Our professional future is no longer about job security. It’s about skills security. But what skills are needed today to be the innovator of tomorrow? 

Join us on October 8th for this special event co-hosted by Chicago Innovation, The Second City, and World Business Chicago as we discuss how to balance an

ever-evolving digital fluency with our increasingly critical

human-centered intuition.

The Chicago Innovation Awards is the largest annual celebration

of innovation in the Chicago region, spanning industries, startups and corporations, nonprofits and for-profits, high-tech to no-tech.

Save the date: November 13th.

Join us at the UIC Forum for the 24th Annual Chicago Innovation Awards, an unforgettable night of inspiration, recognition and celebration, where 20 winners will be honored.

Chicago Innovation Fellows Cohort 2: Apply by October 1st

Chicago Innovation Fellows is a practical innovation-focused leadership program designed to cultivate world-class innovation leaders and connect executives to the Chicago Innovation ecosystem.

What Our Fellows Have to Say

"Chicago Innovation’s 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees" by Judy Carmack Bross in Classic Chicago Magazine 

Judy Carmack Bross highlights our record-breaking In-Gala, where honorees Rick Bayless, Kevin Boehm and Claire Babineaux-Fontenot were inducted into the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame. 

Read full article here

"AI Blows Into The Windy City" by Chicago Innovation Summer Intern Jeb Scipio del Campo

Read full article here

The Cyber Crisis is Escalating: Are We Training People Fast Enough?

What if bands of bandits relentlessly stormed understaffed banks across this country every few seconds, escaping scot-free with handfuls of stacks of hundred-dollar bills? DeVry University CEO Elise Awwad would be skeptical that we would label it a labor shortage. We would call it a national emergency. I present this cinematic metaphor to underscore the scope and urgency that we must attach to a very real crisis in cybersecurity. 

Read here

You’re Invited: Crain’s Real Estate Breakfast    

Don’t miss Crain’s Chicago Business Real Estate Breakfast on Tuesday, October 8 at Allium Events, where industry experts will explore how the connection between the Loop and Fulton Market District is shaping new opportunities for development and business in Chicago.

Get tickets here

OpTech 2025, October 20–22

Get tickets here

Shaping the Future of 
Smart Human-Centered Manufacturing

The Metals Hub and Daley College MTEC invite you to Forge5 featuring smartXchange — a half-day summit uniting manufacturers, technology leaders, and innovators to explore how Industry 5.0 is transforming the way we design, produce, and collaborate.

Wednesday, October 22

8am – 12:30pm

Get tickets here

The Handy Helper by Harper, Presley and Brinley, 4th graders

4th graders Harper, Presley, and Brinley are developing The Handy Helper, a tool that enables washing your hands with only one hand through a simple and effective design.

Lost Lotion by Ahtziri Diaz, 7th grader

7th grader Ahtziri is creating Lost Lotion, a redesign that makes it easier to fully use every drop of lotion without waste.

PyroShield by Rayan Zaidi, 8th grader

8th grader Rayan is developing Pyroshield, a safety device that uses sensors to alert people when a candle is left unattended.

Illinois' Young Inventors Take the Spotlight on Billboards

We are proud to celebrate K-8th grade student inventors, their teachers, and their families who are proving that innovation can come from any age and any classroom.