Save the date for our 2025 gBETA Distillery Labs Showcase event!
Join us in celebrating a night of innovation and entrepreneurship within the Greater Peoria region highlighting (5) of our community's best and brightest startups + founders.
Run of Show:
5:00- 5:45pm Open Networking + Welcome Reception
5:45- 6:00pm Opening Remarks
6:00- 7:30 Founder Pitches + Keynote
7:30- 8:00pm Closing Remarks + Founder Area for Q&A post show
Located at Distillery Labs, and hosted in partnership through Peoria County, OSF HealthCare, Distillery Labs, Hanson, INB and attollo, gener8tor is proud to present our latest cohort graduates: enterN, Glass Logic, Midwest BioProcessing Center, Omneurex and Rehab Ranger.
Complimentary bar and appetizers provided.
Please RSVP via the registration link.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT
Danielle Scarzello
gBETA Distillery Labs Program Manager
gener8tor
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Greater Peoria startups take the stage at
gBETA Distillery Labs Showcase July 2
Peoria, IL – Global venture firm and startup accelerator network gener8tor, in partnership with OSF HealthCare, Peoria County, announces its upcoming gBETA Distillery Labs Showcase event July 2, 2025, at Distillery Labs in downtown Peoria. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. with networking and refreshments, then transition to the Showcase Event, featuring all five of the
companies that graduated from the Spring 2025 cohort of the gBETA program.
gBETA Distillery Labs is made possible through a partnership with OSF HealthCare, Peoria County, Hanson, INB and Attollo. The program is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with startups for no fees and no equity. Each cohort is capped at five companies and participants receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, corporate partners and investors. The program is designed to help startups gain early customer traction on their product or idea and establish metrics that can make them competitive applicants for full-time, equity-based accelerators or seed investment.
“Our Showcase events are always a moment the cohort and I look forward to,” said Danielle Scarzello, gBETA Distillery Labs Program Manager. “It’s truly a moment to not only celebrate innovation and the spirit of entrepreneurship, but to celebrate hard work, grit and determination and to hopefully inspire our community as well.”
gBETA Distillery Labs launched in the Fall of 2021 and has since completed seven accelerator programs that have supported 34 companies. Five of these startups will deliver a pitch to an audience of mentors, investors and community members.
“Showcase is an opportunity for early-stage startups to capture an audience of supporters,” said Nate Domenighini, gBETA Associate VP. “Our hope is that this event serves as a catalyst for future opportunities in the founders’ pursuit of growth and success.”
“This Showcase is a celebration of the type of curated serendipity that happens at Distillery Labs — when preparation meets opportunity and founders seize the moment,” said Doug Cruitt, Executive Director for Distillery Labs, “These five startups didn’t wait for permission — they built. They didn’t just complete an accelerator — they accelerated Peoria’s future. This is a front-row seat to what happens when vision meets execution in the heart of the Midwest — and why we believe Peoria is on its way to becoming a top 25 global startup ecosystem.”
The gBETA Distillery Labs program is hosted once per year with five local companies accepted per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention and bespoke programming. gBETA
works with companies across all industries and business models.
Startups interested in applying should contact gBETA Program Manager Danielle Scarzello at
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The next upcoming program is gALPHA, a 4 week ideation workshop open to all, with a deadline to apply by August 24th. All applicants can apply via the gener8tor website here.
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About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with
companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 46 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries.
Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
About gBETA
gBETA is a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. This accelerator supports five startups per cohort and requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised $842M+ in capital and created 5,200+ jobs across the U.S. and Canada.
About Distillery Labs
Distillery Labs is a 30,000 square-foot innovation hub located in the heart of downtown Peoria, Illinois. As part of the Illinois Innovation Network, we exist to educate, motivate, inspire, and
connect entrepreneurs at every stage. Our space includes a state-of-the-art makerspace, podcast and photography studios, a shared commercial kitchen, and flexible coworking and office options for startups and small businesses.
Distillery Labs is also home to some of the region’s leading economic and community-building organizations, including the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, the Peoria Area
Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Business Development Center, two radio stations, and more than 50 startups—with capacity to grow even further. Whether you’re launching a new idea or scaling a thriving business, Distillery Labs is where innovation in Central Illinois finds its voice, its community, and its momentum.
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