The Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center Showcase is an annual conference of eleven EDA University Centers from six Midwest states. Economic Development Districts (EDD) and Regional Development Offices (RDO) from those states are also invited to join, as well as national EDA and Illinois DCEO leaders. This year, the Showcase will be hosted by the University of Illinois EDA University Center at the Big Ten Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Each University Center in the region showcases their programs and impact. The agenda also includes interactive sessions and featured presenters.
Showcase sessions are on September 12 & 13, and an optional pre-event Chicago Innovation and Entrepreneurship Tour on September 11. The showcase is by invitation only with a $150 registration fee due no later than September 6, 2023. If you are interested in participating in the Showcase, reach out to motley1@illinois.edu or csoliday@illinois.edu. The tour is free for registered Showcase participants and requires a separate registration.
Featured presenters include:
- Susan Brehm, Regional Director of EDA's Chicago Regional Office
- Michael Fassnacht, Chief Marketing Officer for the City of Chicago and President & CEO of World Business Chicago
- Elle Ramel, Gender Equity in Tech (GET) Cities, Chicago Director
- Bill Payne, Executive Director of Science and Technology at the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago (during tour)
- Pava LaPere, Founder and CEO of EcoMap Technologies
- Joe Thiel, CEO of Innovate Marquette SmartZone
Pre-Event Innovation & Entrepreneurship Tour
Our tour begins with a visit to The Hatchery where we will learn more about their food & beverage incubator, tour the facility, and enjoy lunch together. Then we will visit Polsky Exchange North, University of Chicago’s community incubator located in Hyde Park. For our final destination, we'll be touring mHUB's brand new facility located in Chicago's Kinzie Industrial Corridor on the city's Near West Side. mHUB, an Innovation Center for All Things HardTech, offers a hyper-resourced environment that creates conditions for physical product innovation to thrive.
