2018 Leaders Breakfast

Leaders Breakfast Chicago celebrates design’s importance in the global market place and features a keynote speaker to encourage new ideas, and recognizes an honoree who has made significant contributions to the design industry.

Jessica O. Matthews, Keynote Speaker
Jessica O. Matthews is the founder and CEO of Uncharted Power, an award-winning, renewable power company that specializes in harnessing energy from motion to create entire ecosystems of power for communities around the world. She founded the company when she was only 22 years old.

Matthew’s research and career centers around the intersection of disruptive technology, renewable energy, human behavior, and the psychology of self-actualization. A dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, she has a degree in psychology and economics from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and is listed on over 10 patents and patents pending, including her first invention of the SOCCKET, an energy generating soccer ball, at the age of 19. In 2016, she raised what is presently the largest Series A ever by a black female founder in history and was selected to ring the NASDAQ opening ceremony bell, representing all Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna.

Matthew’s list of accolades includes Fortune’s Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Inc.’s 30 Under 30, Scientist of the Year by Harvard University, and representing small companies at President Barack Obama’s signing of the America Invents Act. She currently serves as an Ambassador of Entrepreneurship for Nigeria and was recently nominated by TechCrunch for Founder of the Year. Matthews has appeared on the cover of Forbes and Forbes Africa, and has been featured in Marie Claire, Wired, Inc., TechCrunch, The New York Times, and Fast Company.

Fred Schmidt, FIIDA, Leadership Award of Excellence Honoree
Fred Schmidt, FIIDA, holds bachelor and master degrees in architecture from Kansas State University and serves as managing principal at Perkins+Will. In this capacity, he leads projects and provides overall administration for the corporate interiors practice in the Chicago office. He also holds the title of interior design global practice leader for Perkins+Will, leading and shaping the strategic vision for a practice of over 500 interior designers around the world.

Internally, Schmidt champions key initiatives designed to build a successful interiors practice with an emphasis on a collaborative culture. Externally, he is a responsive client advocate, helping clients to realize world-class environments. Schmidt has been part of many published and award-winning projects, has served on multiple university advisory boards, and is a frequent speaker to academic and industry groups.

Price List
$5,000 Benefactor Table (seats 10)
$3,000 Sponsor Table (seats 10)
$1,500 Half Sponsor Table (seats 5)
$350 Individual Ticket

For more information, please contact Anastasia Gedman at agedman@iida.org or call (312) 379-5129.