Future-of-fintech Week
Foode future of Food week activation - all week!
In honor of World Business Chicago’s Future of Food Week, Foode is bringing you the chance to experience the city of Chicago’s best dining options! Think of Chicago like your dining game board—you’ll be able to earn perks and prizes at participating venues and official events throughout the week. Check out the rules below and sign up!
1. Sign up on the form below to participate in Foode’s Future of Food Week campaign!
2. We’ll send you the campaign link to get started on Saturday, May 18.
3. Scan the unique QR codes at participating venues and events to play the WBC x Foode Drop in Mixed Reality. Every time you visit a new restaurant and play the Drop, you have the chance to win Foode loyalty points and/or exclusive on-site offers! Hold up your phone’s camera to find the WBC x Foode drop in the room. Claim your prize! Select venues will offer either redeemable prizes onsite, such as a free drink or savings on your next meal, or Foode loyalty points! Earning 3 Foode loyalty points automatically qualifies you for our giveaway for a grand prize of $250 to any DineAmic Hospitality restaurant!
4. Earning 3 loyalty points also automatically qualifies you for the chance to earn $50 to DineAmic Hospitality restaurant as a runner up.
5. Keep visiting participating restaurants and events throughout the week to earn loyalty points for your chance at the grand prize and to redeem for other dining gift cards! You can find the list of restaurants and events on this page as they are confirmed and on the campaign link.
Let us know your favorite spots and perks by sharing on social media! Tag us @foode_app.
Let's Talk Womxn
National restaurant association women owners & leaders reception
Curated culinary adventures by The Show & LTW for their 55k attendees and Chicago. Gourmet collaborations dinners at Vermilion, La Luna, The Dearborn, 1308, Albion Manor, Saigon Sisters, Bistronomic. Seven dinners hosted by 2-3 restaurateurs at each venue.
DRip run
A weekly 5k on Mondays at 6:30 AM to kick off the start to an amazing week. We can't wait to see you there!
Startup Chicago Food & Beverage Virtual Showcase
Led by World Business Chicago in partnership with its sponsors, Startup Chicago connects venture-ready startups with regional and national investors to accelerate growth. As an extension to the Chicago Venture Summit, Startup Chicago market’s the city’s thriving startup ecosystem with active VCs and tech investors across the Midwest and around the country.
The Startup Chicago Showcase is an invite-only virtual event exclusive for select VCs and tech investors to learn more about Chicago’s startup ecosystem and hear from promising entrepreneurs, fundraising their next round in 2024.So far this year, we've successfully hosted five showcases, and we're excited to be hosting one specifically for the Future of Food week.
The Food and Beverage Showcase is a great opportunity for startups in the food and beverage industry to showcase their products, connect with investors, and gain valuable exposure.
Transformative Impact:
Meet The BFM Fund & dreambloc
The BFM Fund and dreambloc are coming to Chicago!
The investor dinner represents a great opportunity to increase economic mobility and provide capital access networks, much like The BFM Fund has accomplished in other cities by creating economic development hubs. The partnership with dreambloc allows us to do that by showing up intentionally to create impact.
During this intimate gathering, you'll have the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, learn about the fund's innovative approach to investing, and explore how you can be a part of this transformative journey. Whether you're a seasoned supporter of impact investing, social causes or simply curious about making a difference, this event promises to be an enlightening experience.
Don't miss out on the chance to be at the forefront of change with The BFM Fund and dreambloc.
Let's Talk Womxn
National restaurant association women owners & leaders reception
Let's Talk Womxn is thrilled to craft & cohost the first Women Leaders & Owners Reception with the National Restaurant Association Show. The largest food service and restaurants convention with over 55,000 attendees. We invite ALL women to attend, meet, explore ways to promote our businesses and careers beyond platitudes & hear from industry leaders Michelle Korsmo (President & CEO National Restaurant Association), Adrienne Trimble (VP Chief Diversity & Cultural Officer Sysco), KELLY HIGGINSON (President & CEO Restaurants Canada), Rohini Dey, Ph.D. (Founder, Vermilion & Let's Talk Womxn). Presented by Sysco, a longstanding champion of our Let's Talk Womxn 900+ women restaurateurs, ambassadors & employers across 15 cities. Grateful to the City of Chicago, Choose Chicago & World Business Chicago who spearhead Chicago's growth and prosperity and champion us as a destination.
Let's Talk change
Reinventing restaurants
By Let's Talk Womxn national. Tickets $60 at http://www.letstalkwomxn.com. Cash bar. A dynamic gourmet evening for all who love dining out and restaurants. Feast on six interactive global gourmet LTW food stations. Hear crisp unfiltered soapboxes by 10 leading LTW nationwide restaurateurs. What's working with our restaurants today? What's not? How can we build better? Unfiltered opinions, insights & revelations with no holy grails by real restaurateurs. On innovation, food trends, immigration, local & sustainable, wages, tipping, media, herd hypes & fads, fine dining norms, ethnic or global fare, pricing, charity & causes, economics, policy, entrepreneurship and more.
Food is Wellness: yoga session
Join us in the AM at Edelman's Rooftop Test Kitchen for a revitalizing yoga session to kickstart your day with tranquility and flexibility. Afterward, mingle and network with peers while enjoying refreshing juice and smoothies!
Blend Talks
Join us for the grand finale of the Chicago:Blend Venture Fellowship at mHUB in Fulton Market. Blend:Talks will feature our 10 Chicago:Blend Venture Fellows as they take the stage to share thought-provoking talks on key trends and industry insights impacting venture capital.
Come for the content and stay for an early-evening reception immediately following the talks.
Naturally Pitch Slam
The Naturally Chicago Pitch Slam is the centerpiece of our Pitch Slam and Financing & Innovation Forum, to be held May 21 at Chicago’s beautiful Epiphany Center for the Arts. The Pitch Slam prize package of business-building services has a value of nearly $200,000!Tickets are now on sale for the natural products industry event of the year in Chicago. This is your best opportunity to meet established and emerging brands, investors, service providers, lenders, potential business partners and more. Speakers include luminaries such as John Foraker, CEO of Once Upon a Farm, Carlotta Mast, Market Leader of New Hope and Producer of Natural Products EXPO, leading retailers, and other industry leaders.
Taste of Orion3 & Foode
Orion3, Chicago's premiere networking group, and Foode, your one-stop platform for all your dining needs, are hosting a tasting event in honor of the Future of Food Week! Expect tasty bites, drinks, and serendipitous conversation on the future of food, tech, startups and more.
Women in Bio-chicago:
screening of Show her the money
Women In Bio-Chicago invites you to an exciting upcoming event where we will be hosting a screening of Show Her the Money, a film that demystifies venture capital and addresses the fact that women get less than 2% of VC funding.
The film follows four visionary founders as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality. In spite of their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even more determined, resourceful, and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each business has the potential to become a “unicorn” … a billion-dollar business. Enjoy networking before the film and a fireside chat with members of the film cast. Each ticket includes appetizers and two drink vouchers.
Program
5:30 p.m. – 6:10 p.m. Networking
6:10 p.m. – 7:40 p.m. Movie
7:40 p.m. – 7:50 p.m. Tech intermission
7:50 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. Fireside chat with film cast
8:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Networking and wrap-up
startup day!
Startup Day at Future of Food Week, taking place on May 22nd from 9 AM to 12 PM, is designed to foster meaningful connections between food innovation startups and investors. The morning features a networking breakfast, followed by two exclusive tracks: a Food Innovation Panel for startup founders and a Fund Formation and Angel Investments session for investors, concluding with targeted matchmaking where select investors will connect with four handpicked companies through curated 15-minute sessions.
invite-only
future of food Week reception
You're invited to join us for an unforgettable kickoff to Future of Food Week! Presented by World Business Chicago and Relish Works, this reception promises a dynamic blend of innovation, camaraderie, and, of course, delicious bites and drinks. Mingle with movers and shakers from across the industry, all converging to celebrate the dynamic spirit of Chicago's food and beverage scene. Let's raise a glass to the future of F&B together—it's going to be a night to remember!
Womens Breakfast Presented by Cooley & Bluestein Ventures
Cooley and Bluestein Ventures are pleased to invite you to a women's breakfast in conjunction with Future of Food Week 2024. Come mix, mingle and brainstorm with women who are shaping the future of food.If you are a founder, funder, corporate leader, or ecosystem partner, we would love to see you on May 22nd! Cooley is graciously hosting in their incredible office on the Chicago River.Your prompt RSVP is appreciated. Space is limited to the first 75 registrants. Everyone will need to be registered for security.
Food Foundry Demo Day 2024
Food Foundry is a Chicago-based startup accelerator program by Gordon Food Service & Relish Works. In just six years, Food Foundry’s 30 alumni startups have raised over $65M+ in VC funding and created hundreds of jobs for our industry.
Join us on May 22nd, at the Relish Works Office, 1 N. Dearborn St, Suite 1750, to hear pitches from five foodservice startups pioneering what’s next in restaurant experiences. Explore further details and register using the link below.
Food as medicine:
Exploring the tensions behind the movement
Join Listen for breakfast to explore the rise of the Food as Medicine movement and the tensions that exist in making it a reality.
Sponsored by our friends at the Toronto Stock Exchange and as a part of this year’s “Future of Food Week” by World Business Chicago, you’ll hear from Ellen Wilcox (Head of Listening) on her Food as Medicine research, followed by an interactive exploration of the key tensions surfaced through this work. At Listen, we’ve long been bullish on investing in shifting consumer relationships with food. As we look to what’s next, we move our gaze to the next tipping point in the consumer + food relationship and can’t wait to bring you into the discussion.
Executives' Club of Chicago:
Bayer AG's CEO on the Urgency of food security
Please join Bill Anderson – CEO and Chairman of Bayer AG—on May 23 to discuss today’s dynamic nutrition environment and emerging concerns for American food security. The conversation will present an opportunity to explore the unique role Bayer AG plays in safeguarding America and bringing food to the table.
Members of the WBC community get 50% off the ticket price using code: WBCBAYER
Exclusive Chef Experience
Indulge in an exclusive culinary journey at The Coach House, the latest venture by acclaimed Chef Zubair, a two-time James Beard Award and Jean Banchet Award nominee. Nestled in the heart of Chicago, this hidden gem promises an unforgettable Multi-Course Menu experience, showcasing a unique collaboration between Chef Zubair and two beloved culinary maestros, Chef Stephen of S.KY, Apolonia, and Valhalla fame, and Chef Rishi, formerly of Bar Sotano and Topolobampo.
Tucked away behind Lilac Tiger's vibrant street food location on Division St., The Coach House invites you to savor signature dishes and innovative creations from these notable Chicago chefs.
But the experience doesn't end there! As a special treat, you'll take home the chefs' "secret sauces," allowing you to recreate the magic in the comfort of your own kitchen, ensuring that the magic of the experience lingers long after the final bite.
Here Here Market is bringing you this unique experience, showcasing how innovative chefs are embracing the restaurant-to-retail journey. By enabling diners to take home their products, Here Here Market extends the joy of dining out, allowing you to recreate restaurant experiences at home with ease and finesse.
Tickets are $100/each, 24 seats available total, prices are all-inclusive, covering not only the extraordinary dinner but also the coveted take-home products.
Enthuse Foundation Chicago Meetup
The Enthuse Foundation is a non-profit organization investing in a new generation of women entrepreneurs and cultivating the next generation of business leaders. #NewToNextWhether you're just launching a well-established company, our business pitch nights offer an opportunity to meet other women business owners, present your product or service, refine your elevator pitch, and receive supportive feedback from our community.
Event Agenda
4:00-4:15 Networking
4:15-5:00 Welcome/Introductions/Discussion
5:00-6:00 - Timed Pitches (no presentation, visuals, etc)
Executive Experience:
Future of Food
The Consul General of Canada, in partnership with World Business Chicago, cordially invites you to attend the Chicago Venture Summit Executive Experience - Future of Food Wednesday, May 29th @5:30pm
At the Michelin Star Chef Curtis Duffy’s Canvas by Ever at 1338 W. Fulton Market.
Programming includes a Fireside Chat with Bill Greuel, CEO, Protein Industries Canada and Michael Snodgrass, Managing Director, Alternative Proteins, Griffith Foods
The Chicago Venture Summit Executive Experiences aims to connect our local business, civic, and startup leaders for an invite-only event over incredible food and drinks hosted by one of Chicago’s top business convener. Guest lists are specially curated for leaders to enhance the night through thought provoking conversations and connections made between top executives and leading innovators.
See Partner Events