CHICAGO VENTURE SUMMIT FUTURE-OF-FOOD ANNOUNCES KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & AGENDA

The Chicago region's flagship startup & venture capital conference will welcome 700+ founders, Fortune 500s executives, innovators, and investors from around the world—May 3 to 5.

CHICAGO, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Chicago Venture Summit Future-of-Food will showcase the Chicago region's dominance as a hub for food manufacturing and innovation. It will also put the spotlight on transformation in the food industry, with keynotes from Alanna Cotton, President and Chief Business Officer of Ferrero North America; Kristin Kroepfl, Chief Marketing Officer of Quaker Foods North America; and, Hiroshi Shiragami, Chief Innovation Officer for Ajinomoto.

"With the second edition of Future-of-Food coming back, the Chicago Venture Summit series continues to lead as a premier convening for innovators from around the world," said Mark Tebbe, Innovation & Venture Council Chair and Board Member, World Business Chicago. "And now is the best time to showcase our city's most promising founders and startups in food and ag innovation."

You can find more information at www.chicagoventuresummit.com, highlights include:

• Wednesday, May 3, opening day includes partner events and official opening reception.
• Thursday, May 4, the full Summit program will kick off with remarks by Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot; and,
• Friday, May 5 is a new "Startup & VC" Day designed for out-of-town investors and VCs to convene with Chicagoland entrepreneurs and other Chicago Venture Summit attendees.

"Chicago's central location, strong industry infrastructure, extensive transportation network, and diverse economy have made it a global leader in food innovation and a prime destination for economic growth in the food industry," said Michael Fassnacht, President and CEO, World Business Chicago. "With the largest food manufacturing workforce in the nation and a thriving community of innovative companies and startups, the Chicagoland region is at the forefront of shaping the future of food in the country."

Chicago Venture Summit, Future of Food, is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors. Presenting sponsors: BMO, Cleveland Avenue, Cooley, Edelman, Ferrero, Mars Wrigley, Microsoft, Quaker Foods, and Shapack Partners. Innovation Sponsors include: 1871, Choose DuPage, Cook County, GET Cities, Here Here Market, JLL, Kane County, Kendall County, Lake County Partners, McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, Midwest House, SRS Acquiom, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign's College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences, and Will County Center for Economic Development. Startup Sponsors include: 2112, Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network, Food Foundry, Grow Greater Englewood, Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute for Food Safety & Health, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, P33, and Valor Equity Partners. Venture Partners include: All Raise, BLCK VC, Bluestein Ventures, Chicago:Blend, Dom Capital Group, FounderFamilia, Gen Z VC, HPA, LatinxVC, Lofty Ventures, The 81 Collection, Tilia, Serra Ventures, Supply Change Capital, TSX, and VCFamilia.

In 2022 the Chicago Venture Summit welcomed more than 1500 founders, Fortune 500 executives, innovators, and investors from around the world. Led by World Business Chicago with the support of sponsors, the Chicago Venture Summit is an invite-only industry innovation and startup conference. To learn more on how to register, please email World Business Chicago Venture Events Manager Lauren Backe: [email protected]

About World Business Chicago:
World Business Chicago serves a critical role in driving inclusive and equitable recovery throughout the city's 77 neighborhoods, focused on high growth sectors: transportation, distribution, & logistics; manufacturing; healthcare & life sciences, and our local innovation, startup, & venture ecosystem. As the City of Chicago's economic development agency, World Business Chicago leads corporate attraction & retention, workforce & talent, community impact, and promotion of Chicago as a leading global city. Supported by a council of 300+ local leaders, World Business Chicago's portfolio of innovation & venture programs include: the Chicago Venture Summit series, Startup Chicago, ThinkChicago, and Venture Engine with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC). Follow World Business Chicago on LinkedIn for daily news and announcements on company relocation and expansion; industry and ecosystem growth, U.S. and world rankings, and more about Chicago's economic progress.

SOURCE World Business Chicago