CHICAGO, OCTOBER 2024 – Chicago Innovation, the region’s leading organization dedicated to fostering innovation across all sectors, today announced the launch of its Chicago Innovation Fellows Program. This cutting-edge leadership initiative, developed in collaboration with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, aims to cultivate world-class innovation leaders and strengthen connections within the Chicago innovation ecosystem.
The Chicago Innovation Fellows Program is a six-month, practical innovation-focused leadership program designed for mid to senior-level executives from large corporations, non-profits, and government agencies. Combining academic rigor with real-world application, the program offers participants a unique opportunity to enhance their innovation capabilities while developing actionable strategies for their organizations.
“We’re thrilled to introduce the Chicago Innovation Fellows Program,” said Tom Kuczmarski, Founder of Chicago Innovation. “By partnering with Kellogg’s Center for Research in Technology and Innovation, we’re offering a transformative experience that will equip leaders with the tools, network, and insights needed to drive meaningful innovation in their organizations and contribute to Chicago’s thriving innovation community.”
Key features of the Chicago Innovation Fellows Program include:
- Exclusive collaboration with top faculty from Kellogg’s Center for Research in Technology and Innovation
- Experiential learning through projects, field trips, and coaching
- Networking opportunities with Chicago Innovation Award winners
- Personalized mentorship and skills development
- A capstone project focused on building a company-specific innovation blueprint
The program consists of six one-day sessions spread over six months, supplemented with various experiential learning activities, professional networking events, and personalized mentorship opportunities. Participants will also engage in panels with Chicago Innovation Award Winners and Hall of Famers, gaining insights from some of the region’s most successful innovators.
“This program represents a significant investment in Chicago’s innovation leadership,” said Mohan Sawhney, Director of the Center for Research in Technology and Innovation at Kellogg. “By blending cutting-edge theory with practical application, we’re creating a unique educational experience that will have a lasting impact on participants and their organizations.”
The inaugural cohort of the Chicago Innovation Fellows Program is set to begin on January 28th, 2025. Applications are now open, with a deadline of November 29, 2024. The program fee is $20,000, reflecting the high-caliber instruction and networking opportunities provided.
For more information about the Chicago Innovation Fellows Program or to apply, visit https://chicagoinnova2.wpenginepowered.com/ci-fellows/ or contact Finn@chicagoinnovation.com.
About Chicago Innovation:
Chicago Innovation was established in 2002 as the Chicago Innovation Awards, an annual ceremony to celebrate the most innovative products and services in the Chicago region. The organization has evolved into a year-round series of events and activities designed to educate, connect and celebrate all innovators in the Chicago region, with a vision of ensuring that “innovation is for everyone.” The organization’s expansion includes the Illinois Student Invention Convention to empower Illinois’s youth to be innovators, the Chicago Innovation Women Mentoring Co-op to support female innovators, The Ladder to support Black and Latine innovators in advancing their careers, and Ageless Innovators, an intergenerational co-mentoring program. For more information, visit www.chicagoinnovation.com. To follow Chicago Innovation on social media, find it on X (@Chi_Innovation) or Facebook (Chicago Innovation).
About Kellogg’s Center for Research in Technology and Innovation:
The Center for Research in Technology & Innovation (CRTI) serves as a global hub of innovation, connecting and collaborating worldwide with leaders and researchers from corporations, government, nonprofit organizations and academia to advance and share information and to transform it into practical value.
