Innovation Summit Draws nearly 600 Chicago Business Professionals
The second annual Innovation Summit, presented by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and World Business Chicago, drew close to 600 members of the Chicago business community to Navy Pier on October 25. Attendees heard authors John Kao and Rosabeth Moss Kanter deliver compelling messages about why innovation is crucial to our economy and how it can be achieved. Attendees also saw demonstrations of the latest Microsoft technology, including Surface, which turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, interactive computing platform, on display for the first time in Chicagoland.
Kicking off the program, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper cited the Summit as the highlight of Innovation Week, which began on October 22 with an official proclamation from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. James Tyree, CEO of Mesirow Financial, and Chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of innovation as “we must change the way we’ve done things in the past or we cannot compete in the 21st century.” Jack Lavin, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, spoke of the need to “get everyone on the same page, bringing new products to new markets using new processes,” employing open collaborative networks and producing new talent for the workforce.
John Kao, consultant and author of Innovation Nation, delivered strong messages about the need for the US to close the innovation gap with other nations, as many formerly third-world countries have leapt ahead in research, scientific knowledge and better-prepared workforces. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and author of America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-Do Nation Once Again, keynoted the luncheon program. She commented on the movement of American business “from blue collar to white collar and now from white collar to white coat” professionals, noting that emerging countries are producing more of these workers than the US. Her remedy for change includes having open minds “go where the facts take you,” forming collaborative networks and implementing flexibility.
“As Chicago continues to gain momentum as a global center of innovation, we are proud to support and foster this growth through initiatives such as Innovation Day,” said Microsoft Midwest District General Manager Janet Kennedy. “Innovation Week gave Chicagoland an opportunity to showcase innovations and technologies that are changing people’s lives and the way we do business. Microsoft looks forward to continuing to contribute to the success of this great city.”
Microsoft partnered with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce for Innovation Week as part of a multi-year sponsorship of the events. At the Innovation Summit, Microsoft hosted a Technology Expo that introduced Microsoft Surface, a new product that turns an ordinary tabletop into an interactive computing platform. Microsoft also brought a 42-foot “Driving Innovation” truck to the event at Navy Pier, allowing visitors to experience the latest technology.
Keynote Speaker | Microsoft Innovation Expo | Keynote Speaker |
|  |  |
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-do Nation Once Again: Principle #1 is Innovation will deliver a keynote address at the Summit.
| Our partner Microsoft literally drives-cutting edge technology to Navy Pier in a special mobile exhibit...
| John Kao, author of Innovation Nation: How America Is Losing Its Innovation Edge, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do to Get It Back, will deliver the morning keynote address for the Summit.
|
........................................................................................................................................
See Videos From The Second Annual Chicagoland Innovation Summit!
| ||
|
|
|
