From Chicago On Innovation | | To ensure more innovators have the support and connections needed to thrive, The Ladder, launched in 2022 and run by Chicago Innovation in partnership with i.c. stars, provides mentorship, community, and career acceleration to Black and Latine innovators. We are proud to be currently working with our ninth cohort! | | | | Navigated professional challenges | | The Ladder Advisory Board | | Chicago Youth Centers; Strong Community Collective LLC | Sr. Director of Strategic Initiatives; Founder | | Perspectives Charter Schools | Director of Operations, Events and Partnerships | | Meet the Mentors of Cohort 9 | | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois | Director — Talent Acquisition | | Chicago Scholars; Reach Pathways | | | LatinX Digital Leaders Now NFP and CSC Consulting Group (IT firm) | | | Director of Community Partnerships | | Insights from The Ladder Participant | | | | “The program definitely paired me with someone who was able to help me tremendously with my career trajectory.” | – Ivy S. Ellis, Executive Director of NWHEAP and Housing Champion | | Thank You to Our Program Sponsors | | VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE EVENT | Innovation In Action: Reimagining Organizational Design with AI on March 6,
9-11 AM | | |
Innovation In Action convenes the region’s innovators to ideate against big challenges and opportunities. This session, done in partnership between Chicago Innovation, Accenture,
McDonald’s and the Institute for Work and the Economy, is focused on answering the following question:
“How can we reimagine the design of today’s organizations to ensure they’re best equipped for an AI-enabled workforce of the future?”
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Innovating Our Health & Wellness
March 31, 5-7:45 PM
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Illinois Tech
565 W Adams St
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Join us next at Innovating Our Health and Wellness, a forward-looking gathering focused on taking human health to the next level. Featuring a panel of health and wellness innovators, this event is designed to change the way you perceive what’s possible for the future of human well-being.
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Gain fresh insights into the latest innovations shaping health and wellness
- Sample food, drinks and products designed to boost your own well-being
- Build meaningful connections with innovators who are driving real change
| | Chicago Innovation Monthly Poll | | Chicago has been shaped by generations of Black inventors. Which legacy inspires you the most? | | |
| Winning Black-Led Organizations | 2025 Chicago Innovation Awards | Innovation thrives when diverse perspectives take the lead. We are proud to honor the visionary Black-led organizations that won the 2025 Chicago Innovation Award. | | |
Sunshine Enterprises
Community Micro Equity Fund
| The Community Micro Equity Fund, the first of its kind, creates the most comprehensive small business development and equity-like capital expansion program in Chicago, the region, and the nation. There is an Equity Capital Gap for Black, low-to-moderate income, and other diverse entrepreneurs. | | | Urban Growers Collective
Green Era Anaerobic Digester | Green Era operates Chicago’s flagship food-waste-only anaerobic digester. By partnering with UGC, they create a true closed loop: food waste becomes energy to power homes and compost to fuel urban agriculture. | | | Xchange Chicago offers a dynamic new business model — one that creates powerful opportunities for local talent, commercial growth, and community impact. Anchored by its onshore IT delivery center, Xchange Chicago aims to reshore $1 billion of the $16.5 billion that Chicagoland corporations invest annually in third-party IT services. | | | Chicago Innovation Fellows: Inside Session 4 | |
On January 20, cohort 3 of the Chicago Innovation Fellows gathered at Kellogg's Wieboldt Hall for our 4th session of deep-dive learning:
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Intellectual Property: Kellogg Professor James Conley on leveraging IP and branding for innovation.
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Scaling a Brand: Luke Saunders, Founder & CEO, Farmer’s Fridge, on his journey building a successful brand.
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Branding Panel: Insights on personal and organizational branding from Megan McCann, Larry Deutsch, and Matthew Doubleday.
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Improv for Business: Cohort member Gretchen Eng led a high-energy session on presenting ideas through the lens of improv.
To learn more about Chicago Innovation Fellows program, visit our website.
| | Reflecting on The Innovation Forecast: The Next 25 Years on February 19 | |
As we celebrate Chicago Innovation’s 25th anniversary, we turn our focus to the next 25 years of innovation.
Our panelists’ brilliant minds brought the future into focus—offering insights that felt bold, tangible, and inspiring. Attendees left inspired and ready to take action towards educating themselves about the future.
View event photos here
| | Empower the next generation of Inventors: Judge the Illinois Student Invention Convention on March 14 | |
We’re seeking judges to evaluate students’ inventions virtually on March 14th. It’s a fantastic way to witness creativity in action.
Sign up closes on March 2nd!
| | We're hiring: Summer 2026 Interns | |
We're excited to announce that we are hiring for our Summer 2026 Internship Program! This paid opportunity, starting in May or June, offers a front-row seat to the local innovation ecosystem. Interns play a supportive role in various Chicago Innovation events and programs that advance our "innovation is for everyone" vision.
Learn more here
| | Alight extends collaboration with Chicago Innovation through 2026 | |
We are thrilled to announce that Alight has extended its Bronze Sponsorship of Chicago Innovation through 2026. This sponsorship is a testament to our shared commitment to building a community of innovators while keeping inclusivity at the center.
Read the full press release here
| | DeVry University Releases 2025 Impact Report | |
DeVry University released its annual Impact Report, offering a detailed look at how the institution serves students, corporate partners and the communities it operates within.
Read more here
| | Aberdeen Advisors recognized Vault's Top 50 Consulting Firms in North America | |
A huge congratulations to our Illinois Student Invention Convention sponsor, Aberdeen Advisors, for being named #29 on Vault’s Top 50 Consulting Firms in North America!
Read more here
| | SuiteConnect Chicago— March 4 | You're invited to join @NetSuite at #SuiteConnect Chicago on March 4! This one-day event designed for CFOs and finance leaders is packed with expert insights, AI innovation sessions, and the latest updates on the future of NetSuite: NetSuite Next. | | Pilot Your Idea at Chicago Startup Weekend | |
Chicago Startup Weekend powered by Future Founders is a hackathon-style event where 50 emerging entrepreneurs are invited to build and pitch a new startup idea over the course of just 54 hours. In the end, founding teams will pitch and compete for a prize pool of $5K. Emerging entrepreneurs of all experience levels are welcome to apply on our website by March 1.
April 10-12
mHUB
| | MEX talks: Fuerza Mexicana on May 7 | Join Latinos Progresando, a proud 2025 Chicago Innovation Award winner, for MEX talks: Fuerza Mexicana. This annual showcase gives Mexican and Mexican American leaders, from entrepreneurs to students, a platform to share stories that inspire positive change. | | October 30th, 2017 – Will Towns accepts the Collaboration Award on behalf of Benefit Chicago at the 2017 Chicago Innovation Awards. Benefit Chicago won for its innovative approach to local impact investing by the three organizations that worked together to create it – the MacArthur Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, and Calvert Impact Capital. | | Help us ensure that innovation is for everyone | | Your support opens doors for innovators, entrepreneurs, and students whose ideas can transform their lives, communities and our world. | | | | |
