Invest For Kids returns for its 18th year on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Harris Theater in Chicago. The format is the one that has made this event a fixture on the investment conference calendar: leading investors pitch their best investable ideas in 15-minute segments, broken up by fireside chats with industry veterans on markets and macro themes. The main program runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT, with an informal networking lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. and a cocktail hour after the close.
It is all for a good cause. 100% of proceeds go to nonprofits serving Chicago youth in low-income circumstances, and since its founding in 2009 the conference has raised more than $25 million for 123 organizations.
The 2026 speaker lineup
Greenlight Capital founder David Einhorn headlines the first round of confirmed speakers, a mix of hedge fund managers, private equity investors, and business builders:
- David Einhorn – Greenlight Capital
- Mike Gamson – Permanent Capital Ventures
- Larry Gies – Madison Industries
- Justin Ishbia – Shore Capital Partners
- Samantha McLemore – Patient Capital Management
- Andrew Wellington – Lyrical Asset Management
- Roderick Wong – RTW Investments
- Christian Zann – Sourcerock Group
Organizers say more names are on the way, so expect the lineup to grow between now and October. The full list is on the official speakers page.
What last year looked like
For a sense of what to expect, browse our full coverage of the 2025 conference, where:
- Maverick Capital’s David Tykocinski explained why AI isn’t a bubble,
- Tremblant’s Brett Barakett pitched a $6 stock he believes can triple,
- P33’s Brad Henderson laid out Chicago’s $20 billion bet on quantum computing,
- Blackstone’s Kathleen McCarthy argued real estate is turning up from a cyclical low,
- S&T Partners’ Erika Klauer went deep on two AI-powered longs,
- Ariel’s Charlie Bobrinskoy pitched an oil stock at 3x EV/EBITDA,
- Ruane Cunniff’s John Harris called an aerospace name the best stock out there,
- and BDT & MSD’s Byron Trott talked owner-led businesses and inflation.
Registration
Invest For Kids 2026 takes place October 28, 2026, at the Harris Theater in Chicago. Tickets and details on speakers, sponsors, and this year’s grant recipients are available at investforkidschicago.org. We will be covering the presentations again this year, so stay tuned.
