Previous Mayor Rahm Emanuel traveled the earth in his relentless quest to lure businesses to Chicago.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has built 1 trip to Canada and numerous domestic journeys, practically always combined with political fundraising. But almost nothing overseas — until eventually now.
The mayor will lead an 18-member delegation of metropolis officials and organization leaders to London and Paris following week on a five-working day trip — July 11-15 — to pitch Chicago as a fantastic position to do company amid what she has known as the “best economic restoration of any huge city in the country, bar none.”
Lightfoot will fulfill with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to exchange thoughts on how to “build back again better” after the devastating economic shutdown tied to COVID-19.
She will also tout Chicago’s “ecosystem” and file development in the burgeoning area of monetary technological innovation throughout a speech at Fintech 7 days London 2022.
The mayor’s workplace promises 2021 was a “record-breaking year” for economical technology in Chicago, “mirroring worldwide trends” in what is now now a $130 billion business.
In accordance to the public-personal position advancement company acknowledged as Entire world Organization Chicago, the craze carries on this 12 months, thanks to the “concentration of fiscal and insurance plan talent” in the town.
Already this calendar year, 16 economic know-how corporations based in Chicago raised $479 million in enterprise money. 10 other folks raised $53 million in seed funding.
Five Chicago-based mostly monetary know-how companies had “exits” — described as ideas to dispose of an investment decision in a business venture or economical asset — valued at far more than $730 million.
“Chicago’s financial system is flourishing and our business sector has set data, maintaining us competitive with prime international economical cities,” Lightfoot was quoted as saying in a press release saying the trip.
“On behalf of our entire world-course town, I’m thrilled to direct a delegation of metropolis officials and organization leaders to London and Paris, exactly where I glance ahead to speaking about Chicago’s financial strengths, speaking at Fintech Week London 2022 and learning new thoughts to even further build our small business neighborhood and economic climate.”
Globe Small business Chicago CEO Michael Fassnacht said the 13-member delegation of business leaders who will accompany the mayor and her spouse, Very first Girl Amy Eshleman, will help the two in “promoting Chicago as an investment-helpful city” and in “strengthening important and prolonged-standing world company interactions.”
As the “first metropolis in America” to unveil a “comprehensive” submit-pandemic recovery approach, Chicago seems forward to exchanging “best methods with our peers in London and Paris,” mentioned Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for neighborhood and financial advancement.
Fassnacht and Mayekar are amid four metropolis officials heading with Lightfoot and Eshleman on the 5-day business enterprise junket. The many others are Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi and Setting up and Growth Commissioner Maurice Cox.
Entire world Enterprise Chicago will bankroll vacation expenses for all metropolis officials and staff.
13 business enterprise leaders will accompany the mayor for at least a part of the vacation and address their very own expenses.
They include: Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871 Smita Shah, president and CEO of SPAANTECH, Inc. John Holmes, president and CEO of AAR Corp. Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Pick Chicago Jim Reynolds, chairman and CEO of Loop Money John C. Robak, chairman and CEO of Greeley and Hansen Charles Smith, founder and CEO of CS Strategy Jose Luis Prado, chairman of Tropicale Food items and Palmex and Blake-Anthony Johnson, president and CEO of Chicago Sinfonietta.
In an April speech to the Town Club of Chicago that laid the groundwork for her re-election bid, Lightfoot argued Chicago was poised for the “best financial recovery of any large metropolis in the nation bar none.”
From business enterprise relocation and growth to pedestrian and retail targeted traffic, retail rents, conventions and trade quantity at O’Hare Global Airport, Lightfoot argued that financial action in Chicago is booming.
“There’s a narrative out there that our town is headed in the wrong course. That noise is absolutely belied by these goal facts points, which display a extremely robust economy that is building employment and prospect,” the mayor said then.
“Our city is sturdy and strong and perfectly-poised, perfectly-poised to be one of the strongest economies in the country.”
When Lightfoot questioned the audience who experienced listened to “most of these constructive financial milestones,” only a several palms were being raised.
“We need to have our possess narrative. And we have to have to convey to these stories so that our people fully grasp it, our companies continue to have self-confidence, investors go on to flock to Chicago and we break by means of the sounds,” she reported on that day.