Chicago Innovation

06/24/2026

Chicago has no shortage of women changing the game, and we’re celebrating them. 🏆

Tickets are selling out for the opportunity to join us on June 30th for Celebrating Women in Innovation! ✨

There will be a live honoree panel, networking, and food from women entrepreneurs. This is an evening worth showing up for. 🎉

Click the link in our bio to register! 🎟️

Will you be there?

06/15/2026

The Wintrust Business Spotlight Pitch Competition is back, in partnership with Chicago Innovation, Chicago Cubs and Wintrust Financial Corporation. 

Minority- and women-owned businesses have the chance to pitch to top business leaders, win prizes, and throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Cubs game.

Applications are OPEN through July 1! Tag someone you know who should apply. 

06/12/2026

Ready to be in a room with women who are redefining what’s possible in science, business, and beyond? This event is for you. 👀

Meet Dr. Maria Carrillo- Chief Science Officer and Medical Affairs Lead at the Alzheimer’s Association, where she leads the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. ✨

An internationally respected expert in the field, Dr. Carrillo has been featured in The New York Times, WSJ, and TIME Magazine.

She’s one of the incredible honorees being celebrated at this year’s Celebrating Women in Innovation Awards on June 30th! You don’t want to miss this. 🥳

Register at the link in our bio!

   

06/12/2026

Looking to grow your business, expand your network, and learn from women who’ve broken real barriers? This event is for you. 👀

Meet Carol Lavin Bernick — former CEO of Alberto-Culver, who led the company through a $3.7B sale to Unilever, and now CEO of Polished Nickel Capital Management.

She’s spent her career not just leading companies, but opening doors for other women through board roles at Northwestern Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Tulane University, The Chicago Community Trust, and more.

She’s one of the incredible honorees being celebrated at this year’s Celebrating Women in Innovation Awards on June 30th! You don’t want to miss this. 🥳

Link in our bio to register!

06/08/2026

On June 30th, women who are changing everything will be in one room. 🥂

Chicago Innovation is proud to host the 2026 Celebrating Women in Innovation Awards at Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier: an evening honoring trailblazing women who have broken barriers and lifted others along the way.

Join us for an inspiring panel, a curated networking cocktail reception featuring women-led ventures, and a community that is driving innovation forward.
Honorees include leaders from POLISHED NICKEL CAPITAL MANAGE, the Alzheimer’s Association®, University of Chicago, SageView Advisory Group, and more! 🥳

Secure your spot at the link in our bio!

06/03/2026

Illinois has spoken, and now it’s time for the national stage!

We are so proud of the incredible young innovators heading to US Nationals from the Illinois Student Invention Convention.

Your creativity, curiosity, and hard work brought you here- now go show the country what Illinois is made of!

We are cheering you on every step of the way.

05/29/2026

Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, and Wednesday proved exactly that. ✨

We had the privilege of hosting Innovation Elevates Us All at the stunning Winter Garden inside the Chicago Public Library - Harold Washington Library Center, bringing together 36 exhibiting organizations and some of Chicago’s most inspiring leaders under one roof.

The night featured a powerful panel featuring Sam Yagan, Samir Mayekar, Andrea Zopp, Chris Brown, and moderator Luke Tanen, and an ecosystem expo filled with energy, connection, and possibility. 🥂

05/29/2026

05/22/2026

Chicago’s next chapter is being written right now. Are you in the room where it happens?

At our upcoming event, Innovation Elevates Us All, you’ll hear from leaders like our very own Luke Tanen, President & CEO of Chicago Innovation: a connector, champion, and driving force behind one of the most vibrant innovation ecosystems in the country.

Now in our 25th year, Chicago Innovation isn’t slowing down, we’re leveling up.

Join us for one night with 30+ organizations and the leaders shaping what’s next for Chicago.

Grab your tickets at the link in our bio!

05/19/2026

Great cities aren’t built by one sector alone- they’re built by leaders who show up everywhere. 🎉

At our upcoming event, Innovation Elevates Us All, you’ll hear from leaders like Chris Brown, Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library: a public servant, community champion, and innovator redefining what it means to serve a city.

From overseeing 81 library branches- one of the world’s largest library systems- to earning the Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator Award, Chris brings a rare mix of civic leadership and community-centered vision to the table.

Under his leadership, the Chicago Public Library is pushing the boundaries of what public institutions can offer the communities they serve.

Now, he’s bringing that vision straight to you. ✨

Join us for one night with 30+ organizations and the leaders shaping what’s next for Chicago. 🥂

Grab your tickets at the link in our bio!