Staff

Joey Mak

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, Joey drives Chicago:Blend’s strategic direction and leads its efforts to make VC more inclusive and equitable. With two decades of experience in community and economic development, Joey previously served as Vice President of Programs at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, where he launched the organization’s workforce development program, led diversity and inclusion strategy, and spearheaded its COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. From 2018-23, he served on the board of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, advocating for immigrant and low-income communities.

A member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” honoree, Joey is a lifelong Chicagoan and the son of Cambodian refugees. He is a proud resident of the city’s Uptown community.

Salvador Dueñas

Senior Director of Programs

Salvador Dueñas is the Senior Director of Programs at Chicago:Blend, where he leads the Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship, a program dedicated to helping underrepresented, aspiring VCs break into the industry. Under his leadership, 81% of fellows actively applying to VC roles have secured positions in the industry.

Before joining Chicago:Blend, Sal was the Senior Startups Manager at Future Founders, where he ran accelerator programs to help underrepresented founders achieve product-market fit. During his tenure, startups in the program collectively generated over $300 million in revenue and created more than 1,700 jobs. In 2021, Sal was named on the "25 Under 25" list by Chicago Inno.