Distillery Labs

Doug Cruitt says he hopes to build on his past successes - and his failures - as the new executive director of Peoria's Distillery Labs tech and innovation center.

The accelerator program provides business founders with entrepreneurial coaching and access to a network of mentors, partners and investors.

A recent agreement approved by the Peoria City Council may be the first of its kind in Illinois — putting Peoria on the map as a so-called “smart city.”

Getting a nascent company off the ground isn't easy. Just ask Caroline LaHood.

The gBETA program came to Peoria through Gener8tor, a startup accelerator based in Madison, Wisconsin, which helps entrepreneurs tap into a network of investors and partners across the country.

It's been more than three years since plans for a downtown Peoria innovation hub were first announced. What's happening there now?

Distillery Labs is slated to open in the former ICC Thomas building in downtown Peoria next spring. It's just one hub of the Illinois Innovation Network, organized under the University of Illinois umbrella.

Governor JB Pritzker is setting an ambitious goal to get a million electric vehicles on Illinois roadways by 2030. To make that happen, state transportation secretary Omer Osman says a massive build-out of charging stations is needed - and fast.

The future of mobility lies in connected, autonomous, shared and electric tech.

Paul Leamon feels he’s up to the challenge of getting Distillery Labs, the technology and innovation center coming to downtown Peoria next year, off the…