Unprecedented Coalition of Leaders Join Committee to Recruit Amazon HQ2

Mayor Emanuel, Governor Rauner recruit historic group of public, private and non-profit sector leaders to support effort to bring Amazon to Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Bruce Rauner recently announced the formation of a committee that will support the drive to bring Amazon’s HQ2 to the Chicago area. The committee will be co-chaired by Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines; Penny Pritzker, Founder and Chair of PSP Capital; Jim Reynolds, Chairman and CEO of Loop Capital; and Miles White, Chairman and CEO of Abbott.

The effort will be headed by the Mayor and Governor, who are serving as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Committee, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who is serving as Honorary Vice-Chair. In total, the committee is comprised of more than 600 leaders from across the business, financial, technology, arts and culture, civic and education communities.

“This unprecedented coalition brings together the public and private sectors with education, community and faith leaders to speak with a powerful, unified voice that says that Chicago is the ideal location for Amazon to build its new home and continue to grow for generations,” Mayor Emanuel said. “As we prepare the bid to bring Amazon home to Chicago, this committee will highlight the region’s competitiveness and strength as a national and global leader in business, education, research, culture and quality of life.”

“This Committee’s membership compellingly represents the assets that Illinois offers business,” Governor Rauner said. “These leaders take advantage of our resources in transportation, distribution and logistics; technology and engineering excellence; world renowned medical, academic and educational research; and culture, arts, recreation and sports. Most important, they access Illinois’ diverse, highly skilled workforce. Their involvement sends a great message about the value of doing business in Illinois.”

“I am pleased to support this approach in highlighting the many strengths of our region as we convince Amazon to locate its HQ2 here,” Cook County Board President Preckwinkle said. “Our region boasts assets unmatched anywhere else in the U.S., and our collaborative approach is clear demonstration of our will to work together, county, city and suburb, and state as well as across party lines, to pursue our mutual goal.”

Earlier this month Amazon announced it plans to build HQ2 – a second headquarters in North America. The company expects to invest more than $5 billion for construction and employ up to 50,000 people. HQ2 is also projected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment. The company is accepting applications in October from areas across the nation.

Mayor Emanuel and Governor Rauner, in collaboration with surrounding counties, will be submitting a bid to bring HQ2 to metropolitan Chicago. The effort is being led for the Mayor’s Office by Deputy Mayor Robert S. Rivkin and for the Governor’s Office by Deputy Governor Leslie Munger. The committee will help demonstrate that the Chicago area is the best place for Amazon to grow and prosper.

The formation of the committee builds on a major step taken last week. The City of Chicago and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity accepted nominations for potential Amazon HQ2 locations to include in the formal response to the company’s search for a second home. Nominated sites must have met Amazon’s requirements, which include 500,000 square feet of initial space and the ability to expand up to 8 million square feet of space over the next 10 years. Sites should have also provided direct access to mass transit and be located within 30 miles of a population center and 45 minutes of O’Hare Airport. The deadline for nominations was Wednesday, Sept. 27.

 

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Governor Bruce Rauner

 

HONORARY VICE CHAIR

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle

CO-CHAIRS

Oscar Munoz; CEO, United Airlines

Penny Pritzker; Founder & Chair, PSP Capital

Jim Reynolds; Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Loop Capital

Miles D. White; Chairman & CEO, Abbott

 

ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

John J. Cullerton, Illinois Senate President, State of Illinois

William E. Brady, Illinois Senate Minority, State of Illinois

Michael J. Madigan, Speaker of the House, State of Illinois

Jim B. Durkin, Illinois House Minority Leader, State of Illinois

 

COUNTIES

Dan Cronin; Board Chair, DuPage County

Jack Franks; Board Chair, McHenry County

Scott Gryder; Board President, Kendall County

Chris Lauzen; Board Chair, Kane County

Aaron Lawlor; Board Chair, Lake County

Lawrence Walsh; Executive, Will County

 

EX-OFFICIO

David R. Casper; President & CEO, BMO Harris Bank N.A; Chairman, Intersect Illinois

Danielle DuMerer; Commissioner, Department of Innovation & Technology; Chief Information Officer, City of Chicago

John Keller; Chief of Staff, Office of Cook County Board President

Aarti Kotak; First Deputy Commissioner, Department of Planning and Development, City of Chicago

Jeff Malehorn; President & CEO, World Business Chicago

Sean McCarthy; Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Leslie Munger; Deputy Governor, State of Illinois

Farzin Parang; Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development, City of Chicago

Mark Peterson; President & CEO, Intersect Illinois

David Reifman; Commissioner of Planning and Development, City of Chicago

Robert Rivkin; Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago

Michael J. Sacks; Chairman & CEO, GCM Grosvenor; Vice-Chairman, World Business Chicago

Andrea Zopp; Deputy Mayor, Chief Neighborhood Development Officer, City of Chicago

 

BUSINESS

Chris Abbinante; Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Zaid Abdul-Aleem; Managing Director, Moelis & Company

Jim Abrams; Chief Operating Officer, Medline Industries, Inc.

Shradha Agarwal; President & Co-Founder, Outcome Health

Anil Ahuja; CEO, CCJM

Jimmy Akintonde; President & CEO, Ujamaa Construction Inc.

Constantine Alexandrakis; Managing Director of Chicago Office, Russell Reynolds

Carl Allegretti; Chairman & CEO, Deloitte Tax, LLP

Jose E. Almeida; Chairman, President & CEO, Baxter International, Inc.

Michael Alter; President, Alter Group

Anthony K. Anderson; Former Vice Chairperson & Managing Partner of the Midwest Area, Ernst & Young LLP

Laura Ferris Anderson; Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase

Andrew Appel; President & CEO, IRI

Jeff Aronin; CEO, Paragon Biosciences, LLC

Sarah Bader; Managing Director, Principal, Gensler

Curt Bailey; President, Related Midwest

Stephen Baird; President & CEO, Baird & Warner

Larry A. Barden; Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Earl Barnes; SVP & General Counsel, Advocate Health Care

Yasmin Bates-Brown; Former Executive Vice President, BMO Harris

Marc Baumann; President & CEO, SP Plus Corporation

Melissa Bean; Chairman of the Midwest, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Brenna Berman; Executive Director, UI LABS – City Digital

George W. Bilicic; Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Lazard Freres & Co.

Robert Blackwell; CEO, E.K.I. Digital

Neil Bluhm; Managing Principal, Walton Street Capital

Jason Blumberg; CEO & Managing Director, Energy Foundry

Norman R. Bobins; Vice Chairman, CIBC Bank USA

Kevin Boehm; Co-Founder, BOKA Restaurant Group

Les Bond; CEO, Attucks Asset Management, LLC

John Bonds; Co-Founder & CEO, Safeway Construction

George Bousis; Founder & CEO, Raise

Jim Brady; COO, Grant Thornton LLP

William J. Brodsky; Chairman, Cedar Street Asset Management

Steve Brodsky; CEO, Spot Trading

Greg Q. Brown; Chairman & CEO, Motorola Solutions

John Buck II; Chairman, The John Buck Company

John Bucksbaum; CEO, Bucksbaum Retail Properties

Martin Cabrera Jr.; Founder & CEO, Cabrera Capital Markets, LLC

Debra A. Cafaro; Chairman & CEO, Ventas, Inc.

Olga Camargo; Managing Partner, TOROSO Investments, LLC; Chair, HACE

Patrick J. Canning; Managing Partner, KPMG LLP

John A. Canning, Jr.; Chairman, Madison Dearborn Partners

Dave Carlins; Co-CEO, Magellen Development Group

Inga Carus; Chairman, Carus Group

Denise Casalino; Senior Vice President, AECOM

Gregory Case; President & CEO, Aon

Sach Chitnis; Managing Partner, Jump Capital

Andrew Cittadine; President & CEO, Diagnostic Photonics

Bob Clark; Chairman & CEO, Clayco

Frank Clark; President, Chicago Board of Education; Retired Chairman & CEO, ComEd

James Coleman; Chicago Office Managing Director, Accenture

Kevin Connelly; CEO, Spencer Stuart

Sean Connolly; President & CEO, ConAgra Foods

DJavan Conway; President, Conway Consulting Group

Tarrah Cooper; Managing Director, Mercury

Michael Coyne; Interim CEO & CFO, Potbelly Sandwich Works

Christopher M. Crane; President & CEO, Exelon Corporation

James S. Crown; President, Henry Crown and Company

Lester Crown; Chairman, Henry Crown and Company

Stephen A. Cruise; Managing Director, Greenhill & Co., LLC

Brandon Cruz; Co-Founder & President, GoHealth

Aashish Dalal; CEO, ParkWhiz

Honorable Richard M. Daley; Former Mayor, City of Chicago

William Daley; Managing Director, Argentière Capital; Former White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama

Wendy Davidson; President, U.S. Specialty Channels, Kellogg Company

Steve Davis; Chairman, The Will Group

Deborah Dehaas; Vice Chairman, Chief Inclusion Officer, Deloitte LLP

Veranda Dickens; Independent Philanthropist, Former Executive Chairman, Seaway Bank

David Doig; President, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives

Vahe Dombalagian; Managing Director, Madison Dearborn Partners

Matt Downs; CEO, Sandbox Industries

Craig J. Duchossois; Chairman & CEO, The Duchossois Group

Steve Easterbrook; President & CEO, McDonald’s

Richard W. Edelman; President & CEO, Edelman

Glenn Eden; Executive Vice President, Weber Shandwick

Donald Edwards; CEO, Flexpoint Ford, LLC

Mathew Elenjical; CEO, Fourkites

Mike Englehart; President & CEO, Presence Health

John R. Ettelson; President & CEO, William Blair & Company

Charles L. Evans; President & CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Tyrone C. Fahner; Partner & Former Chairman, Mayer Brown LLP

Michael Fassnacht; President & CEO, FCB Chicago

Stephen Ferrara; COO, BDO USA, LLP; Chairman, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Michael W. Ferro, Jr.; Chairman & CEO, Merrick Ventures, LLC; Executive Committee Chairman, Chicago Community Trust

Paul J. Finnegan; Co-CEO, Madison Dearborn Partners

David Fisher; CEO, Enova

Thomas P. Fitzgerald; Chairman and Executive Committee Leader, Winston & Strawn LLP

Brian Fitzpatrick; Co-Founder & CTO, Tock

Declan Flanagan; CEO, Lincoln Clean Energy

Mike T. Foley; CEO North America, Zurich; Chairman, Zurich Holding Company of America, Inc.

Stephen W. Fort; Senior Vice President, Turner Construction Company

Torrey Foster Jr.; Vice Chairman, Consumer Practice Chicago, Korn Ferry

Jason Fried; Co-Founder & CEO, Basecamp

Mike Gamson; Senior Vice President, Global Solutions, LinkedIn

Sonny Garg; Energy Solutions Lead, Uptake

Alexandra Garza; Founder & Principal, AGG Consulting

Laurence S. Geller; Chairman, Geller Capital Partners

Matt Gibson; Head of Investment Banking Client Coverage, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Chris Girgenti; Managing Partner, Pritzker Group Venture Capital

Marin Gjaja; Senior Partner & Managing Director Chicago, Boston Consulting Group

Chris Gladwin; Co-Founder & CEO, Ocient

James T. Glerum, Jr.; Managing Director & Chairman, Regional Banking for North America – Citigroup

Andrew Gloor; Managing Principal, Sterling Bay Chicago

Richard C. Godfrey; Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Ikram Goldman; Co-Owner, Ikram

Al Goldstein; Founder & CEO, Avant

Brett Goldstein; Managing Partner, Ekistic Ventures

Richard A. Gonzalez; Chairman & CEO, AbbVie

Larry J. Goodman, M.D.; CEO, Rush and Rush University Medical Center

Ilene Gordon; Chairman, President & CEO, Ingredion Inc.

Steve Gould; Operating Partner, Abundant Venture Partners

Alex Gourlay; Co-Chief Operating Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance; President, Walgreens

Terry Graber; President & CEO, Power Construction

Shelley Stern Grach; Director, Civic Engagement, Microsoft

Antonio Gracias; Founder, Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer, Valor Equity Partners

Jim Gray; CEO, G-Bar

Kenneth C. Griffin; Founder & CEO, Citadel

Cornelius Griggs; President & Co-Founder, GMA Construction Group

Raj Gupta; Executive Chairman, ESD

Wallace Harris Jr.; SVP Head U.S. Personal & Small Business Banking, Chief CRA Officer, BMO Harris Bank

Dean Harrison; President & CEO, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare

Brett Hart; Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Counsel, United Airlines; Chairman, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA)

Bernardo Hees; CEO, The Kraft Heinz Company

David Helfand; President & CEO, Equity Commonwealth

Jason Heltzer; Partner, Origin Ventures

Stephanie Hickman; President & CEO, Trice Construction

Elzie Higginbottom; Founder & CEO, Eastlake Management & Development

Mellody Hobson; President, Ariel Investments

Andrew Hochberg; CEO, Next Realty, LLC

Roger Hochschild; President & COO, Discover

Patricia Brown Holmes; Founding Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP

Mark S. Hoplamazian; President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Zackery House; CEO, Environmental System Design

Terry Howerton; CEO, TechNexus Venture Collaborative

Craig Huffman; Co-Founder & Principal, Ascendance Partners

Larry Huggins; President & CEO Riteway-Huggins Construction Services

James Farrell; Advisor, TPG Growth; Former Chairman & CEO, Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

Amit Jhawar; COO, Braintree

Lamar A. Johnson; President & CEO, The Lamar Johnson Collaborativ

Fisk Johnson; Chairman & CEO, SC Johnson

Phil Johnson; Co-Founder & Principal, Johnson and Lee Architects

David Kahnweiler; Chairman & CEO, Colliers International, Chicago

Mohit Kapoor; Chief Information & Technology Officer, TransUnion

Eric Douglas Keene; Founder & President, Keene Advisory Group

Christie Kelly; Global CFO, Jones Lang LaSalle

Jennifer A. Kenedy; Managing Partner Chicago Office, Locke Lord LLP

Steve Kersten; Owner & President, WaterSaver Faucet

Brad Keywell; Co-Founder & CEO, Uptake Technologies

Lester B. Knight III; Founding Partner & Co-Chairman, RoundTable Healthcare Partners

Steve Koch; Former Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago

James P. Kolar; Central Market Managing Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (PwC)

Elena Kraus; SVP & General Counsel, Walgreen Co.

Mitchell J. Krebs; President & CEO, Coeur Mining, Inc.

Paul V. La Schiazza; President, AT&T Illinois

Logan Lahive; Managing Director, Techstars

Paul Lambert; Chicago Market President, Bank of America

Amanda Lannert; CEO, Jellyvision

Nathan Laurell; Founder, New Frontier Holdings

Jim Lecinski; Vice President, US Sales & Service, Google

Stephen Lee; Managing Counsel, US Downstream, BP America Inc.

Bruce Leech; Executive Director, Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, DePaul University

Eric Lefkofsky; CEO & Co-Founder, Tempus; CEO & Co-Founder, Lightbank; Chairman & Co-Founder, Groupon; Co-Founder, Uptake

Nila R. Leiserowitz; Regional Managing Principal, Gensler

Michael Levin; Partner, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners

Jeffrey Levine; Senior Managing Director & General Counsel, Mesirow Financial

Michael W. Lewis; Former Regional President, BMO Harris N.A.

Michael Liang; Partner, Baird Venture Partners

Tod Lickerman; Chief Executive of the Americas, Cushman & Wakefield

Edward M. Liddy; Chairman, ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc.; Chairman Emeritus of Northwestern Memorial Hospital; Former Chairman & CEO, The Allstate Corporation

Peter Lieb; Executive V.P. & General Counsel, Aon Corporation

Robert A. Livingston; President & CEO, Dover Corporation

Josh Lowitz; Partner, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners

Donald G. Lubin; Senior Counsel, Dentons

Juan Ricardo Luciano; Chairman, President & CEO, Archer Daniels Midland Company

Eric Lunt; Co-Founder & CTO, Signal

John W. Madigan; Former Chairman & CEO, Tribune Company

Barry Malkin; CEO, GEM Realty

Matt Maloney; Co-Founder & CEO, GrubHub

Joe Mansueto; Executive Chairman, Morningstar

Craig Martin; Chair, Litigation Department, Jenner & Block LLP

Eden Martin; Senior Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP

Seth Martin; President, Pritzker Realty Group

Talia Mashiach; Founder, CEO, & Product Architect, Eved

Charles Matthews; President & CEO, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas

Stacy Trackey Meagher; Regional Vice President Corporate Accounts, Microsoft

George McCaskey; Chairman, Chicago Bears

Thomas McElroy; Principal, Level-1 Global Solutions LLC

Lester McKeever; Managing Principal, Washington, Pittman & McKeever, LLC

Andrew J. McKenna; Chairman, Schwarz Supply Source; Former Chairman, McDonald’s Corporation

Deryl McKissack; President & CEO, McKissack & McKissack

Richard Melman; Founder & Chairman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

Christopher C. Melvin Jr.; Managing Partner, Melvin & Company LLC.

Samuel M. Mencoff; Co-CEO, Madison Dearborn Partners

Jamie Miller; SVP, GE; President & CEO, GE Transportation

Gabriel Mitchell; President & CEO, Angel Flight Marketing Services

Timothy Mohan; Chief Executive Partner, Chapman & Cutler LLP

Matt Moog; CEO, PowerReviews

Rumi Morales; Founder, Rumi Ventures

Juan Moreno; Founder & President, JGMA

Michael Morkin; Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP

Michael H. Moskow; Vice Chair & Distinguished Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Former CEO & President, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Dennis Muilenburg; Chairman, CEO, & President, The Boeing Company

Kieran Murphy; President & CEO, GE Healthcare

Scott Murray; CTO, Northern Trust

Langdon Neal; Principal & Owner, Neal & Leroy, LLC

David W. Nelms; Chairman & CEO, Discover

Martin Nesbitt; Co-Founder & Co-CEO, The Vistria Group

Phil Nevels; Director, Utility of the Future, ComEd; Former Executive Director ChicagoNEXT

Pin Ni; President, Wanxiang America Corporation

Douglas Oberhelman; Former Chairman & CEO, Caterpillar

William A. Osborn; Former Chairman & CEO, Northern Trust Corporation

Henry M. Paulson, Jr.; Chairman, The Paulson Institute; Former U.S. Treasury Secretary; Former CEO, Goldman Sachs

Andres Mendoza Pena; Partner, A.T. Kearney

Sheila Penrose; Chairman, JLL

Andrew Perlman; Founder & CEO, GreatPoint Energy

Stefano Pessina; Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.

Terry Peterson; Vice President, Corporate & External Affairs, Rush University Medical Center

Eero Pikat; President & CTO, Barchart

Michael Polsky; Founder, President & CEO, Invenergy LLC

Jay Porter; President, Edelman Chicago

Claude Powers; CEO, Powers and Sons Construction

Jose Luis Prado; Chairman & CEO, Evans Food Group; Former President Quaker Oats North America, Prado Strategic Consulting

Anne Pramaggiore; President & CEO, ComEd

Adam Pressman; Partner, A.T. Kearney

Daphne Preuss; CEO, Chromatin

Richard Price; Chairman & CEO, Mesirow Financial

Quintin Primo III; Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Capri Investment Group, LLC

Tom Pritzker; Chairman & CEO of TPO; Executive Chairman, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Frank Ptak; Chairman & CEO, Marmon Holdings, Inc.

Stephen Pugh; President, Pugh, Jones & Johnson, P.C.

Stephen Quazzo; CEO, Pearlmark Real Estate

Rahier Rahman; CEO, Turn

Alison Ranney; Managing Director, Koya Partners

Harper Reed; Senior Director, Software Development, PayPal

Eric Reeves; General Counsel & Managing Director, Duchossois Capital Management

Paul C. Reilly; Division Executive, U.S. Trust

Michael Reinsdorf; President & COO, Chicago Bulls

Jerry Reinsdorf; Chairman, Chicago White Sox

Rena Reiss; EVP, General Counsel & Secretary, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Matt Revord; SVP, Chief Legal Officer, GC & Secretary, Potbelly Corporation

Linda Johnson Rice; Chairman & CEO, Johnson Publishing Inc.; President, Chicago Public Library

Thomas E. Richards; Chairman & CEO, CDW LLC

Andy Richardson; CEO, Greeley and Hansen

Mary Richardson-Lowry; Principal & Managing Member, Ililewa; Former President, Chicago Board of Education

Larry Richman; President & CEO, CIBC Bank USA

Thomas Ricketts; Chairman & Owner, Chicago Cubs; CEO, Incapital LLC

Norbert Riedel; President & CEO, Aptinyx

Dee Robinson; Founder & President, Robinson Hill, Inc.

Robbie Robinson; Advisor to President Barack Obama; Managing Director, BDT Capital

Jim Robinson; President, Americas Operations, Astellas Pharma

Dino Robusto; Chairman & CEO, CNA Financial

Benedict Rocchio; Partner, Baird Capital

Nelson Rodriguez; General Manager, Chicago Fire

John Rogers Jr.; Chairman, CEO & CIO, Ariel Investments

Trish Rooney; Founder & CEO, R4 Services, LLC

Nick Rosa; Co-Founder & CEO, Sandbox Industries

Scott Rose; Business & Financial Services Co-C hair, Hyde Park Angels

Loretta Rosenmayer; Founder & Chairwoman, INTREN

Kristi Ross; Co-CEO & President, tastytrade

Kristen Rossi; Head of Midwest Investment Banking and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley

John W. Rowe; Chairman Emeritus, Exelon Corporation

Jesse Ruiz; Partner, Drinker Biddle & Reath; President, Chicago Park District

Patrick G. Ryan; Founder, Chairman & CEO, Ryan Specialty Group

Pat Ryan Jr.; CEO, INCISENT Labs

Ron Safer; Founding Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila

Neal Sales-Griffin; CEO, CodeNow

John F. Sandner; Retired Chairman, CME Group

Diana Sands; Senior Vice President, The Boeing Company

Scott Santi; Chairman & CEO, ITW; Vice Chairman, Commercial Club of Chicago

Pietro Satriano; President & CEO, US Foods

Muneer A. Satter; Founder & Chairman, Satter Investment Management, LLC

Dhruv Saxena; Co-Founder & CEO, ShipBob

Jennifer F. Scanlon; President & CEO, USG Corp

Brian Schafer; Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP

David Schonthal; Portfolio Director, Business Design, IDEO

Charles Schrock; Chairman, President & CEO, Integrys Energy Group, Inc.

Joe Scoby; Head of Quantitative Investments, Magnetar

Sam Scott; Former Chairman, President & CEO, Corn Products International, Inc.; Chairman, Black Chicago Tomorrow

Gordon I. Segal; Founder, Crate & Barrel

Rishi Shah; Co-Founder & CEO, Outcome Health

Smita Shah; CEO, Spaantech

Matt Shattock; Chairman & CEO, Beam Suntory

Jai Shekhawat; Founder & Former CEO, SAP Fieldglass

Andrew Sieja; Founder & CEO, Relativity

Jeff Silver; CEO, Coyote Logistics

Kimberly Simios; Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Virginia Simmons; Senior Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company

Alpana Singh; Owner, Seven Lions, The Boarding House

Bob Six; President, Zeller Management Corp; COO, Zealty

Amy Skaggs; Associate Regional Counsel, Gensler

James Skogsbergh; President & CEO, Advocate Health Care

Martin P. Slark; Vice Chairman & CEO, Molex Incorporated

Michael Small; President & CEO, Gogo

Corey Smith; President, New Horizon Steel, LLC

Eric Smith; Market President, Fifth Third Bank

Charles Smith; Founder & CEO, CS Insurance Agency

Gil Soffer; Managing Partner, Chicago Office, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Vik Sohoni; Senior McKinsey & Company

Amanda Sonneborn; Co-Managing Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Melody Spann-Cooper; Chairman, Midway Broadcasting &, President, WVON Radio

Douglas Sparkman; COO Fuels, North America, BP Products North America, Inc.

Marc Sperber; Partner, Mayer Brown LLP

David Spielfogel; Co-Founder & Managing Partner; Ekistic Ventures

James Sprayregen; Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Harrison I. Steans; Chairman of the Executive Committee, Financial Investments Corporation

Jonathan Stein; Partner, Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLP

Paula Steiner; President & CEO, Health Care Service Corp

Betty Steinert; Board of Directors, Intersect Illinois

Tim Stojka; CEO, Agentis Energy

Hugh Sullivan; Board Member & CSO, Luum; Chairman, mHub

Robert Sullivan; Regional President, Fifth Third Bank

Nancy Sullivan; CEO & Senior Managing Director, IllinoisVENTURES

Scott Swanson; President, PNC Bank

Andrew Swinand; CEO, Leo Burnett

Tina Tabacchi; Partner-in-Charge, Chicago, Jones Day

Desiree Tate; President, Desiree Tate & Associates

Roger Tedrick; President & CEO, Tedrick Group

Paul W. Theiss; Chairman, Mayer Brown LLP

Mark A. Thierer; CEO, OptumRX

Richard L. Thomas; Former President, CEO, & Chairman, First Chicago NBD Corporation

Donald Thompson; Founder & CEO, Cleveland Ave, LLC; Former President & CEO, McDonalds

Nishu Thukral; CEO & President, Pangea Money Transfer

Ed Tilly; Chairman & CEO, CBOE

Michael Tower, Senior Partner, A.T. Kearney

Kimberly Trautmann; Director, Venture Capital Investments, DRW

Glen Tullman; Chairman & CEO, Livongo Health

Guy Turner; Managing Director, Hyde Park Venture Partners

Grant Uhlir; Managing Director, Principal, Gensler

Kenneth Ulrich; Principal, Goldberg Kohn Ltd.

Jim Umpleby: CEO, Caterpillar, Inc.

Alex Vetter; President & CEO, Cars.com

David Vitale; Chairman, Urban Partnership Bank

Thuy Vo; Chief Counsel M&A, Archer Daniels Midland Company

Rick Waddell; Chairman & CEO, Northern Trust; Chairman, Commercial Club of Chicago

Dan Wagner; Founder & CEO, Civis Analytics

Timothy Walbert; Chairman, President, & CEO, Horizon Pharma Holdings USA, Inc.

Leon Walker; Managing Partner, DL3 Realty

Monica Walker; CEO & CIO, Holland Capital Management

Alex Washington; Managing Director, Wind Point Partners

Kenneth Webb; Founder, President & CEO, Fact Finders Group Inc.

David B. Weinberg; Chairman & CEO, Judd Enterprises, Inc.

David Weinstein; Founder & Managing Partner, Freshwater Advisors

Benjamin Weprin; CEO, AJ Capital Partners

Dr. Cheryl R. Whitaker; Chairwoman & CEO, NextLevel Health Partners

Peter Wilkins; Managing Director, Hyde Park Angels

Kevin Willer; Partner, Chicago Ventures

Keith E. Williams; President & CEO, UL LLC

Melvin D. Williams; President, Nicor Gas

Mary Wilson; Managing Partner, Chicago Office, Dentons

Thomas J. Wilson; Chairman & CEO, The Allstate Corporation

Don Wilson; Founder & CEO, DRW

Rockwell Wirtz; President, Wirtz Corporation; Chairman, Chicago Blackhawks

Robert A. Wislow; Chairman, CBRE

Patricia Woertz; Former President & CEO, Archer Daniels Midland

Jim Wong; CEO, Brilliant

Jessica Yagan; CEO, Impact Engine

Sam Yagan; CEO, ShopRunner

Jeff Yordon; Chairman & CEO, Sagent Pharmaceuticals

Nikki Zollar; President, Safespeed LLC

 

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Diana Rauner; First Lady, State of Illinois; President, The Ounce of Prevention Fund

Michael Amiridis; Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Brenna Argall; Director, argallab, Northwestern University

David Baker; Executive Director, America’s Urban Campus

Forrest Claypool; CEO, Chicago Public Schools

Teresa Cordova; Director & Professor of Urban Planning and Policy, Great Cities Institute

Alan Cramb; President, Illinois Institute of Technology

Linda Darragh; Larry Levy Executive Director, Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, Northwestern University

Gabriel Esteban; President, DePaul University

John Flavin; Associate Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Chicago

Laura Frerichs; Director of Economic Development & Research Park, University of Illinois

Austan Goolsbee; Professor, University of Chicago; Former Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisors

Robert Jones; Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Melissa Crounse Kaufman; Executive Director, The Garage, Northwestern University

Timothy L. Killeen; President, University of Illinois System

Kwang-Wu Kim; President & CEO, Columbia College

Bruce Leech; Executive Director, Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, DePaul University

Ali Malekzadeh; President, Roosevelt University

David Miller; Dean, College of Computing and Digital Media, DePaul University

Peter Pfanner; Executive Director, UIC Innovation Center, University of Illinois at Chicago

Jo-Ann Rooney; President, Loyola University of Chicago

Juan Salgado; Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago

Morton O. Schapiro; President, Northwestern University

Matthew Tirrell; Pritzker Director, Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Catherine Vorwald; Executive Director, University Technology Park & Associate Vice President, Illinois Institute of Technology

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker; Former Executive Vice President, University of Chicago Medical Center

Robert Zimmer; President, University of Chicago

 

ARTS & CULTURE

Brian Bannon; Commissioner & CEO, Chicago Public Library

Kevin J. Bell; President and CEO, Lincoln Park Zoo

Greg Cameron; Executive Director, Joffrey Ballet

Bridget Coughlin; President & CEO, Shedd Aquarium

Nora Daley; Founding Officer, Steppenwolf Theater

Gerard Donnelly; President & CEO, Morton Arboretum

Jean M. Franczyk; President & CEO, Chicago Botanic Garden

Anthony Freud; General Director, President, & CEO, Lyric Opera

Madeleine Grynsztejn; Pritzker Director, Museum of Contemporary Art

Perri Irmer; CEO, DuSable Museum

Mark Kelly; Commissioner, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events

Richard Lariviere; President & CEO, The Field Museum

Michelle B. Larson; President & CEO, Adler Planetarium

Josephine Lee; President & Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s Choir

Robert M. Levy; Chairman, Art Institute of Chicago

Shirley R. Madigan; Chair, Illinois Arts Council

David Mosena; President & CEO, Museum of Science & Industry

Alex Pissios; President, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios

James Rondeau; President and Eloise W. Martin Director, Art Institute of Chicago

Stuart D. Strahl; President & CEO, Brookfield Zoo

Jackie Taylor; Founder, CEO, Black Ensemble Theater

Regina Taylor; Actress & Artistic Associate, Goodman Theater

Carlos Tortolero; Founder, President & CEO, National Museum of Mexican Art

Sona Wang; Managing Director, Chicago Blues Experience

Walt Whitman; President & Director, Soul Children of Chicago

 

COMMUNITY & FAITH-BASED

Satish Amruthur; President, Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago

Joy Aruguete; CEO, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation

Torrey Barrett; Founder & Executive Director, K.L.E.O. Community Life Center

Bishop Ocie Booker; Tabernacle of God Church of God in Christ

Dr. Byron T. Brazier; Pastor, Apostolic Church of God

Pastor Corey Brooks; New Beginnings Church

Kirstin Chernawsky; Executive Director, Erie Neighborhood House

Pastor Carlos Chica; Shekina a las Naciones

Craig Chico; Executive Director, The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council

Jahmal Cole; Founder, My Block My Hood My City

Malcolm Crawford; Executive Director, Austin African American Business Networking Association

Cardinal Blase Cupich; Archdiocese of Chicago

Pastor Wilfredo Dejesus; New Life Covenant Church

Jaime di Paulo Zozaya; Executive Director, Little Village Chamber of Commerce

Bishop Sally Dyck; Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church

Dr. Michael Eaddy; Pastor, People’s Church of the Harvest

Alex Esparanza; Executive Director, 18th Street Development Corporation

Nedra Sims Fears; Executive Director, Greater Chatham Initiative

Leon Finney Jr; President, Woodlawn Community Development Corp

Sol Flores; Founder & Executive Director, La Casa Norte

Mario Garcia; Executive Director, Onward Neighborhood House

Pastor Wayne Gordon; Lawndale Community Church

Brandon Green; Pastoral Director, River City Community Development Center

Pastor Darrel Griffin; Oakdale Covenant Church

Pastor Marshal Hatch; New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church of West Garfield

Bishop William Hudson; The Power House

Pastor Bill Hybels; Willow Creek Community Church

Pastor Charles Jenkins; Fellowship Chicago

Melinda Kelly, Executive Director, Chatham Business Association

Pastor Shannon Kershner; Fourth Presbyterian Church

Abraham Lacy; Executive Director, Far South CDC

Juan Carlos Linares; Executive Director, LUCHA

Rabbi Steven Lowenstein; Am Shalom Temple

Jose Lopez; Executive Director, Puerto Rican Cultural Center

Herbert Martin; Senior Pastor, Progressive Community Church

Rhonda McFarland; Executive Director, Quad Communities Development Corporation

Reverend James Meeks; Salem Baptist Church

Johnny L. Miller; Pastor, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, JLM Life Center

Dr. Otis Moss; Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ

Leonard Muhammad; Principal, The Shephard’s Group

Rami Nashashibi; Executive Director, Inner-City Muslim Action Network

Cliff Nellis; Executive Director, Lawndale Christian Legal Center

Pastor Robert Patterson; Spirit of Truth Baptist Church

Jorge Perez; Executive Director, HACIA

Father Michael Pfleger; St. Sabina Church

Pastor Lou Ramos; Storehouse Church

Raul Raymundo; CEO, The Resurrection Project

Claude Robinson; Executive Vice President, UCAN

Rabbi Michael Siegel; Anshe Emet Synagogue

Bishop Horace E. Smith; Apostolic Faith Church

Juan Soto; Executive Director, Pilsen Neighbors Community Council

Ted Stalnos; President, Calumet Area Industrial Commission

Pastor Jarett Stevens; Soul City Church

Pastor Al Toledo; Chicago Tabernacle

Pastor Albert Tyson; Presiding Elder, North District, Chicago Annual Conference

Bishop John White; AME Church

Apostle Dr. Carl L White; Southland Ministerial Health Network, Victory Christian International

Pastor John Zayas; Grace and Peace Ministries

 

PHILANTHROPIC, CIVIC, NON-PROFIT

Amy Rule; First Lady, City of Chicago

Sandra Abrevaya; President & Chief Impact Officer, Thrive Chicago

Ellen Alberding; President, Joyce Foundation

Leroy R. Allala; Executive Director, Chicago Sister Cities International

Haven Allen; Co-Founder & Executive Director, mHub

Kara Bachman; Executive Director, Chicago Sports Commission

Greg Baise; President & CEO, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association

MarySue Barrett; President, Metropolitan Planning Council

Andres Beltran; Economic Development Coordinator, Kendall County

Jim Bennett; Chief Development Officer, Lambda Legal

David Bennett; Executive Director, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Kate Bensen; President & CEO, The Chicago Network

Brenna Berman; Executive Director, City Digital, UI LABS

Erik Birkerts; CEO, Clean Energy Trust

Leslie Bluhm; Founder, Chicago Cares

Kam Buckner; Executive Director, World Sports Chicago

Emile Cambry Jr; Founder & CEO, Blue 1647

John Carpenter; President & CEO, Choose DuPage

Gloria Castillo; President & CEO, Chicago United

Robbin Cohen; Executive Director, Obama Foundation

Caralynn Nowinski Collens; CEO, UI LABS

Steven Collens; CEO, MATTER

James Compton; Former CEO, Chicago Urban League

John Conrad; Interim President & CEO, Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization & iBIO Institute

Kevin Considine; President & CEO, Lake County Partners

Michael Cornicelli; Executive Vice President, BOMA Chicago

Benjamin Cox; President & CEO, Friends of the Forest Preserves

Pam Cumpata; President, McHenry County EDC

Ivo H. Daalder; President, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Gillian Darlow; CEO, Polk Bros Foundation

Steve DeBretto; Executive Director, Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago

Evelyn Diaz; President, Heartland Alliance

Victor Dickson; President & CEO, Safer Foundation

Emilia DiMenco; President & CEO, Women’s Business Development Center

Wendy DuBoe; President & CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

Omar Duque; President & CEO, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Ana Dutra; President & CEO, Executives’ Club of Chicago

Robert Escalante; Chief Operating Officer, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Ricardo Estrada; CEO, Metropolitan Family Services

Brian Fabes; CEO, Civic Consulting Alliance

Scott Fetters; Director, 2112

Steve Frenkel; Executive Director, Current

Sherrell Fuller; Director of Client Development, Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council

Theaster Gates Jr.; Founder & Executive Director, Rebuild Foundation

Helene Gayle; Incoming CEO, Chicago Community Trust

Jane Grover; Outreach Principal, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

John Grueling; President & CEO, Will County Center for Economic Development

Mark Harris; President & CEO, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition

Meghan Harte; Executive Director, Chicago Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Lori Healey; CEO, Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority

Jason Henrichs; Co-Founder, FinTex Chicago

Adolfo Hernandez; Director, Community Health Initiative, Pritzker Foundation

David Hiller; President & CEO, McCormick Foundation

Fred Hoch; Executive Chairman, Illinois Technology Association

Calvin Holmes; CEO, Chicago Community Loan Fund

Grace Hou; President, Woods Foundation Chicago

Tom Hulseman; Managing Director, Metro Chicago Exports

Kim L. Hunt; Executive Director, Pride Action Tank

Israel Idonije; Founder, Israel Idonije Foundation

Larry Ivory; Founder, President & CEO, Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce

Michael Jasso; Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development

Brian C. Johnson; CEO, Equality Illinois

Julia Kanouse; CEO, Illinois Technology Association

Rob Karr; President & CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association

Michael Kelly; CEO & Superintendent, Chicago Park District

Maria Kim; President & CEO, The Cara Program

Thomas D. Kuczmarski; Founder & President; Kuczmarski Innovation; Founder, Chicago Innovation

April Lane; Executive Director, Catapult Chicago

Dean Lane; Chair, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association

Mark Lauer; Chair, Choose Chicago GM Advisory Committee

Phyllis Lockett; CEO, LEAP Innovations

Janice Lopez; Managing Director, Entrepreneurial Services; Director, Women’s Business Development Center

Ann Lurie; President, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Foundation

Marie Trzupek Lynch; President & CEO, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future

Todd Maisch; President & CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Jessica Malkin; CEO, Chicago Ideas Week

Galen Mason; Co-Founder, Catapult

Terry Mazany; President & CEO, Chicago Community Trust

Dorri McWhorter; CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

Cindy Moelis; President, Pritzker Traubert Foundation

Sheila Morgan; President & CEO, Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council

Randal Muhammad; Vice President of Finance & Administration, American Islamic College

David E. Munar; President & CEO, Howard Brown Health

Kamau Murray; President & CEO, XS Tennis

Jenne Myers; CEO, ChicagoCares

Steven B. Nasatir; President, Jewish United Fund

Karin Norington-Reaves; CEO, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership

Katya Nuques; Executive Director, Enlace

Maura O’Hara; Executive Director, Illinois Venture Capital Association

Cristina Pacione-Zayas; Director of Policy, Erickson Institute

Brenda Langstraat Palm, CEO, Working In the Schools (WITS)

Dr. Hal M. Lewis; President and CEO, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership

Angelique Power; President, Field Foundation

Jorge Ramirez; President, Chicago Federation of Labor

Arnold Randall; Superintendent, Forest Preserves of Cook County

Michael Reever; Acting President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Ahmed Rehab; Executive Director, CAIR Chicago

Karen Riley; Executive Director, Business Leadership Council

Desiree Rogers; Chair, Choose Chicago, Former CEO, Johnson Publishing Company

Celena Roldan; CEO, American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois

Robert Rose; Executive Director, Cook County Land Bank Authority

Shari Runner; President & CEO, Chicago Urban League

Imani Rupert-Gordon; Executive Director, Affinity Community Services

Andrea Saenz; Chairwoman, Board of Directors, Instituto del Progreso

Jim Schultz; Former Chairman & CEO, Intersect Illinois

Irene Sherr; Assistant Deputy Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development

David Simas; CEO, Obama Foundation

Julia Stasch; President, MacArthur Foundation

Michael Strautmanis; VP of Civic Engagement, Obama Foundation

Sujata; President & CEO, Chicago Foundation for Women (CFW)

Kathryn Sullivan; Chair, The Chicago Network

Joe Szabo; Executive Director, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

Luke Tanen; Executive Director, Chicago Innovation

Mark Tebbe; Chairman, ChicagoNEXT; Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Chicago

Glenn F. Tilton; Chairman, Chicago Council of Global Affairs

Sam Toia; President, Illinois Restaurant Association

William Towns; Executive Director, Benefit Chicago

Howard Tullman; CEO, 1871

Mark VanKerkhoff; Director, Kane County Development & Community Services Department

Kelly R. Welsh; President, Commercial Club of Chicago

David Whitaker; President & CEO, Choose Chicago

Sodiqa Williams; Associate Vice President, Policy and Strategy, Safer Foundation

Esther Wong; Executive Director; Chinese-American Service League

Maria Wynne; CEO, Leadership Greater Chicago

Donna Zarcone; President & CEO, Economic Club of Chicago

 

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