Noon Business Lunch

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the death of Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, how great chemistry is key to building a good team, the value of an internship and getting your foot in the door, and the importance of building bonds with your co-workers.

Segment 2: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John Williams to talk about markets retreating today, if we are dodging the tariff bullet, what he expects from all the economic data being released this week, why you should always have some growth in your portfolio, his thoughts on Fed policy and how many rate cuts we will see this year, and if he’s positive on the market the rest of the year.

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John to talk about the markets being impervious to economic uncertainty, if it’s too early to assess the impact of tariffs, where he’s telling clients to park their money, what he expects from the Fed meeting this week, when the Fed should start cutting interest rates, and why the Fed has been hesitant to cut rates.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about IBM giving more support to Chicago’s quantum startups, Psi Quantum, a startup building a quantum computer in Chicago, saying its quantum computer expects to be online by 2028, and healthy vending machine startup Farmers Fridge growing fast.

Segment 3: Dawn Melchiorre, Executive Director, Cradles to Crayons, tells John what Cradles to Crayons does, their ‘Ready for Learning’ initiative, their goal to provide 100,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to underserved students across the Chicago area.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, talks to John about today’s market rally, the Trump v. Jerome Powell feud, why he thinks interest rates should be lower, why Powell might be hesitant to lower rates, his thoughts on the trade deals and what that could mean for the market, the rotation into the Russell 2,000, the yield curve being inverted for the longest period in over 47 years, and what he’s telling investors right now.

Segment 2: Greg Evans, President, South Chicago Packing, talks to John about their 5th-generation family owned business, the products they provide, how the company has evolved over the years, where you can find their products, the benefits of using animal fats for meal prep, how you would use the ingredients they make, how many people they employ in Chicago, and how business has been going this year.

Segment 3: Michael Edwards, President and CEO, Chicago Loop Alliance, talks to John about Chicago Loop Alliance’s State of the Loop quarterly report details for the 2nd quarter of 2025. Michael also shares his thoughts on the future of NASCAR in Chicago and if we will eventually see it come back to the city.

Dave Schwan has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

A governmental agency, one year older than the country, turns 250 tomorrow.  The Postal Service was formed July 26, 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as postmaster general.  Nearly every American gets some sort of mail daily, despite the service’s financial problems.  The Postal Service employs over 635,000 people.

Also, Bally’s Chicago is looking to close its Initial Public Offering very soon. Listen for more below:

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

The destruction of the old Sears headquarters in Hoffman Estates was completed this week. It took just under a year to demolish the nearly 2.5 million square-foot former home of the retail giant. That 273-acre site will soon become the home to five data centers, at just over a million square feet combined.

Also, analytics service Construction Coverage reports last year the Chicago area built less than five new homes for every one thousand existing units. Listen for more below.

Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, talks to John about a new Bankrate survey that shows nearly 1 in 2 workers plan to search for a new job in the coming year.

Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about President Donald Trump unveiling a new plan for America’s “global dominance” in artificial intelligence, and Instagram introducing new safety features aimed at protecting teens who use its platforms.

Segment 3: Dakin Campbell, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider, tells John how data centers are deepening the water crisis in the U.S.

Segment 4: Fabiola Sierra, Partnership Marketing Manager for Choose Chicago, joins John to talk about the launch of the Chicago Pizza Pass!

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about how how the market has performed since President Trump’s tariff announcement, what that market swing means for your 401(k), why it’s a good time to revisit your asset allocation, and what it means that 401(k) plans have caught the eye of Wall Street insiders. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the Coldplay ‘Kiss Cam’ couple and how to handle these situations when they show up in the workplace.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the peril that often comes with more power. In a quest for companies to become more efficient, many managers in many small and mid-sized firms now supervise up to twice as many workers as they did just a few years ago.

Segment 3: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about the earnings released this week exceeding expectations, the market reaching all-time highs, if he thinks the market is primed for a pullback, the latest on Trump’s trade deals, what he expects the Fed to do with interest rates for the rest of the year.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute.

Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo just held its 48th annual Zoo Ball and the event was the highest-grossing ball in the zoo’s history. Crain’s reports the ball raised $1.8 million. The event helps fund animal care, conservation and education programs. The money is also used to maintain the zoo, arboretum and botanic garden. 600 people attended this year’s ball. A silent auction included a snake shaped diamond ring and a private climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Also, The automotive seating maker Adient will invest $8 million to create a supply facility near the Rivian plant in downstate Normal. Listen for more below:

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about home inventory hitting a 5-year high, and the latest ping pong game of ‘he said-he said’ between President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about the big events happening for TechChicago Week, and a new report from Brookings saying Chicago is poised to be a “star hub” for AI technologies.

Segment 3: Lou Rago, President of the Italian American Human Relations Foundation, tells John Williams everything you need to know about this weekend’s Venetian Night. You don’t need a boat to participate!