World Business Chicago

Chicago closed 2024 with strong economic performance, steady growth, and continued investment across key industries. But as we move deeper into 2025, uncertainty looms—from shifting U.S. policies to evolving market conditions. With so much in flux, staying informed is more important than ever. The latest WBC Research Economic Dashboard breaks it all down. Read this week’s Business Pulse. We welcome your comments and suggestions of what you'd like us to report on in the future.

A teacher, poet, activist and artist, Margaret Taylor Burroughs is perhaps best known as the founder of the Ebony Museum of Negro History and Art, now The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th St. Burroughs, originally from Louisiana, grew up in Englewood. She attended Englewood High School, Chicago Teachers College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, according to The Poetry Foundation. She taught at DuSable High School for 20 years. The poet and scholar wrote and illustrated several children’s books and poetry collections while painting, sculpting and printmaking, all of her work deeply rooted in the Black experience. Burroughs, husband Charles Burroughs and a small group of organizers started what became the The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center out of the first floor of the Burroughs’ 3806 S. Michigan Ave. home in 1961, according to the museum. It was across the street from the South Side Community Arts Center, which Burroughs helped establish when she was just 22, according to her The HistoryMakers profile. At the time, Margaret Burroughs said it was “the only [museum] that grew out of the Indigenous Black community,” according to the DuSable. It was renamed in honor of Du Sable in 1968. Mayor Harold Washington named Feb. 1, 1986, “Dr. Margaret Burroughs Day,” according to the HistoryMakers. She was inducted into the Chicago Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2010, Margaret Burroughs passed away at the age of 95.

With a $25 million gift from the Future Wanxiang Foundation, Northwestern University and Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management are launching the Northwestern Innovation Institute, a groundbreaking initiative designed to redefine how innovation drives business, science, and technology.   This transformational investment, led by Pin Ni, Executive Chair of the Future Wanxiang Foundation and WBC board member, underscores the power of global collaboration and Chicago’s leadership in innovation.    Through AI-driven research, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to real-world impact, the Future Wanxiang Foundation is fueling breakthrough discoveries and transformative business applications. By connecting business leaders, researchers, and policymakers, this initiative is expanding university collaborations, scaling innovation globally, and driving economic growth— Chicago continues to be where the future of business is being curated. https://lnkd.in/gY25Er7x

Chicago is fortunate to have an established and next-generation class of leaders driving business. Crain's Chicago Business Women of Influence honors these trailblazers, risk-takers, and agenda-setters—leaders shaping industries and positioning Chicago for the future. From Rita Sola Cook, President of Bank of America Chicago and a key member of WBC’s Executive Committee, to Christy George, CEO, Intersect, Julie Giese, President of Chicago Street Race, NASCAR, Karen Freeman-Wilson, CEO of the Chicago Urban League, Natalie Brown, CEO of Mesirow, Lisa Duarte, Equity Partner at Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres, Ashley Duchossois Joyce, Chair of Duchossois Capital Management, and Suzanne Yoon, Founder & Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners—these powerhouse women are shaping the face of business in Chicago and beyond. Strong female leadership is woven into Chicago’s DNA—driving innovation, opportunity, and economic growth. From government and civic institutions to industry and business, women are shaping a more inclusive, equitable, and dynamic future for our city and region. By celebrating those recognized by Crain’s Women of Influence today, we also acknowledge the many others whose leadership and impact shape our city and region every day. Congratulations to all! 👏🏽 #WomenOfInfluence #ChicagoBusiness

🌎 World Business Chicago + Midwest House at SXSW = breaking our Midwest modest, and showing the world our #Midwest best! 👏 On behalf of all of us at World Business Chicago: congrats Midwest House and CEO Ted Velie! ✅ #MidwestHouse returns at #SouthbySouthwest (#SXSW) this March 7 to 11 in Austin, Texas! 🏙️ Led by my rockstar colleague Nicole McCarthy, World Business Chicago is proud to collaborate with Midwest House for #Chicago Day 2025, our largest #proChicago activation at SXSW with partners on Saturday, March 8! ⭐️ Midwest House is a global showcase of the incredible talent and innovative thinking that the #Midwest has to offer, as well as a networking tool. “We’re hellbent on challenging the perception of the Midwest as boring, milk toast, and just kinda blah… We love where we live, and there’s so much going on here. That’s why we wanna share it with everybody.” They are the experiential #Midwest embassy at SXSW, inviting Midwesterners, Midwest alumni, and the global audience of #SXSW. 😊 Midwest House CEO Ted Velie said it best: “We’ll be bringing a delegation of literally hundreds down to Texas to connect and to inspire. We’ll be celebrating ecosystem builders and International Women’s Day. Connecting founders with investors and hearing both pitch on our big stage. We’ll be reveling in all things #Chicago with World Business Chicago, discussing the future of cities and work, and hearing how our built environment is changing the very way we enjoy art and entertainment. We’ll be talking mobility, the great outdoors, #AI, #sports, schools, building a business, and new kinds of social media. Add to all this food, drink, conversation, and whole bunch of live music straight from the heartland.” ➡️ If you’ll be in Austin, Texas for SXSW, join us for #Chicago Day at Midwest House! Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/g-Kmks2d

The CBC is so please to share that we are serving as the Host of the Regional Committee that is bringing BioCentury Inc.’s #GrandRoundsUS conference to Chicago June 4-6! Shout out to our incredible committee members who helped make this possible! P33 Chicago World Business Chicago Portal Innovations, LLC Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO) University of Chicago University of Illinois Chicago University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Northwestern University The conference will showcase the Midwest’s emerging identity in the future of biotech, highlighting the region’s dynamic ecosystem. Key drivers include research initiatives at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network, deep industry expertise at the CBC, and the strategic investment approach of Portal Innovations. https://lnkd.in/gjs5DWnw

Last year saw a wave of pro-Chicago, pro-South Side investments, with major developments including the CTA Red Line extension, PsiQuantum’s expansion into Chicago as anchor tenant of IQMP, and transformative happenings at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.   In May 2024, the museum was renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science & Industry, marking a new chapter for this iconic institution. Earlier this year, it announced plans for a new South Side entrance, creating a seamless connection to Jackson Park and the soon-to-open Obama Presidential Center. The redesigned portico will feature a terrace, café, and a stunning reflecting pool—a nod to the museum’s origins at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.   More than a facelift, this project enhances accessibility and connectivity, ensuring MSI remains a dynamic hub for all Chicagoans. Construction is now underway, with completion set for 2027—aligning with the Obama Center’s anticipated opening.   What excites you most about MSI’s transformation? Share your thoughts below!

Chicago stands on the legacy of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the pioneer whose vision built the foundation of our city. This Black History Month, we honor his impact and the generations he inspired.

Chicago stands on the legacy of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the pioneer whose vision built the foundation of our city. This Black History Month, we honor his impact and the generations he inspired.

World Business Chicago joins the city in mourning the passing of Virginia McCaskey. As a beloved member of the McCaskey and Halas family, she was part of a legacy that shaped Chicago sports and culture. Our thoughts are with the McCaskey family and the entire Chicago Bears community during this time.