Special Awards and Recognition
2012 Visionary Award:
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2012 Distinguished Innovator Award:
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel received the Visionary Award for his vision, leadership and commitment to the future growth of the city. Mayor Emanuel has, since taking office, stood with more than 60 companies to announce nearly 25,000 new jobs in emerging industries, including technology, healthcare IT, finance, and consulting. The Mayor has similarly focused extensive effort on recruiting entrepreneurs and companies that are innovators. Recently, the Mayor announced the creation of ChicagoNEXT, a task force aimed at fostering economic development and job growth in three key innovation sectors: digital, clean technology and life science sectors. |
The Distinguished Innovator Award was presented to Governor Pat Quinn for his work to advance innovation in Illinois. Through the Governor’s leadership, the state launched the Invest Illinois Venture Fund to stimulate new business growth across Illinois and funded the creation of 1871, Chicago’s newest hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. |
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2011 Visionary Award:
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2011 Spirit of Innovation Award:
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2011 Distinguished Innovator Award:
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A giant in the Chicago business community, Miles White is chairman of the board and CEO of Abbott Laboratories, which has received more Chicago Innovation Awards than any other company in our first decade. He’s listed on Forbes magazine’s ‘ list of America’s Most Powerful People, and recognized as one of the WORLD’S 30 Best CEO’s by Barron’s. In April, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. |
The Second City sketch comedy group has been at the forefront of comedic innovation since 1959. With alumni like Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Steve Carell and Tina Fey, Second City has a history of comedic innovators, and continues to innovate today! |
Beau Wrigley is the fourth-generation leader of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. During his leadership, the company became a recognized global leader in confections, grew from $2 billion to $6 billion in annual sales and expanded its reach to consumers in 180 countries. Currently, Beau serves on the Senior Advisory Council of BDT Capital Partners, a Chicago-based merchant bank that provides long-term capital and advisory services to family owned companies and entrepreneurs. He is a Trustee of Conservation International and Co-Chair of their Ocean Health Council, a member of the National Geographic Society’s Council of Advisors, and serves on the boards of The Economic Club of Chicago and the North Shore University Healthcare System. Beau is a 1985 graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Economics and attended the Wharton School of Business Advanced Management Program in 1994. |
2010 Visionary Award:
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2010 Spirit of Innovation Award:
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2010 Distinguished Innovator Award:
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Rocky Wirtz, President of Wirtz Corporation and Owner and Chairman of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks led the greatest sports-business turnaround in history. That same vision applies to his oversight of Wirtz Corporation holdings, including Wirtz Beverage Group, a leading national alcohol beverage distributor. In addition, he guides commercial and residential real estate companies, an insurance company and community banks in Illinois and Florida. Rocky is also involved with numerous civic and charitable organizations. |
The Blue Man Group has been an innovator in performance arts since 1987. Their performances involve a unique combination of comedy, technology, audio and stunning visuals, showing that they truly do have the Spirit of Innovation! |
J.B. Pritzker has played a tremendous role in growing the Chicago economy and the Chicago community. He is the Managing Partner and co-founder of The Pritzker Group, and founder of New World Ventures. New World Ventures is one of Chicago’s leading venture capital investors and has invested in over 50 companies since its founding in 1995 including Illinois-based TicketsNow, Sportvision, HyperQuest, Advantage Optics, Viewpoints Network, and BrightTag. J.B. is a founding board member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, a founding director of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, a founder of the public/private Illinois Innovation Accelerator Fund, and a leading proponent of a stronger technology sector focus in the Midwest. |
2008 Visionary Award:
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2007 Visionary Award:
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2006 Visionary Award:
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Leo Melamed is recognized as the founder of financial futures markets. At the close of 1999, Melamed was named by the former editor of the Chicago Tribune, among the ten most important Chicagoans in business of the 20th Century. Chicago Magazine included him among the century’s top 100 Chicagoans. In 2003, Pensions & Investments included Mr. Melamed in the list of 30 individuals whose contribution “made the most dramatic difference” in the management of money during the last 100 years. |
Joe Mansueto founded Morningstar in 1984. He has served as chairman since the company’s inception, and as chief executive officer from inception to 1996 and from 2000 to present. In 2011, his majority ownership of Morningstar gained him inclusion on the Forbes World’s Billionaires list. In December 2010, Mansueto became the only Chicagoan on the list of American billionaires pledging to give away half of their wealth, as part of a campaign by the businessman’s idol, Warren Buffett. |
Gerald Putnam is the founder of the Archipelago Electronic Stock Exchange, which foreshadowed electronic trading in equities. |
2005 Visionary Award:
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2004 Visionary Award:
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2003 Visionary Award:
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Casey Cowell was the co-founder and chairman of US Robotics which pioneered new methods of building better, fast and less-expensive modems for the Internet. |
After teaching at New York University, Ratner proposed a significant new theory in chemistry, becoming a pioneer of the new field of molecular electronics. He is distinguished professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at Northwestern University, and has won numerous prestigious awards for his scientific contributions. |
The Motorola team that invented the cell phone, including John Mitchell, former head of Moto’s communications division and the man who made the first cell phone call in 1973; Rudy Krolopp, then Moto’s industrial design director; Marty Cooper, who ran Moto’s R&D effort in wireless communications, and who is considered the “father of the cell phone.” |
2002 Visionary Award:
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Inventor of the Flashmatic, the first wireless TV remote that was a best-selling product, revolutionizing the way TV was watched and enjoyed. He was also the founder of President of Zenith Electronics Corp., which used to be based in Chicago. |