Hello Chicago, this is Ryan Graves, and I’m pleased to announce the beginnings of FounderFire. Our goal is to foster the Chicago & Midwest startup communities!

FounderFire is a group of Chicago startup entrepreneurs & investors dedicated to educating and helping each other and working to inspire the next generation of internet startups. We meet monthly over dinner to discuss relevant topics in technology & entrepreneurship, connect with new people & companies, and share our knowledge & experience.

The co-founders of FounderFire are Ryan Graves & John Fairley; although there are plenty of other supporters of the crew.  FounderFire draws inspiration from (and plagiarizes liberally) Startup2Startup, Round Zero, Silicon Forum, and numerous other previous & future entrepreneurial events.

The primary goals of FounderFire’s are:

• Sharing of startup founder experiences
• Connect great people, specifically the experience and the new talent
• Focus on 1 notable/applicable technology or entrepreneurial topic each month
• also… Eat, drink, and have a good time.

At the very least, we plan to get the last one right.

We do have 1 Rule:

Dinners are absolutely, positively not open to job seekers, consultants, vendors or service providers of any type. If you even try to sell your product or services during dinner, you’ll be on thin ice and at risk of being banned from future events. These dinners are meant to build a cohesive entrepreneurial community and that happens when people get to know each other and don’t have to avoid being pitched to. If investors are at dinner and you are looking for money, absolutely do not pitch them during dinner. It is very likely that no one else at the table wants to hear your pleas for money. Feel free to get contact information and follow up after dinner but just not during dinner.

(inspired by Startup Dinner in Atlanta)

There will be more to come from FounderFire in the very near future. We’ll have an event in October 2009. Check back for date and venue details. We ask that you would share FounderFire with your startup colleagues and we’ll be seeing you soon.