World Business Chicago

“The reason I’m standing here is to open doors... to prove to people that we can perform on the court, and then reinvent ourselves and become businessmen or businesswomen.” – Earvin “Magic” Johnson After five NBA championships, Magic Johnson built a business career around investing in communities and accelerating positive change. That includes retail investments in neighborhoods like Bronzeville, infrastructure projects with Chicago’s Loop Capital, and millions committed to One Summer Chicago Plus youth jobs. This year, he received the 2026 Global Citizen Award, honoring Magic for his extraordinary contribution to Chicago’s international reputation and outreach. The Chicago International Gala, presented by World Business Chicago and Chicago Sister Cities International, closed with Magic’s call to keep investing in Chicago and its young people. Thank you to Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Consular Corps, our sponsors, and everyone who joined us at The Field Museum. Congratulations, Magic. SodexoMagic

The World Business Chicago Research Center proudly launched our latest report last week — "Chicagoland's Life Sciences & HealthTech Economy" — in tandem with the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gc6n62CY 📈 A few key insights: - Our region’s combined life sciences and healthtech industries generate $93.5 billion in output, support 13,000 businesses, and employ 210,000 people - Chicagoland ranks second nationally in pharmaceutical and surgical supplies manufacturing jobs, and pharma output is up 64% since 2020 - Healthtech is surging: jobs grew nearly 50% since 2020, the fastest among peer metros - O'Hare International Airport handles nearly 30% of U.S. life sciences imports and 71% of organic chemical exports - Chicago is top-three nationally in production, management, sales, and health occupations, and more than a third of industry roles don’t require a bachelor’s degree - We’re building for what’s next: multi-tenant lab space is up roughly 150% since 2020, with CZ Biohub Chicago, new incubators, and state programs fueling growth - Our research institutions bring in billions in federal funding and produce a steady stream of spin-outs - Chicagolands's 25,000+ healthcare services and insurance businesses create a dense customer base for new ventures See coverage from the Chicago Business Journal: https://lnkd.in/grJdHSv5 Kudos to Bridget Harney, who led production of the report, in collaboration with Wendy W., Himashi Jayasundera, Justine Ingram, and Kali Aloisi.

An overseas customer can become a manufacturer’s next growth opportunity. A new export market can help a business weather a disruption elsewhere. That’s why our trade relationships matter. This week’s WBC Business Pulse, powered by LinkedIn, looks at where global demand is creating opportunity for our region—and where a heavy reliance on a few buyers leaves businesses exposed. For economic development agencies like ours, these findings help target support for exporters and connect more companies to O’Hare’s global reach. For business leaders like you, they can help inform decisions about where to find new customers, diversify markets, and manage trade exposure as you plan for 2027. Read this week’s Business Pulse, with insights from WBC’s Research Center team that help identify opportunities for regional growth 👇

⭐ World Business Chicago is investing in sectors where #Chicagoland has the right to WIN, like #healthcare and #lifesciences. That's why we brought 800+ attendees from across the city and around the world for our first-ever #ChiVentureSummit Future of #Health! 🌎 Attendees came from 30+ states and represented 15+ countries. ✅ 500+ unique organizations (corporates, financial & investment firms, startups, universities, & others) were represented in one room. 🚀 Our LARGEST #ChiVentureSummit startup portfolio ever with 300+ participating startups. 🏆 For the first time ever, we welcomed The Grainger College of Engineering #Tech #Startup Challenge, where finalists among the student-led startups won $200,000 in funding & prizes. 💫 Our out-of-town attendees had an exceptional #proChicago experience in the city's Fulton Market District with the iconic 167 Green by World Business Chicago board member Jeff Shapack. 👏 None of this would have been possible without our 36 unique partners, World Business Chicago leadership and colleagues, and our #ChiVentureSummit organizing team led by Helena Gittelman, with Manleen Rajput and Cecilia Benitez. We're beyond grateful to our official #ChiVentureSummit partners: Presenting Partners -Bank of America -Consulate General of Canada in Chicago -DLA Piper -Health Care Service Corporation -MATTER -Microsoft -Portal Innovations -Rush University System for Health & Rush University Medical Center -Shapack Partners -The Grainger College of Engineering of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Innovation Partners -1871 -APCO -Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC -Business Leadership Council -ChiForward -Chicago Biomedical Consortium -Clique Studios -Cooley -Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership/GCEP -Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization/iBIO -J.P. Morgan -mHUB -Northwestern Querrey InQbation Lab -SecondMuse -SEED SPOT -TechNexus Venture Collaborative -Women in Bio Chicago Venture Partners -2FLO Ventures -7wire Ventures -Enterprise Ireland -Mid America Health Investors Network -Northwestern Medicine and Techstars Healthcare Accelerator -Orrick -PACE Healthcare Capital -University of Chicago Medicine Ventures -Valtruis ➡️ Learn more via our World Business Chicago Business Pulse (shoutout to our rockstar colleagues Andrew Hayes, Cherise Johnson, M.Ed, Owen Dispensa, Thomas Snyder, & Katie Pruyn!): https://lnkd.in/gF37fEdb

“There have been so many people in this great city that have helped me, and I have tried to pattern myself after some of these people.” – Frank Clark, 2026 DuSable Chicago Legacy Award recipient. Frank Clark took a mailroom job at ComEd at age 20 and rose to become its first African American chairman and CEO. A proud product of Chicago Public Schools, he later served as president of the Chicago Board of Education. The DuSable Chicago Legacy Award, named for the city’s founder, recognizes those whose life’s work has left a lasting mark on Chicago, and World Business Chicago is proud to recognize Frank Clark with this honor. At the Chicago International Gala, Frank’s mix of humor and heart brought the room to its feet. Thank you to World Business Chicago Vice Chair Charles Smith for presenting the award, the entire ComEd team, and Frank Clark for allowing us to celebrate your legacy.

🚀 ThinkChicago by World Business Chicago = connecting our young people in #STEM with career pathways by innovative #Chicagoland companies and startups 👏 Thank you students and employers who attended #ThinkChicago Launchpad 2026 by World Business Chicago, with City Colleges of Chicago and McDonald's! 1️⃣ With anchor partners City Colleges of Chicago and University of Illinois System, #ThinkChicago is World Business Chicago's flagship #talent program. We lead a series of career awareness, development, exploration, and preparation events that help local talent explore our region's tech, innovation, and business ecosystem. We want local companies to scale and thrive with local talent, and we showcase why #Chicago is a great city to live, work, and thrive. 2️⃣ With my rockstar colleague Trenton Dunn's leadership, ThinkChicago has evolved into a year-round program that now serves even more #students, #startups, and #colleges than ever before. And this starts with City Colleges of Chicago and our community colleges across the #Chicagoland region. With partners like Associate Vice Chancellor Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels, World Business Chicago and City Colleges of Chicago are deeply invested in creating an inclusive, thriving #innovation economy for our young Chicagoans. Local employers urgently need more tech talent and support, so we're expanding the #ThinkChicago platform to better connect industry partners with students. 3️⃣ Our 2026 student cohort represented every college within City Colleges of Chicago and several community colleges as part of our work with the Greater #Chicagoland #Economic Partnership (#GCEP). Students connected with #McDonalds corporate professionals and participating employers, attended talks and presentations on a range of #professionaldevelopment topics, and participated in workshops focused on mock interviews and resume reviews. 4️⃣ And none of this would be possible without World Business Chicago board member McDonald's. When we first connected with Whitney McGinnis, she shared her immediate excitement and support. With her colleagues Meg Langenderfer, Ryan Siegel, and Melinda Gutierrez, MBA - they opened the doors to their global HQ for our #ThinkChicago students in a big way. Our partnership with Whitney McGinnis and her team represents the very best of our #proChicago business culture: global industry leaders headquartered in Chicago, collaborating with WBC to empower our young people to launch their careers right here in our hometown. 5️⃣ As always, fantastic work by Trenton Dunn, with Briana Lilly! And we're grateful to our World Business Chicago colleagues who volunteered: Manleen Rajput, Helena Gittelman, Alex Iseri, Abbey Kropp, Kali Aloisi, Maya Meade, Hannah Loftus, and William "Joe" Locher. 📍McDonald's Global Headquarters, #Chicago

“A patient is a patient. A human is a human. If they need help, they need help!” – Dr. Nadia Kawar, CSCI Volunteer of the Year (Amman Committee) Every year, Dr. Kawar, a clinical professor at UI Health, leads a team of volunteers to Amman, Jordan. On one trip, they treated 500 patients in five days. Her work earned her the 2026 CSCI Volunteer of the Year Award, honoring a volunteer who advances Chicago as a global city through citizen diplomacy, one community at a time. Chicago and Amman have been sister cities since 2004, and Chicago Sister Cities International now connects Chicago with 28 cities worldwide, powered by about 700 volunteer citizen ambassadors. Congratulations, Dr. Kawar, and thank you to CSCI Chair Tamar Newberger, the CSCI Amman Committee, and every volunteer who carries Chicago’s story abroad.

“We are 814,000 people across the globe, but we are deeply, intentionally local, and nowhere more than here in Chicago.” – Amanda Kranz, Chicago Office Managing Director, Accenture Song In 2017, Accenture co-founded the Chicago Apprentice Network with Aon and Zurich North America. It has since created more than 1,000 apprenticeships and become a model for cities across the country. That leadership earned Accenture the 2026 Rocky Wirtz Corporate Ambassador Award, honoring a company that has elevated Chicago as a global business destination. World Business Chicago is proud to recognize Accenture as a driving force in Chicago’s economy and workforce development leadership. The Chicago International Gala, presented by World Business Chicago and Chicago Sister Cities International, celebrates the companies and leaders strengthening Chicago’s place in the world. Congratulations to Amanda Kranz, Chris Roark and the Accenture Chicago team, and thank you to Nadia Rawlinson, Co-Owner & Operating Chairman of the Chicago Sky WNBA for presenting this year’s award.

On Tuesday, more than 800 founders, investors, healthcare leaders and ecosystem partners checked in for the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Health, WBC’s 11th Venture Summit since 2014 and the first-ever with a focus on healthcare and life sciences, one of Chicago’s strongest sectors and a key-industry outlined in Chicago 2050. A few numbers from the day: 300+ startups, the largest portfolio in summit history 100+ growth capital firms and financial institutions 53 main-stage speakers representing 43 organizations Attendees from 30+ U.S. states and 15+ countries We were also proud to welcome startup delegations from Enterprise Ireland and Midwest Founder Exchange, bringing new regional and international voices into the conversation. Chicago’s healthcare sector exemplifies the city’s spirit of collaboration, with world-class hospitals, research universities, corporate leaders and a growing base of health tech startups working side by side to bring new ideas to patients faster. Bringing that community together under one roof for the first Future of Health edition made one thing clear: Chicago builds best when it builds together. Thank you to all our partners for making this year possible – and especially to every founder, investor, speaker and attendee who spent the day with us building connections that will shape the future of health in Chicago. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights from the summit’s programming, the latest data on Chicago’s healthcare sector from our research team, and more. Stay tuned.

Chicago has shaped the future of health care for generations—and the next chapter is already being written. This week’s WBC Business Pulse, powered by LinkedIn, looks at the people, companies, and ideas advancing health innovation across the region: founders building the next generation of health and life sciences companies, global startups coming to Chicago to connect with investors and industry leaders, and students getting a firsthand look at the ecosystem they may one day help lead. From breakthrough research to venture capital, talent and international collaboration, Chicago continues to bring the pieces together that turn big ideas into real-world impact. Read this week’s Business Pulse 👇 for more... #WhyChicago #HealthcareInnovation #LifeSciences #Startups