Science in the City Annual Gala 2017

May 18, 2017

Chicago Sports Museum, Water Tower Place
835 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, USA

Program Series:
Science and Society

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Help C2ST foster connections across various industries as we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary at this year’s gala. There will be an opportunity for supporters to celebrate science and enjoy interactive sports museum exhibits. Meet researchers and mingle with area business leaders and young professionals while you enjoy food and drinks. This fundraiser will provide C2ST with much-needed financial resources to help support its mission.

The evening includes a cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction and raffle, a chance to mingle with business and scientific leaders and young professionals, all while enjoying the sports museum exhibits and beautiful skyline.

The recipients of Chicago Council on Science and Technology’s “Advancing the Public Understanding of Science & Technology Award” will be fêted at the gala event. This year, we will be recognizing two awardees, in both the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ and ‘Accomplished Young Professional’ categories. C2ST created this award in 2012 to honor individuals who share in the passion and mission of the organization—to increase the awareness of the great R&D taking place in our region.

Event Details

Please see DIRECTIONS AND PARKING INFORMATION HERE

Attire is business.

Self parking located in Water Tower Place on Chestnut Street. Available at a special rate of $12 per car for up to 5 hours with restaurant validation.

We have various donation levels that include giving opportunities to help young professionals attend for half price! Please help us make this event a success with your support today! In-kind donations are also accepted for our silent auction and raffle.

Please see the sponsorship opportunities here

Please see sponsorship and in-kind donation forms here

Are you a Young Professional who is interested in attending and have a discount code? Please register on the eventbrite page here. If don’t have the code, please email us at info@c2st.org.

Featured Guests

Michael Polsky

Michael Polsky is a multi-time successful entrepreneur, a leading energy industry innovator and founder, president and CEO of Invenergy. Across four decades of historic change in energy markets and technologies, he has helped pioneer the development of the independent power generation sector and the deployment of cost-competitive clean and renewable energy. In 2001, Polsky founded Invenergy, which provides innovative power generation and storage solutions around the world that are creating a cleaner energy future. With nearly 800 employees on four continents, Invenergy develops, owns and operates wind, solar, natural gas and advanced energy storage projects. It is the world’s largest independent, privately-held renewables company. Polsky founded two predecessor companies to Invenergy. In 1985, he co-founded and was President of Indeck Energy Services where he led the development and financing of one of the first independent power generation portfolios. Under his leadership, Indeck rose to 38th on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest growing private companies in America. In 1991, Polsky founded SkyGen Energy. SkyGen built North America’s largest cogeneration portfolio over the course of a decade before being acquired by Calpine Corporation in 2001. A number of current Invenergy senior executives were part of the team first formed at SkyGen, which has one of the most successful track records in the industry. Polsky’s philanthropic efforts reflect his passions for entrepreneurship and energy innovation. In 2002, he endowed the Booth School of Business Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, where he is a University Trustee and serves as Chairman of the Polsky Center Council. In 2010, he co-founded Clean Energy Trust, a nonprofit organization that supports early-stage startups pursuing energy innovation. Polsky also serves on the boards of World Resources Institute and the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Polsky holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Kiev Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Jessica Malkin

Jessica Malkin is CEO of Chicago Ideas, where she oversees the creation of the organization’s annual program and the development of its long-term strategy. She is a founding co-director of CIW’s Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellowship, which recognizes and supports exceptional social entrepreneurs. Jessica serves as Chief of Staff at Uptake Technologies, a predictive data analytics company co-founded by Chicago entrepreneur Brad Keywell. Uptake – which converts data into actionable insights that drive measurable business value – was recently named to CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list, and was Forbes’ “Hottest Startup” of 2015. In 2016, Jessica was honored as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 Under 40.” She sits on the board of directors of Embarc, is a trustee of the Susan Crown Exchange, and was recognized as a Tribeca Disruptor Foundation Fellow. She is a graduate of American University.

Aaron Freeman

The event will be hosted by Aaron Freeman, Artist in Residence at C2ST. Freeman is a writer/producer, science commentator and funnyman. Former host of both NPR’s weekly talk show Metropolis and WTTW’s Chicago Tomorrow, a weekly science-and-health half-hour magazine. Aaron Freeman