Chicago Finance Exchange upcoming events

Crafting Your Story: So People Remember You and Act (04/21/2026)

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Designed for senior finance leaders, this session focuses on the shift from expert to influential communicator. Kathryn Janicek, CEO/Founder & Chief Leadership Communications Trainer, shares practical frameworks for crafting clear, compelling messages that drive alignment, credibility, and action in high-stakes conversations.

Participants will learn how to structure ideas with intention, elevate language to increase authority, and deliver with presence under pressure. The result is communication that resonates in the room and long after the conversation ends.

Kathryn Janicek's Bio:

Kathryn Janicek is a three-time Emmy-winning leadership communications expert who transforms executives into magnetic, trust-building leaders through strategic communication training. She specializes in helping leadership teams align their messaging, strengthen their executive presence, and inspire action across their organizations.

As CEO and Founder of JPG Leadership Training—recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S. and featured in NBC News, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine—Kathryn has built a firm known for delivering measurable results in leadership development and organizational communication.

With 20+ years as a media executive and crisis communications specialist, Kathryn brings battle-tested expertise to every engagement.

Kathryn has extensive experience training leadership teams in the financial services sector, including executives at JP Morgan, CIBC Bank, Amundi, Deloitte, CoinFlip Bitcoin ATMs, and leading hedge funds. She prepares financial leaders for their most critical moments—whether they're preparing for an IPO, presenting to investors to secure millions in funding, or rolling out new products to the media. She understands the unique communication challenges financial leaders face—from regulatory messaging and investor relations to crisis management and building trust in complex, high-stakes environments.

Kathryn's client roster spans Fortune 500 C-suites, including McDonald’s, UPS, Barbie/Mattel, Oracle, AbbVie, and St. Jude Research Hospital, as well as emerging leaders across technology, healthcare, construction, and hospitality sectors. She has also trained executives and physicians from Harvard, Yale, NYU, Mayo Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic, as well as leaders at top ad agencies, tech companies, and private universities.

Executive Education: Kathryn is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program (a collaboration between Babson College and Goldman Sachs providing MBA-level business training for elite small business owners) and holds an Executive Presence and Influence: Persuasive Leadership Development Certificate from Wharton Executive Education.

Lunch & Conversation with Author, Radha Lin Chaddah (04/29/2026)

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Lunch with Author Radha Lin Chaddah - A Conversation Around And the Ancestors Sing

Following CFE's celebrated launch event for And the Ancestors Sing, we are thrilled to welcome author Radha Lin Chaddah back to Chicago for an intimate members-only lunch. This is a rare opportunity to sit down with Radha in a relaxed setting, share a meal, and engage in open conversation about her newly released book. Attendees will split the lunch bill.

About the Book:
Immersive, evocative, and impeccably detailed, And The Ancestors Sing is a sweeping, multigenerational story of sacrifice, survival, and the unbreakable pull of home, set against the rapidly changing backdrop of post-Cultural Revolution China.

A physician who has practiced in Boston, Beijing, and beyond, Radha draws on firsthand experience and patient stories to bring remarkable depth and humanity to her characters. Already praised as a must-read for fans of Pachinko, she has established herself as a powerful new voice in fiction.

Click here to watch her recent appearance on Good Morning America.

Photos from Radha's launch event at the Nasdaq Market Site:

Cocktails & Connections: Downtown (04/30/2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Chicago Finance Exchange members are invited for an evening of drinks and conversation at Grill on 21 on April 30. This casual, after-work gathering is all about building relationships, meeting fellow members, and enjoying genuine conversation in a welcoming setting. No formal program, just a chance to unwind and connect.

This is a great opportunity to invite a prospective member to experience CFE! Email membership@chicagofinanceexchange.org for more information.

Hosted by CFE President, Barbara Best. Each guest will purchase their own beverage(s).

CFE Book Club: Downtown (05/06/2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Join the Chicago Finance Exchange for a Book Club gathering on Wednesday, May 6 as we kick off a special American Literature series in celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

We’ll start with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a classic that explores themes of freedom, morality, and identity along the Mississippi River.

Upcoming selections include:

My Ántonia by Willa Cather

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

CFE Book Clubs bring members together for thoughtful discussion and genuine connection.

Cocktails & Connections: Northern Suburbs (05/15/2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Join fellow Chicago Finance Exchange members and other women professionals for a casual after-work drink and conversation. It’s a relaxed, easy way to get to know one another better, strengthen relationships, and expand your circle—no agenda, just good connection.

Each guest purchases their own beverage(s).

Mark your calendar for future meetups: July 17, September 18, November 13.

Book Club: West Suburban (05/28/2026)

Thu, 28 May 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Join fellow Chicago Finance Exchange members on Thursday, May 28, for dinner and a social discussion of the book, Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. Enjoy great company, delicious food, and a lively discussion. Whether you've finished the book or are just curious, all are welcome to join the conversation!

About the Book

In this New York Times bestseller, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan–the inspiration for the television series on Apple TV+.

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant, and that her lover is married, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty.

Go Behind The Scenes with the Secure Community Network (06/04/2026)

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Save the Date for an exclusive virtual tour of the Secure Community Network’s Field Support Center and National Jewish Security Operations Command Center (JSOCC) for a rare inside look at one of the most sophisticated nonprofit security operations centers in the country.

Often described as eye-opening, this experience offers a firsthand view of how SCN works around the clock to monitor threats, strengthen preparedness, and help protect communities nationwide. During the tour, guests will see analysts tracking real-time threat data on a 16-foot video wall, drawing from thousands of sources, including social media and extremist online spaces.

The JSOCC is the only nonprofit with direct connectivity to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) and fusion centers across the country, enabling coordinated threat monitoring and response at the highest level.

The program will also include artifacts from real incidents and the stories behind them, bringing today’s threat landscape into sharper focus. More than an inside look at security operations, this experience highlights SCN’s 24/7 intelligence-led work, site security support, and life-saving training programs—leaving participants informed, empowered, and better equipped to lead with resilience.

Joffrey Ballet Women's Night - Eugene Onegin (06/11/2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMT

SAVE THE DATE! WOMEN'S NIGHT AT THE JOFFREY BALLET

The Joffrey Ballet is hosting a special Women's Night event, and CFE members are invited to attend.

Before enjoying the performance, attendees are invited to visit the Mezzanine level for a wine bar and hors d'oeuvres, networking, and an introduction to the night's performance.

5:30 PM | Women's Night Reception | Mezzanine Level
7:30 PM | Performance Eugene Onegin

Mastering Negotiations - Save the Date (06/16/2026)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Save the Date - More details coming soon!

A Night at Ravinia with Harry Connick Jr. (07/15/2026)

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Spend a summer evening with fellow CFE members at Ravinia, enjoying a live performance by Harry Connick Jr.

A prolific career that spans music, film, theater, and television, Harry Connick Jr. has exemplified jazzy charm and musical excellence. This summer, the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning artist returns to Ravinia for an evening of jazz standards, big-band classics, and New Orleans sound, and we have a seat waiting for you!

The Details:
To attend, you must purchase a general admission ticket (lawn) through the Ravinia website and register on the CFE website, so we know who is attending. Note: Public ticket sales start April 23.

Chairs and a table will be provided for those who register on CFE's website.
Please bring food and/or drink to share.

Gates open to the public at 5:00 pm. We will meet at 5:30 pm. The concert starts at 8:00 pm. Attendees will receive an email and text with the meeting location the day of the event.

About Harry Connick Jr.:

The foundation of Connick’s sound is the music of his native New Orleans, where he began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the age of five. Speaking on the city’s inescapable influence, Connick shares, “I’d be completely different if I hadn’t grown up in New Orleans – there was music everywhere. You feel its energy in the air” (The Guardian). He was schooled by two of the city’s greatest musicians: James Booker and Ellis Marsalis—legends who deepened his understanding of the jazz traditions that continue to define his distinctive sound.

With 30 million albums sold worldwide, Connick has recorded 32 studio albums, including When Harry Met Sally, Blue Light, Red Light, When My Heart Finds Christmas, Come By Me, and Only You. He has performed on Broadway (The Pajama Game), on television (Will & Grace, American Idol) and film (P.S. I Love You, Find Me Falling). One of his latest projects, the Grammy nominated True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter, was released in 2019 in conjunction with a production on Broadway which he wrote and directed.

Summer Social (07/29/2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Join us for CFE's beloved Summer Social, this year at a new venue: RPM Events, one of downtown Chicago's premier event venues featuring sweeping views of the Chicago River and a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor space.

Come enjoy dinner, cocktails, and great conversation as we gather to connect and celebrate the season together. Whether you're catching up with familiar faces or forging new connections, this is an evening you won't want to miss.

Free of charge for members.

Pre-qualified prospective members are welcome to attend. Email membership@chicagofinanceexchange.org to submit a candidate for membership.