Nominations have closed for the 2021 season and will reopen on May 1st, 2022.
What Winners Receive
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Recognition at the Chicago Innovation Awards
The following winners are publicly honored at the Chicago Innovation Awards each year:
- Main Category Awards
- Up-and-Comer Awards
- Wintrust Neighborhood Awards
- People’s Choice Award
- Collaboration Award
- Social Innovator Award
- Innovating in Response to COVID Award
- Accenture Corporate Innovator Award
- SMS Assist Entrepreneurial Spirit Award
- Walgreens Digital Transformation Award
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Participation in the NASDAQ Bell ceremony & the United Nations roundtable
The winners will collectively participate in the ceremonial ringing of the closing NASDAQ bell and a roundtable meeting with leaders at the United Nations.
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Meeting with the Mayor
Chicago Innovation will facilitate a conversation between the Mayor and the winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards to discuss how the city can accelerate the efforts of our hometown innovators.
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Meeting with the Governor
Chicago Innovation will facilitate a conversation between the Governor and the winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards to present their innovation to state leaders and discuss ways to advance innovation in Illinois.
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Meeting with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle
Chicago Innovation will facilitate a conversation between President Preckwinkle and the winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards to make connections between their new products and services and the needs of the county.
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Top 100 Finalists Receive:
The top 100 finalists will each be awarded a scholarship to “The Practical Innovator” hosted through Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management ($2,500 value). This executive education course teaches the practical skills of innovation. These top 100 finalists are also profiled on our website during the People’s Choice Award voting, in which thousands of Chicagoans will view the innovations and vote for their favorites.
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All Nominees Receive:
All of those who work toward building the innovation community in the Chicago region should be recognized. For this reason, all organizations nominated for the Chicago Innovation Awards will be recognized at the Nominee Celebration in September. Additionally, all nominees will be automatically considered for our Corporate Start-up Matchmaking program, which matches our region’s most innovative companies with the needs of large corporations.