Joey Mak is Chicago:Blend’s first executive director and leads the organization’s efforts to build a more inclusive venture capital and startup community for the region. Before joining Blend in 2021, Mak was the vice president of programs at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, where he created their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative and oversaw the Chamber’s COVID-19 economic recovery task force. Prior, Mak served as director of innovation & economic development for University of Illinois System and as a deputy director at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. 

Mak currently serves on the board of directors for the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, a non-profit social services agency serving low-income immigrants and refugees. In 2019, Mak was included on the Notable LBGTQ Executives list by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is a proud resident of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.