The Chicago Innovation Awards’ Board of Advisors is comprised of business and civic leaders who understand the importance of innovation and what it means to the success of the Chicago region and the growth of its economy. Our members are ambassadors of celebrating innovation, help to spread the word about nominations from their networks, and aid in efforts to find sponsors, partners and other supporters who can advance the goals of the Chicago Innovation Awards.
Michael Arndt
Managing Editor
Crain’s Chicago Business |
Rita Athas
President
World Business Chicago |
Ellen Barry
Former CIO
Municipal Pier Exposition Authority
|
Frank Beal
Executive Director
Chicago Metropolis 2020
|
John Berschied
Former Head of R&D and Innovation
S. C. Johnson Co., Alberto Culver Co., and Church and Dwight Co.
|
Hardik Bhatt
Director of Smart + Connected Communities
Cisco
|
Sally Blount
Dean
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management |
Ray Boyer
President
Boyer Media
|
Jeff Buzzelli
Vice President
Comcast Business Services
|
Jason DeHaan
CIO
City of Chicago
|
Darcy Evon
Executive Director
Corporate and Foundation Relations at University of Illinois at Chicago
|
Chris Gladwin
CEO and Founder
Cleversafe
|
Fred Hoch
President
Illinois Technology Association
|
Dipak Jain
Dean
INSEAD
|
Maria Katris
Executive Director
TiE Midwest; and Executive Director
Built in Chicago
|
Philip Kotler
Distinguished Professor of International Marketing
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management |
Michael Krauss
President
Market Strategy Group; Co-Chair, Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors
|
Tom Kuczmarski
Co-Founder
Chicago Innovation Awards
|
Sunil Kumar
Dean
University of Chicago Booth School of Business |
Kristi Lafleur
Executive Director
Illinois Tollway
|
Dan Lyne
Head of Technology
World Business Chicago
|
Ed Longanecker
Executive Director and Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
|
Bret Maxwell
Managing General Partner
MK Capital |
Matt McCall
Partner
New World Ventures |
Dan Miller
Co-Founder
Chicago Innovation Awards |
|
Stephanie Neely
Treasurer
City of Chicago
|
Eric Olson
Co-Founder
TECH Cocktail |
Lance Pressl
President
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation
|
Rich Rodriguez
Commissioner
Dept. of Energy and Environment; and
Deputy COO
City of Chicago
|
Nick Rosa
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Sandbox Industries |
Nancy Rucheinski
President and COO
Edelman
|
Orlando Saez
Director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology
State of Illinois
|
Matthew Saleski
Vice President of Marketing and Business Development
Chicago Sun-Times
|
Tawfik Sharkasi
Chief Science and Technology Officer
Wrigley
|
Gary Slack
President
Slack & Company
|
Rick Strezo
Partner
Kuczmarski & Associates
|
Matt Summy
President
Illinois Science and Technology Coalition
|
Kevin Willer
CEO
Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
|
Rocky Wirtz
President
Wirtz Corporation; and Chairman and Owner, Chicago Blackhawks
|
Howard Wolinsky
Professor
Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism |
Maria Wynne
CEO
Girls Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
|
Sam Yagan
Founder
Excelerate Labs |
