Entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist Penny Pritzker will speak with leaders of the Chicago-region economy as the keynote speaker at the 114th Annual Meeting of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s Annual Meeting is June 5th and will be attended by hundreds of business, civic, and government leaders. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been invited to speak at the event as well.
Penny Pritzker served as the 38th United States Secretary of Commerce, and is Founder and Chairman of PSP Partners, a global private investment firm focused on building businesses. She also is a co-chair of the Chicago committee working to attract Amazon’s HQ2; a member of the board of the Obama Foundation; and a leader of efforts to ensure Chicago and U.S. workers have the training and skills needed to drive economic growth in the future.
“I am honored to speak with Chicago’s business leaders and discuss the future of work, issues of inclusive growth, observations from my tenure as Secretary of Commerce, and thoughts on the factors affecting the U.S. economy,” Pritzker said.
“Penny Pritzker has been a leader at the highest levels of business, government, and philanthropy,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jack Lavin. “The breadth and depth of her experience gives her a rare ability to analyze all the key pieces and understand how they can fit together to drive job creation and prosperity. I’m thrilled Chicago business and civic leaders will have the chance to gain from her insights.”
The Chicagoland Chamber’s Annual Meeting is open to business and civic leaders who are Chamber members or non-members. In addition to the speaking program, the event will feature the announcement of the winner of the $50,000 James Tyree Emerging Business Leadership Award. The Tyree Award is given each year to a small business that has demonstrated growth and community values. More information, and registration for tickets and tables for the Annual Meeting are at ChicagolandChamber.org.
About Penny Pritzker
Penny Pritzker is an entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist with more than 30 years of experience in numerous industries. Pritzker is the Founder and Chairman of PSP Partners, a global private investment firm that takes a long-term, fundamental approach to investing in and building market-leading businesses in sectors such as professional services, real estate, technology, agriculture, industrial services and consumer products.
From June 2013 through January 2017, Pritzker served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration. Pritzker was a core member of President Obama’s economic team and served as the country’s chief commercial advocate, leading the Administration’s trade and investment promotion efforts. She also served on President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and his Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Currently, Pritzker is a member of the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a member of the board of Microsoft, a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, a member of the board of the Obama Foundation, a member of the board of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and on the advisory council of The Hamilton Project.
Pritzker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration from Stanford University.
About the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce represents 1,000 member organizations that employ 400,000 people and create more than $24 billion in revenue. It combines the power of its membership with a legacy of leadership and business advocacy to drive a dynamic economy. The Chicagoland Chamber focuses on delivering value for its members, making Chicagoland a world-class place to live and work.