John Kao, Leading Expert on Innovation Management, Slated to Keynote Chicagoland Innovation Summit October 25

Business Wire, Oct 15, 2007

CHICAGO -- Renowned author, educator and business consultant John Kao will present a keynote address at the Chicagoland Innovation Summit on October 25 at Navy Pier, the Summit organizers announced today. The Summit is presented by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, World Business Chicago and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Kao is a recognized thought leader on venture creation, business education, innovation management and artistic experience. In the recently published book, Innovation Nation, Kao declares that America is falling apart because we're suffering from an erosion of innovation. Kao says, "We have the talent, money, legacy, and infrastructure necessary for success. But we are rapidly becoming the fat, complacent General Motors of nations. We are losing our ambition; we are losing our fire and our determination to achieve."

Kao has been dubbed "Mr. Creativity" by The Economist, and was recently named one of the 1,000 most creative Americans and one of the 200 top management authorities worldwide. His deep and broad experience also includes founding companies in life sciences, digital media and innovation services. His previous book, Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity, was a Business Week best-seller that has been published in 12 languages. Kao is also a Tony-nominated film and theater producer whose credits include sex, lies & videotape and Golden Child.

Born in Chicago, John Kao was trained in philosophy (B.A., Yale College), psychiatry (M.D., Yale Medical School; residency, Harvard Medical School) and business (M.B.A., Harvard Business School). He is chairman and CEO of Kao and Company.

The Innovation Summit is part of Chicagoland Innovation Week, which also includes Microsoft's own Innovation Day and the Chicago Innovation Awards sponsored by the Chicago Sun-Times and Kuczmarski & Associates. Highlights of this year's Innovation Summit include:

* Microsoft Corporation partnered with the presenting organizations; Microsoft chose Chicago as a strategic location for its Citizenship and Innovation initiative in the U.S. and will be hosting a "Microsoft Technology Expo" at the Summit. Attendees will be able to experience Surface - never before shown in Chicagoland - and see how this tabletop could define how we use computers in the future.

* Rosabeth Moss Kanter, an acclaimed author and the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, will deliver one of this year's keynote addresses. A noted scholar on the topic of strategy, innovation and managing change, Moss Kanter will highlight findings in her new book, America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-Do Nation Once Again. The number one principle is innovation.

* The roster of speakers includes Joe Batista, Director and Chief Creatologist, Hewlett-Packard Company; Joe Boggio, Director of Innovation Management Solutions of Microsoft Industry Solutions Organization; Alexander Kandybin, Partner and Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton; Michael Krauss, President and Managing Principal, Market Strategy Group; Thomas D. Kuczmarski, Senior Partner and President, Kuczmarski & Associates; Jack Lavin, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Bill Moller, Host of WGN radio's "The Money Show"; Mike Mulica, President and CEO, Bridgeport Networks; Jane Stevenson, Global Managing Partner, Heidrick & Struggles' Chief Marketing Officer Practice; Howard Tullman, Chairman and CEO, Experiencia, Inc. and James C. Tyree, Chairman and CEO, Mesirow Financial

Other major sponsors for the Summit in addition to Microsoft are Mesirow Financial, IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Cherry Family Foundation, Crain's Chicago Business, IIT Stuart Business School, ImageTec and WGN Radio.

The summit is $350 and open to all business, academic and government leaders. Registration and more information can be found at www.innovatenow.us or by calling the Chamber Event Hotline at (312) 494.6709.