NABE CHICAGO Events
THE 2026 HOT SECTORS: M&A, IP, AI with TAX STRATEGIES
Roundtable discussions with Experts...under Chatham House Rule
May 12, 2026
Location: Union League Club of Chicago
65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
1:00pm – 5:00pm CT
Ticket price: Members $70; Non-Members $90
Three 1-hour long sessions, each beginning with a panel of three experts for 30 minutes, followed by the experts joining in individual roundtable discussions for another 30 minutes. Drinks & snacks always available at self-serve refreshments table.
ROUNDTABLE 1: STATE OF THE ECONOMY & BUSINESS: M&A, Taxes, Tariffs, Inflation, Interest Rates, Employment, Trade, Economic Incentives, Regulations—how are they affecting your business, your industry, your Intellectual Property value, your future corporate growth?
Expert 1: Thomas Walstrum, Business Economist, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO
Expert 2: Ping Liang, Chief Economist, NUCOR
Expert 3: Vlad Starkov, Managing Director, Platinum Sponsor NERA
ROUNDTABLE 2: BUSINESS & AI—Our Journey Together: Deploying AI: expectations vs deployment; what’s next, AI with human workforce—optimal interactions & concerns, legal topics: transformation of industry, risks and returns.
Expert 1: Khwaja Shaik, Chief Technology Officer, IBM
Expert 2: Gwendolyn Tedeschi, Economics Department Chair, NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE
Expert 3: Oceana Wang, Global Consultant, Platinum Sponsor NERA
ROUNDTABLE 3: WHAT SOLUTIONS CAN WE OFFER: Speakers discuss possible solutions to issues raised either in previous roundtables or own/new options to consider.
Expert 1: Eric Welchko, President, Harney Capital
Expert 2: Negar Sedghi, Cheese General Manager, BEL BRANDS USA
Expert 3: Gary Meyers, Founder, THE MEYERS REPORT
SOCIAL HOUR: 4PM – 5PM with passed premium hors d’oeuvres and wine.
CUSHMAN &
WAKEFIELD: COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE NOW
BRAD KREIGER, CO-CEO, AMERICAS
Fireside Chat Keynote Speaker
with Rebecca Rockey, Head of Quantitative Insights
& Principal Economist as Moderator
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm CT
Location: Metropolitan Club Chicago
233 S Wacker, 67th Floor, Chicago, IL
May 21, 2026
Ticket price: Members $80; Non-Members $95.
Includes 3-course lunch.
A Fireside Chat with CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD’s Brad Kreiger, CO-CEO, Americas and Rebecca Rockey, Head of Quantitative Insights & Principal Economist, as Moderator. CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD is one of the world’s BIG 4 leaders in commercial real estate because of their scale, scope, and capability to offer end-to-end solutions to investors, tenants, and developers.
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD operates from over 400 offices in 60 countries. What began as a small family business in New York more than 100 years ago—to being the project developer of Chicago’s Sears Tower some 50 years ago (now Willis Tower), which is the location of this NABE CHICAGO’s lunch—to being listed as a NYSE public company in 2018—to today’s story of what’s next in commercial real estate through the global lens of CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD.
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NOTE:
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NABE CHICAGO is dedicated to providing a professional safe environment for everyone that promotes open and objective discussions about economic issues. All interactions should be based on respect for others. We expect anyone attending a NABE CHICAGO event of any type—in person and/or virtual, formal or informal—and of any stature—presenters, moderators, attendees—to abide by this code of salutatory conduct. Disrespect will be addressed with party being asked to cease behavior and then removed from the environment, if necessary.
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