Free Business Topics in Chicago

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SORT: MOST RECENT | A - Z

  • Building & Motivating High Performing Teams

    Nicole Caley, MBA, APM, ARM, APSC, President & Founder, Payables Solutions Partners, LLC

    In today’s world, the most sought out organizational leaders are part manager and part HR professional. Join veteran leader Nicole Caley in this session to learn skills necessary to elevate you into a true leader, instead of simply a manager. We will discuss how to identify your leadership style and how to develop the interpersonal skills needed to take charge. By learning to examine functional conflict and create strategies, you will not only staff your function effectively, but lead it to its fullest potential as well — building a high-performing team. MORE >

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  • Data Analytics for Financial Crime Prevention

    Jiaqi Chen, Business Intelligence Analyst

    In this comprehensive session, discover how cutting-edge data analytics transforms financial crime prevention in today's digital landscape. Jiaqi Chen demonstrates how organizations can leverage advanced analytics to detect, prevent, and respond to sophisticated financial crimes.

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  • Navigating Disruptive Change: Communicating you Care in the Moments that Matter

    Linda Carlisle, Founder, Fractional Comms & Culture Advisor, COMM-ext, LLC

    Navigating change is a high risk in the best of times. In a world where 2/3 of the American Workforce is Disengaged, disruptive organizational change can be catastrophic. But what if there were a way to navigate change while simultaneously re-engaging and re-energizing your people and building a high-performing culture? The secret to navigating disruptive change while building the high-performance culture of tomorrow is effectively communicating that you care in the moments that matter. MORE >

    In this talk, we will explore the many people-related risks that organizations face when navigating the inevitable change they will face in today's fast-paced business environment and a handful of earnest, high-integrity communication techniques that will help your people navigate change while maintaining high psychological safety and rebuilding their engagement, alignment, and excitement about your company and their work.
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  • Staying in Your Own Lane Doesn’t Work in Business: Bridging Communication Gaps across Generations & Personalities

    Gabby Rosely, Consultant, Gabby Rosely LLC

    The US workforce is the most age-diverse it's ever been, with Gen Z now outnumbering Boomers for the first time. Yet most teams are still struggling with the same old generational friction.
    I'm gonna be real with you: generational cohorts are just the starting point. MORE >

    You're not actually going to walk around asking coworkers their age so you can put them in a box. That would be weird. If you know someone’s age but still make assumptions about them, the point is totally missed.

    The POINT is: learning about how worldviews & values are shaped, how to ask the right questions, read the room, and connect with people who think completely differently than you do. This keynote / workshop gives you the tools to do that - with your team, with strangers, with prospective clients - so you stop second-guessing yourself and start building actual trust.

    “Staying in Your Own Lane DOESN’T work in Business” moves beyond tired stereotypes to unlock what actually motivates Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.

    What You'll Experience:
    - Understand the real values and communication preferences driving each generation
    - Interactive exercises that build empathy and reveal hidden strengths
    - Practice the conversations you've been avoiding, like, giving feedback, addressing conflict, motivating people who seem checked out
    - Leave with a personalized strategy to connect authentically with every team member

    The real result? You stop tiptoeing. Your team stops living on islands. You build the kind of trust that makes people actually want to work together. Generational differences become your greatest advantage.

    Why me? I'm a Gen Z leader who managed teams across all four major generations at age 21. I also totally face-planted at first, thinking I could "stay in my lane," do things my way, and it'd all work out. Spoiler: it didn't. I had to learn this stuff the hard way, in the face of everyone doubting me because of my age. (Trained by Gallup-certified Strength Advisors & MetaPerformance Institute, but honestly, the real credential is that I've lived both sides.).

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  • “Reduce Stress in your Workforce: Unleashing the Power of Child Care Benefits for Enhanced Productivity and Engagement”

    Diane Moca, Child Care Benefits Expert / Working Mother / Television Personality, MomSub

    Do you have employees who arrive late, leave early, feel distracted, miss work, or even leave their position entirely because they struggle to find child care that fits their working life? Your organization can explore the burgeoning trend of child care benefits in the workplace and the transformative impact they wield on both employers and employees from increased retention and recruitment to improved job satisfaction and work-life balance. Discover how companies embracing this trend are not only fostering a more supportive work environment but also reaping significant rewards in terms of employee productivity and mental well-being. MORE >

    With more employers than ever prioritizing benefits that help employees struggling in and outside of work, it's time for your organization to learn the secrets to unlocking the full potential of your workforce through innovative child care benefits.

    Speaker Diane Moca understands the problem as a working mother who faced the common struggle of navigating the maze of child care options, only to spend her first four years of motherhood trying 12 different alternatives from daycare to neighborhood babysitters to agency placements before landing on the right care provider for her career and life.

    In this enlightening session, Diane details the myriad benefits that arise when employers provide resources to assist their workforce in finding, arranging, managing, and financing child care solutions. From full-day care or before- and after-school options to summer-only arrangements or evening and weekend care, this presentation explores how catering to diverse needs yields tangible advantages.

    Learn how such initiatives lead to reduced absenteeism for employees who have access to backup options when their regular provider is unavailable. Discover how employees experience greater peace of mind knowing their children are well-cared for and how their enhanced work-life balance translates into heightened job satisfaction and productivity, driving overall organizational success.

    Moreover, Diane delves into how companies offering comprehensive child care benefits enjoy increased retention rates and become magnets for top talent during recruitment. By prioritizing the well-being of employees' families, these organizations create a culture of loyalty and commitment that reverberates throughout the entire workforce.

    Finally, Diane explains the different programs available for employers, from subscriptions for child care referral platforms to contributions to offset the cost of care. You will learn how to revolutionize your workplace and propel your company toward a brighter, more prosperous future.

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  • The Cost of Constant Pressure: Why Productivity Culture Is Breaking Leadership—and How Purpose Restores It

    Clara Lucia Jaramillo-Carrier, M.A., PCC, Purpose, Life, Executive Coach and Author, Breaking Through Consulting & Coaching

    We are working harder than ever—yet trust is lower, relationships are strained, and leaders are exhausted. Today’s productivity culture rewards speed, output, and performance at the expense of presence, discernment, and humanity. The result is unnecessary suffering: fear-based decisions, fractured communication, and leadership that reacts instead of leads. MORE >

    This session challenges the myth that more pressure produces better results. Participants will explore how chronic urgency narrows thinking, erodes empathy, and fuels chaos in teams and organizations. Through grounded insights and practical tools, leaders learn that reconnecting with purpose and values is a strategic choice—one that restores clarity, strengthens relationships, and enables sustainable, high-impact leadership without burnout.
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  • Keys to High Performing Finance Teams

    Diane Davidson, Finance Transformation Leader, Clever Fox, LLC

    If I asked what your finance department does for your business, most would say: Taxes, Pay Bills, and Reports. These answers are all accurate, but this is only one aspect of a high-performing finance team. High-performing finance teams guide businesses in their decision-making. MORE >

    High-performing finance teams are viewed as thought leaders and analyze deal/strategies to make sure the company achieves their goals. In my 12 years of consulting, I have worked on transforming finance departments that are underperforming to high-performing teams that help jump start the company. I want to share how to identify underperformance and the path to a cohesive, high-performing team.
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  • Build It Like a Brand, Not a Hobby

    Valeria Gershanova, Music Label Manager, MEGAO Inc.

    Too many talented people treat their passion like a side project — and then wonder why it doesn’t grow. In this powerful session, I challenge creatives and entrepreneurs to shift from hobby thinking to brand-building strategy. This talk focuses on positioning, clarity, consistency, and monetization. I break down what separates amateurs from professionals — and why branding, messaging, audience trust, and execution matter more than raw talent. Attendees will learn how to define their value, create a clear identity, structure their offers, and build something scalable instead of temporary. MORE >

    Whether you’re an artist, content creator, entrepreneur, or founder, this presentation will help you think bigger, operate smarter, and build with intention.

    Participants will leave with:
    • A clear understanding of what makes a real brand
    • A framework for positioning themselves professionally
    • Strategies to create income instead of just attention
    • The mindset shift required for long-term success

    Because if you want people to take you seriously — you have to build it seriously.

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  • Transportation

    Andre Erving, Author, Educator, Life Coach, Speaker, Business Consultant, Andre Erving Global, LLC

    Andre is a distinguished speaker, author, educator, and business consultant with an extensive professional background spanning over 20 years in the transportation industry. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Erving has honed his expertise, demonstrating a profound understanding of the intricacies of the industry. MORE >

    His insightful lectures, thought-provoking books, and comprehensive consulting services have garnered acclaim from audiences worldwide. With a sharp analytical mind and a passion for continuous learning, Andre sets himself apart as a leading authority in the field, providing invaluable guidance to individuals and organizations seeking to navigate the complex landscape of the transportation sector.

    His innovative approach, coupled with a wealth of experience, distinguishes him as an invaluable asset to the industry, inspiring others to reach new heights of success.

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  • It’s All About You. Or Is It? Leadership for Diverse Times

    Cathy Yen, Founder and CEO, The Nonprofit Planner Company

    Identifying your leadership style is fun - but what does that mean for the people you lead? And what about their styles? In this engaging, interactive presentation, Cathy walks you through the pro’s and con’s of viewing leadership as an individual profile versus a holistic team assessment. A timely conversation for organizations confronting the challenges of managing teams comprising different generations, work configurations, viewpoints and goals. MORE >

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