Chicago AI Week 2026 (June 25–26, 2026) marks the fourth edition of this premier gathering of global AI leaders from industry, government, and academia. Building on the success of the past three years, which welcomed 1000+ attendees for a week-long program featuring over 100 sessions and 300 speakers, this year’s event will further elevate dialogue on scaling responsible AI adoption across industries.
The 2026 edition is powered by AI 2030 in collaboration with 1871 and partners, and is supported by a distinguished Chicago AI Council featuring leaders from both the public and private sectors across a wide range of industries.
Responsible AI Day brings together global leaders to showcase AI in action—focused on deployed solutions in security, safety, and governance. The emphasis is on execution at scale: how organizations are managing risk, ensuring trust, and operationalizing AI in real-world environments.
Select Responsible AI startups will pitch directly to investors and enterprise leaders, accelerating solutions from innovation to global deployment.
Industry Day spotlights AI delivering measurable impact across financial services, healthcare, public sector, and logistics. Leaders will share how AI is being implemented today—driving efficiency, resilience, and growth—and how these solutions are scaling across systems, institutions, and markets.
DAY ONE — WOMEN IN AI FORUM at Morningstar on June 24
Opening RemarksFlo Wright — Chief Data Officer, State of IllinoisBetsy Ziegler — CEO, 1871Anusha Dwivedula — Director of Product Management, Analytics, MorningstarXiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030
Women Driving Responsible AI Across IndustriesModerator: Marie Roker-Jones — Women in AI and NYC Partnerships Lead, AI 2030Hyunzoo Chai — SVP, Head of Enterprise Automation, Oaktree Capital ManagementAnne Lee — CTO, AI Research Lab, Bell Labs Solutions Research, Nokia Bell LabsSwetha Sekhar — Member of Technical Staff, OpenAIMari Velonaki — Professor; Director, National Facility for HRI Research, UNSW
How Women Leaders Are Building What Comes NextModerator: Veronica Canton — Partner, Pierson Ferdinand LLPMeltem Singh — Managing Partner, GartnerAnitha Yeddula — Sr. Director, Application Development, Capital OneSmriti Kirubanandan — Managing Director, Enterprise AI Transformation, Innovaccer
Women at the Center of Chicago’s AI TransformationModerator: Daniela Muhaj — Director, Research and Technology Initiatives, Georgetown UniversityLena Mass Cresnik — Chief AI Officer; Managing Director, Rockefeller Capital ManagementDiya Wynn — Responsible AI Lead, Amazon Web ServicesAlicia Hawley — Of Counsel, e-Discovery Analysis & Technology, K&L Gates
Closing the AI Leadership Gap: Collaboration, Capital, and Career Pathways for WomenModerator: Jennifer Dickey — AI/Privacy Attorney, DykemaAja Carr Favors — First Deputy Corporation Counsel & Head of Privacy & AI, City of ChicagoMary Grygleski — VP of Global, Western Hemisphere, The AI CollectiveMarisa Mann — Co-Chair, Chicago AI Council
AI 2030 Healthcare Working Group MeetingModerator: Nancy Maher — CTO/CIO, AIva Health Tech
AI 2030 Women in AI Working Group MeetingModerator: Marie Roker-Jones — Women in AI and NYC Partnerships Lead, AI 2030
Chicago AI Council MeetingModerator: Lisa Wong — Co-Chair, Chicago AI Council, AI 2030
DAY TWO — RESPONSIBLE AI DAY
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Chicago as Responsible AI HubAndy Ruberg — General Manager, MicrosoftBetsy Ziegler — CEO, 1871Xiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030
Keynote Fireside: Building the Responsible AI Capital — Illinois’ Vision for the Future of AI
State of Illinois
AI, Quantum, and the Next Computing Frontier: Illinois’ Opportunity to LeadModerator: Xiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030Gene E. Robinson — Executive Director & CEO, Discovery Partners Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignHanhee Paik — Director, Quantum Algorithm Centers, IBMMeera Raja — SVP, Deep Tech, P33Kate Waimey Timmerman — CEO, Chicago Quantum ExchangeHarley Johnson — Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics ParkJakub Szefer — Associate Professor, Northwestern University
Regulating AI Without Borders: Toward Global Alignment on Safety, Trust, and AccountabilityModerator: Arry Yu — Executive Director, Convergence: Tech Policy InstituteSabeen Malik — Chief Global Policy Officer, Rapid7Aja Carr Favors — First Deputy Corporation Counsel & Head of Privacy & AI, City of Chicago
The Human Blueprint: When AI Builds Itself, Dignity Must Be Built In
Moderator: Arthur Zards, Founder, Lab Z
Giorgio Natili, Senior Director, Head of AI Engineering (Oracle Cloud Support), Oracle; AI 2030 Senior Fellow
The Open Source AI Operating Model: Strategy, Risk, and ImplementationModerator: Ben Christensen — Head of Partnership, AI 2030Farbod Tavakkoli — Data Scientist, AT&T
From Data to Intelligence: Building Trusted Knowledge Foundations Across IndustriesModerator: Sean O’Brien — CTO, Found AIAmit Shivpuja — Director of Data Product and AI Enablement, WalmartJessica Yeats — Principal Data Scientist, Autonomous Vehicles, NVIDIAArjun Ravi Kannan — Director of Data Science Research, Capital One Financial
Governing Systems Across the Implementation LifecycleModerator: Donna Haddad — Executive in Residence, Governance, Risk & Emerging Technology, Northwestern UniversityLiza Levitt — VP, Deputy General Counsel, Platforms, Responsible AI, Emerging Technology, IntuitJoe Peedikayil — North America Enterprise AI, Analytics & Data Transformation Leader, Banking & Capital Markets, AccentureKristof Horompoly — Head of AI, ValidMind
From Chicago to the World: Backing Responsible AI InnovatorsBetsy Ziegler — CEO, 1871Luke Tanen — President and CEO, Chicago InnovationTed Souder — Co-Founder/CEO, Quoin.aiRanga Bodla — Vice President, Field Engagement and Marketing, Oracle NetSuiteDavid Trier — CEO, ModelOpChris Deutsch — Founder, Lofty Ventures
From Models to Systems: Engineering Production-Grade AIModerator: Anusha Dwivedula — Director of Product Management, Analytics, MorningstarGiorgio Natili — Senior Director, Head of AI Engineering, Oracle Cloud Support, Oracle; AI 2030 Senior FellowSwetha Sekhar — Member of Technical Staff, OpenAI
Scaling the AI Workforce: An Executive Roundtable on Credentials, Talent Pipelines, and Economic MobilityModerator: Anastasia “Tracy” Raissis — Head of Strategy, AI 2030Julio Rodriguez — Deputy Director, Office of Employment and Training, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, State of IllinoisBamshad Mobasher — DePaul AI Institute, DePaul UniversityMuddassir Siddiqi — President, College of DuPageShweta Srivastava — Sr. Director, Global Talent Management, MicrosoftTonya Amankwatia — Head of AI 2030 Institute, AI 2030
Keynote Fireside & Closing Remarks: A Call to Responsible AI LeadershipModerator: Dorri McWhorter — President & CEO, Executives’ Club of ChicagoClark Cully — Division Chair, DeVoe School of Business, Technology & Leadership, Indiana Wesleyan University; Former Deputy CDO, U.S. Department of DefenseXiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030
DAY THREE — AI INDUSTRY DAY
Opening RemarksAI 2030, 1871 & Partners
From Chicago to the World: Shaping the Future of Responsible AI
Gilbert Villegas — Alderman, 36th Ward, City of Chicago
The New AI Operating Model for Banking
Moderator: Anastasia “Tracy” Raissis — Head of Strategy, AI 2030Prashant Mehrotra — EVP, Chief AI Officer, U.S. Bank
AI Across the Specialty Care Continuum: Aligning Pharma, Specialty Pharmacy, and PayersModerator: Eshaa Gogia — Data Science Consultant, CGIAnne Michelle Cruz — Vice President of Technology, WalgreensAdrienne Kline — Assistant Professor, Northwestern UniversityCaitlin Malone — Sr. Director, Data Science AI Innovation Lab, Health Care Service Corporation
Operationalizing AI in Healthcare: From Breakthrough Research to Better Patient CareDaniel Zikovitz — Head of Siemens Healthineers Global AI COE, Siemens Healthineers
Leading AI Transformation: What CEOs and Directors Need to Operationalize Now
How States Are Turning AI into Better ServicesModerator: Josh Richards — Chief Commercial Officer, Pacific PeeringFlo Wright — Chief Data Officer, Department of Innovation & Technology, State of Illinois
No Margin for Error: AI in Financial Systems at ScaleModerator: Archana Lamoureux — VP, Head of Corporate Digital Solutions, Northwestern MutualShanthi Gudavalli — Senior Executive Director, JPMorgan ChaseNick Schmidt — Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, SolasAISandeep Maira — Managing Director, AI and Data, Accenture
Public Sector AI, Real Economic Impact: Illinois’ Blueprint for Responsible GrowthModerator: World Business ChicagoAdam Robert Sutherland — Worldwide Public Sector Strategy Lead, AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, AWSKristi Dula-Ferguson — Deputy Director, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, State of IllinoisRegina Heyward — SVP for Economic Opportunity, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago
Insuring the AI Economy: Risk, Trust, and Intangible Value in the Age of AIModerator: Lisa Wang — Chicago AI CouncilJesus Gonzalez — Deputy Global Practice Leader, Intangible Assets, AonCaspar de Wijkerslooth — Managing Director, Insurance, MicrosoftVidur Nayyar — VP of AI, ParetoHealth
Stablecoins, Smart Contracts, and AI: The New Stack for Global FinanceModerator: John Bender — Partner, K&L GatesChris Tyrrell — Managing Director, Head of Digital Assets Risk and Controls, Services, CitiJyoti Ponnapalli — VP, Head of Applied AI, Frontier Internet
Chicago’s AI Identity: Where AI Moves From Frontier Labs to the Real EconomyModerators: Mike Hyzy and Xiaochen ZhangXiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030
Closing Panel: Building the Future of Physical AI — Responsible Innovation for Machines That ActModerator: Xiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030Nancy Amato — Abel Bliss Professor & Director, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChris “Xiangzhe” Chen — Co-CEO of FF AI-Robotics; Head of Global User Ecosystem, Faraday FutureMari Velonaki — Professor; Director, National Facility for HRI Research, UNSW
Together, the two days convene a cross-sector ecosystem to move beyond ideas and into deployment, investment, and scale—advancing Responsible AI as a cornerstone of the global economy.
Become an AI 2030 Member:
https://ai2030.org/apply-to-be-a-member/
Hosted by
AI 2030 www.ai2030.org AI 2030 is a global initiative committed to mainstreaming Responsible AI by 2030. Through cross-sector collaboration, capacity building, and inclusive programming, AI 2030 empowers leaders, organizations, and communities to harness AI for the benefit of humanity.
FinTech4Good: www.fintech4good.co FinTech4Good is a global innovation and investment platform that connects startups, industry leaders, and investors to co-create solutions for a better world. With a focus on sustainable finance, digital economy, and emerging technologies, FinTech4Good champions responsible innovation with global impact.
In Partnership With
About 1871 https://1871.com/
The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, dba 1871 is a 501c3 organization that exists to inspire, equip, and support people from all backgrounds to build and innovate extraordinary businesses.
