Nominations are now open!
What Winners Receive
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Recognition at the Harris Theater
The Chicago Innovation Award winners, the Up-and-Comer Award winners, the Neighborhood Award winners, and the People’s Choice, Collaboration, and Social Innovator winners are honored on-stage in front of 1500 people at the Harris Theater.
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Ringing the NASDAQ Bell
The winners will be invited to ring the NASDAQ bell in New York City to gain recognition on a global stage.
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Meeting with the Mayor
The Mayor invites the winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards to City Hall to discuss how Chicago can accelerate the efforts of our hometown innovators.
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Meeting with the Governor
The winners will be invited to meet with the Governor for the opportunity 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
President Preckwinkle opens up her office to discuss innovation with all the winners, and how 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” at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management ($2,500 value). This day-long education course teaches the practical skills of innovation at its internationally known executive education facility. These top 100 finalists are also profiled on our website during the People’s Choice Award voting, in which thousands of Chicagoans will view their innovation and vote for their favorite.
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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, we invite all nominees of the Chicago Innovation Awards to the Nominee Reception at Park West in September. This event celebrates all nominees and provide a great opportunity to connect with other innovators and resource providers. All nominees will also be automatically considered for our Corporate Start-up Matchmaking program, which matches our region’s most innovative companies with the needs of large corporations.