Get Ready for a Year of Innovation

We're gearing up for another year of connecting, educating and celebrating all innovators in the Chicago region! From the return of our signature events to exciting new initiatives, 2026 is shaping up to be filled with opportunities to learn, grow and get inspired.

Stay tuned for event date announcements and get ready to mark your calendars!

What a night at the 24th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards!

It's safe to say that the 24th annual Chicago Innovation Awards were our best awards yet! The room was electric, the energy was high and over 650 people came together to celebrate the power of innovation in our city.

Congratulations to all the award winners! Thank you to our sponsors! And thank you everyone for being a part of it!

See 2025 Chicago Innovation Award Winners

See photos

Welcome to the Chicago Innovation team, Sullivan Anderson!

We're excited to welcome Sullivan to the Chicago Innovation team as Digital Marketing and Event Coordinator. Sullivan brings fresh energy and creativity, helping grow our reach, strengthen our marketing and make every event experience even better.

Cohort 2 of Chicago Innovation Fellows

Cohort 2 of Chicago Innovation Fellows is off to an incredible start! Over the past two sessions at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, our 10 new Fellows explored everything from Innovation Best Practices to Culture, Values, Leadership, and AI. They've learned from Kellogg faculty, including Tom Kuczmarski, Mohan Sawhney, Susan Kuczmarski, Kris Hammond, and engaged in panel discussions with Chicago Innovation ecosystem members Kevin Willer, Tope Sadiku, Hardik Bhatt, Maria Wynne, Pat Iaconetti, Randy Nornes, and Brenda Darden Wilkerson, who brought real-world perspectives to the classroom. Fellows also began working on their capstone project ideas, setting the foundation for the impactful work ahead.

Learn more about Chicago Innovation Fellows

Enjoy Complimentary Access to Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network's Innovation Breakfast on December 4

We're excited to co-host Innovation Breakfast: How Insights Fuel Innovation with Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN) on December 4, 7:00 am - 9:30 am. This special event will explore how strategic collaborations are driving breakthroughs across the food and beverage industry, from product development to market entry.

Chicago Innovation community members can attend using the comp code ChicagoInnov_comp1204 (case sensitive).

Register here

Findings from Aon's Global Risk Management Survey

Risk is evolving - and so are the strategies to manage it. Aon’s survey reveals how nearly 3,000 leaders in 60+ countries are tackling today’s top risks.

Learn more

The Silent Standoff in America’s Talent Economy: Creating the Path Toward a Unified Future of Work

DeVry’s annual upskilling report, “Bridging the gap: Overcoming a silent standoff in America’s talent economy,” uncovers new insights about how workers and employers are navigating uncertainty in today’s workforce.

Learn more

Celebrating Our Longtime Partner Wintrust and Their Chicago Success

As proud partners of Wintrust for nearly the last 15 years, Chicago Innovation applauds Wintrust's emergence as a major player on the local banking scene. Wintrust works with so many of our Chicago Innovation Award winners. They know how to spot an innovator on the rise, and most importantly, help them grow their business.

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HardTech Summit & mHUB Fourth Revolution Awards

We're excited to highlight an upcoming opportunity from mHUB, our longtime partner doing amazing work to support manufacturing innovators in Chicago.

Join mHUB on March 5^th for the exciting return of the 2026 mHUB HardTech Summit and Fourth Revolution Awards—two distinct events taking place on the same day to celebrate the Midwest as a driving force in hardtech innovation, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and more.

Register here

Nominate here

Nominations due by November 30, 2025

Know a Leader at the Top of Their Industry? Nominate them for Crain’s 40 Under 40

Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 honors the exceptional achievements of young professionals across diverse industries and showcases dynamic leaders who are shaping their communities.

For more than three decades, Crain’s has highlighted CEOs, founders, innovators, and community champions under 40 who are making significant impacts. Through meticulous selection and rigorous editorial review, Crain’s celebrate their contributions and inspire future leaders.

Nominate today
Nominations due by April 17, 2026