Chicago events

The Canright Calendar is a weekly email of networking events in Chicago. View all of our events here. Sign up for the list here. If you have any other suggestions you’d like us to consider, send them to Alexandra at alexandra@canrightcommunications.com.

WEEK OF 07-17-2025

Build your skills and expand your impact this July with three powerful events designed to support personal and professional growth. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your business foundation, become a more confident presenter, or explore the future of payments technology, there’s something here for every innovator and leader. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and level up. Harness Your Power As A Presenter Executives’ Club of Chicago July 22, 2025 425 S Financial Pl, Floor 3, Chicago, IL New York Times bestselling author and veteran speaker, Jodee Blanco, will provide a simple, practical toolkit for knocking any presentation out of the park. Whether it’s a one-on-one pitch, a team meeting, a client conference, or a packed ballroom at a convention, she’ll show participants how to connect with any audience. She’ll dispel the myth that you have to be gregarious or an “extrovert” to be an effective presenter and help participants identify and hone their own personal presentation styles. Jodee will cover everything, from preparation (such as room setup, centering exercises, proper sound checks, and speaker etiquette) to audience engagement and management techniques, body language tips, segue strategies, vocal cues, and attire do’s and don’ts. Participants will be given facilitator-guided practice time during which they can begin using their new skill set. For anyone who does presentations as part of their core responsibilities, this workshop is a game-changer. Register Quantum Payments: Let’s Drink to Future Possibilities Chicago Payments Forum July 23, 2025 333 West Wacker Drive, 26th Floor The Chicago Payments Forum is proud to be partnering with Kelley Drye & Warren LLP for a happy hour and discussion on Quantum Payments in conjunction with TechChicago Week. Host Matt Luzadder will welcome us to reconnect with our Chicago payments and quantum computing colleagues. And we’ll listen as Peter Tapling walks us through the promise and concerns surrounding quantum computing and payments. Kelley Drye’s Financial Institutions practice focuses on the converging regulatory, technology, demographic, and economic forces shaping today’s financial ecosystems. The team helps clients innovate and adapt in developing and distributing new products and services. Peter Tapling, managing director of PTap Advisory, is a member of the NACHA Conference Planning Committee and its Quantum Payments Project team. For a preview, see the NACHA Payments Alliance Buzzcast Demystifying Quantum Payments. Register Money Matters Series The Hatchery & Wintrust Bank July 24 Join the Hatchery and Wintrust Bank on July 10, 17, and 24 for a three-part series designed to help you at any stage strengthen your business foundations and plan for long-term success. Register for all three sessions before July 10 for a 25% discount.  Session 1: Financial Planning for a Healthy Business Launch – Learn how strategic financial planning can drive better decisions, strengthen credit and lender relationships, and turn business ideas into actionable steps.  Session 2: Master Your Risk Management Plan – Gain tools to identify and address internal and external risks, build a resilient risk management plan, and ensure stability in uncertain times.  Session 3: Developing an Exit Strategy – Explore how to create a thoughtful exit or succession plan that aligns with your business and personal goals.  Whether you’re just starting out or preparing to transition your business, this series offers practical guidance to support every step of your entrepreneurial journey.  Register Disability Pride Month Disability Pride Month, observed every July, is a powerful celebration of the culture, contributions, and rights of people with disabilities. More than just a time for awareness, it is a call to action—promoting visibility, inclusion, accessibility, and equality while challenging outdated stereotypes and systemic barriers. With over 1 billion people globally living with disabilities, the month serves as a vital platform to uplift disabled voices and reframe disability as an identity worthy of pride and respect. It also inspires positive change across sectors—from education and employment to media representation and policy. The movement traces its roots to the first official Disability Pride Day in Boston in 1990, the same year the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Since then, it has expanded into a month-long celebration in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, with growing international recognition. July now stands as a global reminder of the ongoing work toward a more inclusive and equitable world. Arts Corner Canright account manager Alexandra Sulack is an opera singer and voice teacher. She curates arts recommendations for you. Iraq, But Funny May 29 – July 20, 2025  The Joan & Paul Theatre Join us for this hilariously chaotic new satire, written by Ensemble Member Atra Asdou and directed by Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, Dalia Ashurina. Iraq, But Funny follows five generations of Assyrian women attempting to reclaim their story as it’s being narrated by some British guy. Marching through time and space, this journey from the Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. is filled with history, family, dysfunction, razor-sharp wit, and off-the-wall humor, culminating in a riotous reckoning you won’t want to miss! Tickets & More Info If you have any other suggestions you’d like us to consider, send them to Alexandra at alexandra@canrightcommunications.com.