The Second City Works

Sometimes the best way to innovate is to reinvent yourself – to discover new applications for existing services or to uncover new opportunities by rethinking your business practices. Few Chicago organizations have a re-invention story as exciting as Second City. This 56-year-old cultural giant has been growing rapidly by embracing new directions, from building massive improv training centers, to collaborating with other theaters and arts organizations, to embracing other cities and cultures under its wing – it’s proven to be as nimble and savvy as it is entertaining. Perhaps the most impressive feat of reinvention is through Second City Works, its corporate educational program that incorporates improv techniques in sales and leadership training. It has more than 600 clients, including 25 percent of the Fortune 500, and has become the backbone of what will sustain the organization into the future.