Lighting a Path Forward:
2025 MPC Annual Event
Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) invites you for an afternoon of dialogue, celebration and collective action at our annual convening: “Lighting a Path Forward.”
Our current moment of political upheaval and change demands bold new ideas and approaches. The Chicago region is uniquely positioned to be an epicenter of policy innovation that advances an ambitious new growth agenda. MPC invites leaders and partners like you to join us for an afternoon of reimagining what regional growth can be, who should benefit from it, and how we can help Chicagoland light a path forward. Please join us to hear unique insights on how civil society can work together to grow our economy—across the built environment and many other dimensions—by more fully confronting racial and gender inequities holding us all back and lowering the costs of raising a family and running a business.
Be part of this energizing afternoon of thought leadership, celebration and commitment to building a stronger, more just region in Chicagoland and beyond.
VIP Reception: 11:00 – 11:30 am
By invitation only—includes Lead, Champion, and Presenting sponsors
General Admission: 11:30 am
Event Ends: 1:30 pm
Join us to hear unique insights on how civil society can work together to grow our economy.
Special Guest Facilitator
Chris Hayes is an Emmy Award-winning Host for MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes” and “Why Is This Happening?” The Chris Hayes Podcast, and a two-time New York Times best-selling author. Hayes will facilitate a fireside chat with keynote speaker Ai-jen Poo. He will draw from experience interviewing political figures, journalists, writers, and academics to explore national and local trends, redefine what regional growth can mean, and highlight innovative ideas that can advance a regional economy that works for everyone.
Keynote Speaker
Ai-jen Poo is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. She is the president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the executive director of Caring Across Generations. Poo is a nationally recognized expert on the care economy and is the author of the celebrated book The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America. Follow her at @aijenp on Instagram and @aijenpoo on X.
Champions of Change Honoree
Christy George is the president and chief executive officer of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership focused on global business development for the State of Illinois. She oversees all aspects of the organization, including marketing, sales, financing, and personnel.
Most recently, George served as executive director of the Chicago 2024 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention. In this role, she oversaw the Host Committee’s successful fundraising and civic engagement efforts, and served as the primary liaison between the Democratic National Convention Committee, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois to create a world-class experience for all convention attendees and residents. Before leading the Host Committee, she served as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Budget & Economy in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s office.
Thank you to our event sponsors
LEAD
Harris Family Foundation
Kent and Liz Dauten
BENEFACTOR
Adam & Carey Hecktman
TABLE HOSTS
John and Bonnie Atkinson
T. Bondurant French / Adams Street Partners
The Chicago Community Trust
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.
Ellen Carnahan
R.M. Chin & Associates, Inc.
DLA Piper
Illinois Economic Development Corporation
Illinois Housing Development Authority
Jim and Kitty Mann
Michael Reese Health Trust
Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council
PNC
SomerCor
Village of Franklin Park
MEDIA SPONSOR
Annual Event Host Committee
- Meena Beyers, Vice President of Business and Community Development, Nicor Gas
- Paul C. Carlisle, Chief Operating Officer & Market Head, Commercial Banking, Wintrust Financial Corporation
- Ann M. Drake
- Robert B. Ford, Chairman and CEO, Abbott
- King Harris, President, Harris Family Foundation
- Grace Hong Duffin, Vice President of External and Government Affairs, Greater Chicago Region, Comcast
- Adam Hecktman, Founder, For Good Advisory
- David A. Mook, Chief Private Banking Officer, U.S. Bank Wealth Management Group
- Matt Reilein, President and CEO, National Equity Fund
- Mike Taylor, Specialty Banking President, EVP & Chicago Market President, Old National Bank
- Melissa Y. Washington, SVP of Governmental, Regulatory and External Affairs, ComEd
- David L. Williams, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP
Sponsor logos and listings as of September 26, 2025