of fiber arts, an art form encompassing many practices such as sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery, needle felting, and more!
5:00-7:00 PM: Tech Tacos: TinkerCAD and 3D Printing - Each Tuesday, we’ll dive into a different topic, from coding basics and GitHub to AI and trending tech innovations. Our presentations are designed to be engaging and accessible, ensuring everyone can join the tech conversation, no matter your level of expertise.
Wednesday:
1:00-2:00 PM: L&AP Agile - Lean & Agile Community of Practice (L&AP) is a vibrant and dynamic community for professionals passionate about improving their skills and knowledge in Lean and Agile methodologies. Grow your skills, expand your knowledge, and connect with a community of professionals dedicated to continuous improvement.
5:00-6:30 PM: Huskie Hackers - Huskie Hackers is a computer science club at Northern Illinois University dedicated to building coding skills through teamwork, creativity, and fun.
At NIU, getting real team-coding experience during classes can be challenging, so we create a collaborative, supportive environment where you can learn, experiment, and grow alongside other passionate programmers. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, we make building cool projects exciting again.
5:00-6:00 PM: Wired Wednesday - Join us for Wired Wednesday, where we unplug from electronics and form in-person connections. This hour of conversation invites us to put our devices down and engage in meaningful dialogue full of ideas, curiosity, and connection.
Thursday:
4:00-7:00 PM: IGDO General Meeting - Come learn how to make video games with the NIU Indie Game Developers organization!
4:00-5:00 PM: Product Development Lifecycle: Definition - Explore each stage of development from the ground up: how to identify real market needs, research your competition, define your target audience, and validate a concept before a single line of code is written.
5:00-6:00 PM: Foundry Exchange - Foundry Exchange is the weekly gathering place for people actively pursuing the entrepreneurial journey. Some are developing their first idea. Others are testing, building, launching, seeking funding, or growing a venture. What they share is a commitment to moving forward.
5:00-6:00 PM: Innovation Club - The Innovation Club is an inclusive student-led organization welcoming creative thinkers from all corners of campus who are interested in making the world a better place.
Friday:
1:00-2:00 PM: NIU Garden Club Meeting - NIU Garden Club will tag butterflies at this meeting. To locate the meeting, join our email group or Discord, linked in Luma.
1:00-2:00 PM: Northern Exposure: Richard Ortiz - Faculty explain their work the way they might to a friend over coffee, making complex ideas understandable and their passion for discovery contagious.
5:00-7:00 PM: Fiber Arts Club Meeting - We share a love of fiber arts, an art form encompassing many practices such as sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery, needle felting, and more!
Monday:
5:00-6:30 PM: Huskie Hackers - Huskie Hackers is a computer science club at Northern Illinois University dedicated to building coding skills through teamwork, creativity, and fun.
71 North Luma Calendar:
Looking Ahead:
Demo Day is approaching fast and it’s gonna be bigger and better than ever before! Demo Day is an opportunity to showcase projects, prototypes, experiments, and ideas. It’s about sharing progress, gathering feedback, and discovering new opportunities for collaboration. Hosted by yours truly, we look forward to seeing you on November 13th!
Looking Back:
Almost exactly one year ago, we launched Northern Exposure at the studio, giving students direct access to active researchers. It’s incredible to see how far the program has come in only one year!
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