Chicago Sister Cities International

Last Thursday, World Business Chicago (WBC) hosted the 2024 Chicago International Gala at the Field Museum, where a record-breaking audience of 700 people gathered to celebrate Chicago's commitment to business and culture, as well as WBC's 25th anniversary! Guests enjoyed food that showcased Chicago's diverse cuisines and an ambiance of entertainment that highlighted music from around the world. The event gathered Chicago’s business and civic community to honor individuals whose work is shaping the future of the city and making a global impact. One of those honorees was J. Christoph Lichtenfeld, Co-Chair of the Hamburg Committee, who was awarded with the 2024 Chicago Sister Cities International Volunteer of the Year Award. Congratulations to Christoph and fellow awardees - including John Rogers, Michael Moskow, PsiQuantum, the Chicago Sky and Chicago Stars - who in their speeches reinforced a shared commitment to driving community, growth and innovation for our city in the years ahead. Chicago Sister Cities International also announced Tamar Newberger as our new chair. We are excited to welcome Ms. Newberger in this role and thank our outgoing chair, Jose Luis Prado, for his years of service. We were also joined by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and over 50 members of Chicago's Consular Corps, who are dedicated to promoting Chicago's cultural vibrancy. Proceeds from the evening help fund Chicago Consular Corps sponsorships for international students attending the University of Illinois Chicago. All in all, a great evening!

Yesterday, we welcomed a distinguished delegation from Shanghai, led by The Honorable Chen Jing, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress and President of the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The visit included a meeting with Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt and a meeting with Cook County led by Irene Sherr, Deputy Bureau Chief of Economic Development. The delegation also enjoyed a lunch hosted by Pin Ni of Wanxiang America, that included the participation of World Business Chicago, the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Chicago, Alderman Nicole Lee of the 11th Ward, and representatives from the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP). Key focus areas of discussion included best practice exchanges regarding strategic economic development, innovations in addressing climate change and the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Chicago-Shanghai sister city relationship next year.

Senator Billy Lawless immigrated to Chicago in 1998 from Galway, Ireland and set a strong foundation within the fabric of this city. He became a well known restaurateur with the establishment of the Gage Hospitality Group, is a founding member of the Galway Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, and has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for over two decades on strengthening the sister city ties between Chicago and Galway. As Ireland's first Senator of the diaspora, he has also spent much of his life advocating for immigration reform and the cause of Irish immigrants and undocumented individuals. His legacy will carry on in many ways and we are thankful to have been able to work alongside Billy for many years. Our thoughts are with his wife, Anne, children, Clodagh, Amy, Billy Jr., and John Paul, and their spouses and grandchildren. “Our hearts are heavy this week with the news of Billy Lawless’ passing. Billy was not only Chair Emeritus on the Galway Committee but to many of us, a close friend. Billy was a huge character filled with kindness and integrity and he was so passionate about bonding not just Galway and Chicago, but Ireland and the US. Billy’s legacy will certainly live on in the work that our committee continues to pursue. He will forever have a special place in our hearts and we will miss him dearly.” – John Wrenn & Nuala Kavanagh, Co-Chairs, Galway Committee of CSCI

On October 27th, 2024, Walter Payton College Preparatory High School and Lycée Pierre Gilles de Gennes signed a Letter of Intent on the basis of friendly cooperation and mutual benefit. This served as an agreement to initiate communication and to develop a sister school relationship to promote and broaden cultural and educational interactions and exchanges between the students, teachers and administrators. Students from Lycée Pierre Gilles de Gennes visited Chicago earlier this year, and Chicago's students will visit Paris in March, giving them the opportunity to connect and learn from one another. We are excited to see this sister school partnership flourish!???? ?? For the last 28 years, Paris and Chicago have had an MOU to deepen their connections by establishing sister school partnerships. We are happy to see these two schools join together!

As reported in today's?Politico-IL, we're thrilled to announce Tamar Newberger the new Chair of Chicago Sister Cities International!? ? Tamar brings a wealth of experience as an accomplished computer scientist and dedicated advocate for global connections. Her leadership will further elevate CSCI’s mission of building impactful international partnerships for Chicago. ? We also extend our gratitude to Jose Luis Prado for his remarkable five years of service.? ? Join us in welcoming Tamar as she leads the way to strengthen Chicago's global influence!

?? As the City of Chicago’s #economicdevelopment organization chaired by the Mayor, World Business Chicago drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, champions our business and innovation ecosystem, and promotes the #Chicagoland as a leading global destination for #business, #innovation, and #talent. We’re empowered by our board of directors: 100+ of our region’s largest and most important companies. We provide technical assistance, programs, and initiatives to attract employers to our region (business attraction & relocation), help employers grow in our region (business expansion), and build a global #proChicago business brand (business marketing). The more employers that move here + the more employers that grow here = more jobs for Chicagoans + more economic opportunity across our city and region. #Chicago has 28 sister cities via Chicago Sister Cities International, making us the most active sister city in the #UnitedStates. We’re a founding member of the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (#GCEP): a historic seven-county alliance building a truly regional economic development strategy. ? We’re deeply invested in the economic empowerment of our young people, neighbors, entrepreneurs, and innovators across all of #Chicagoland. ?? It was so special to join 700+ of our friends and partners for the biggest #proChicago event of the year: the annual #Chicago International Gala by World Business Chicago and Chicago Sister Cities International! ?? We celebrated 25 years of impact for the city and state we love. ?? While there are plenty of highlights, it was so special to see Chicago Red Stars Executive Chair & Co-Owner Laura Ricketts and Chicago Sky WNBA Operating Chair Nadia Rawlinson receive the World Business Chicago Innovation Award. Visionary leaders who transformed our city with the power and growth of #womensports. ?? Beyond grateful for our World Business Chicago colleagues and sponsors, especially Phil Clement, Charles Smith, Adrienne Tongate, Anel Montes Marchan, Andrew Hayes, Karissa Perez, Maya Meade, Mirah Z., and Nina Goad! ?? Learn more about this year’s awardees and sponsors who made the 2024 gala one of our most memorable galas ever: https://lnkd.in/gDfD6E25

Proud of the opportunities we help facilitate through our sister cities! Congratulations Joelle Helena Olabode

World Business Chicago and Chicago Sister Cities International are proud to announce that The C Ukraine Support Wall has found its home in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine. The wall originated from the C Ukraine pop-up store on Michigan Avenue, which welcomed thousands of visitors last year and shared Ukraine’s vibrant, unique, and modern culture through merchandise, food, workshops, book talks, musical performances, and more. This pop-up store was executed by World Business Chicago, through a close partnership between the City of Chicago, the Consulate General of Ukraine to Chicago, the Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, the Magnificent Mile Association, and Chicago’s Ukrainian community. The Wall and its messages of support were unveiled to Kyiv citizens, city officials, and the refugees of the Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth. The C Ukraine Support Wall is a collaborative art project that was inspired by local Chicago artist Matthew Hoffman and the designers of the pop-up store, Ukrainian-born architect, Vladimir Radutny, and artist Luna Prysiazhniuk. This wall became a collective symbol of solidarity for Chicagoans, the local Ukrainian American community, and tourists visiting from around the world. Jim Gamache, alongside Chicagoan and journalist Joseph Lindsley of Ukrainian Freedom News, also met with Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko to discuss the Chicago community’s strong and everlasting support for Ukraine. Mayor Klitschko shared greetings for all Chicagoans and shared words of appreciation for the strong bonds between our communities, especially through the sister city connection between Chicago and Kyiv since 1991, which has thrived under the stewardship of the Kyiv Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International, a group of dedicated citizen diplomats, fostering connections in business, culture, education, government relations, and social services.

Join us in celebrating J. Christoph Lichtenfeld, Co-Chair of the Hamburg Committee, with the Chicago Sister Cities International Volunteer of the Year Award at this year’s Chicago International Gala! After nearly three decades as a member and Co-Chair of the Hamburg Committee, Christoph has been an enthusiastic cheerleader for the Chicago-Hamburg sister city partnership and has always had a passion for youth exchanges. He has led many student exchanges focused on culture, arts, and sports. This year he helped orchestrate the Young Musicians Exchange, which brought three talented pianists from Hamburg to Chicago for a series of concerts. He has also helped spearhead the very successful Police and Fire Exchange between the Chicago and Hamburg Fire and Police Departments. To cement this partnership, the Chicago Fire Department and the Hamburg Fire Department signed an MOU to reinforce the best practice exchange. The Hamburg Committee is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and we are very proud to honor Christoph and the committee’s accomplishments over the last 30 years. The Chicago International Gala: https://lnkd.in/gicXKhUC For more information on Chicago Sister Cities International affairs, visit https://lnkd.in/ghtTh_Y

Happy Diwali to those celebrating the Festival of Lights.