It all begins with an idea
Filter by Tags
- Chicago 38
- Minneapolis 16
- Science 15
- Innovation 14
- Community 12
- Equality 12
- Technology 12
- Health 10
- Design 9
- Life 9
- Relationships 9
- Social Justice 9
- Youth 9
- Climate Change 8
- Community Organizing 7
- Global Issues 7
- Mental Health 7
- Sustainability 7
- The Arts 7
- Energy 6
- Psychology 6
- Urban Design 6
- Work 6
- Transformation Stories 5
- Women 5
- AI 4
- Architecture 4
- Biotech 4
- Cities 4
- Healing 4
- Personal Growth 4
- Social Impact 4
- Violence Intervention 4
- WTTW 4
- Activism 3
- Brain 3
- Communication 3
- Computing 3
- Humor 3
- Quantum Physics 3
- Travel 3
- Accessibility 2
- Civic Design 2
- Climate Action 2
- Education 2
- Family 2
- Food 2
- Government 2
- Joy 2
- Music 2
The life changing power of designing with dirt
From immigrant parents to successful urban spaces, Ernie Wong weaves a story of struggling to gain his father's acceptance to creating an equitable world through landscape architecture. In doing so, he unveils a powerful truth about what it means to design urban spaces for our future generations, and how it transforms our lives. With reference to current climate and societal challenges, Ernie describes the innovative projects that capture the flavors of changing neighborhoods in Chicago and their futures.
Reimagining closed schools as incubators for creativity
Imagine your childhood school closing forever. How do we reimagine these spaces and reclaim them for community empowerment? In this insightful and inspiring talk, Paola Aguirre Serrano takes us on a journey of design justice, exploring art and architecture's role in revitalizing closed schools and reimagining the future of social infrastructure in our communities.
Climate action is 90% mindset and starts with a conversation
Doug Farr is fascinated with humanity’s struggle to talk about the Climate Emergency—our unsettled emotions, how we think the world works, and the negotiation we all go through before committing to take climate action. In this funny and provocative talk Doug shares how his own personal climate action journey led him to redo his house, stay home more, and co-found the Climate Action Museum.
Is the cure for cancer already inside us? (Copy)
Dr. Shana Kelley leads a team of human cell hunters, and they developed a unique and highly sensitive cell processor that can pull incredibly rare, disease-fighting cells out of blood. Recently, they used the device to search for immune cells that can fight cancer, and uncovered surprising and exciting results that may have immense impact on the future of cancer. Join Dr. Shana Kelley as she brings you on a journey through discovery, learn a little bit about immunotherapy, and get excited about what the next era of cancer treatments may look like. A talk to find hope from, and to share and view with those in your life affected by cancer.
How you react in 3 minutes can change your life
Three minutes can change your life. When young people are faced with a challenge, one wrong decision can affect their future. Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. and Brightpoint started Choose to Change™, a program providing Chicago youth with a neighborhood-based Advocate and trauma informed cognitive behavioral therapy, and it is producing positive results.
Why politicians shouldn't appoint judges
Aziz Huq looks around the world to understand how democracy can corrode from within. Huq brings these lessons home to the United States when he asks how it is that courts have become so hostile to self-rule–and how we can use the Constitution to redeem our democracy.
How can we make better batteries?
Dr. Shirley Meng makes the case for hope by demonstrating some of the exciting technologies and new batteries her lab is developing that could close the energy storage gap we need to create a democratization of energy that also enables a fully renewable energy grid.
How sports can tackle the loneliness crisis
At a time when we’re at our most divided, maybe the surprising answer to bringing us all together can be found through sports. In the midst of a loneliness epidemic, AJ Maestas, the Founder of Navigate, explores his own relationship with sports and how it made him a part of something greater than he could have expected when he left Fairbanks, Alaska at age 18. Whether you love football (in the American or global sense), baseball, Taylor Swift, or even if you don’t consider yourself a sports or entertainment fan at all, this talk offers an emotional and engaging look at why the fans in your life act the way they do. Our fundamental need for belonging drives us to find community and shared passion for sports, music, or the many other reasons we gather.
The case for alien AI
James Evans asks a critical question as we ponder our AI-driven future: "What AI do we deserve?" He then takes us on a journey making the case that alien intelligence and thus alien AI that we grow and care for will be the most impactful on us as a human society. On the way, he also outlines the surprising science behind his lab's AI models and algorithms: That diversity is at the heart of the greatest scientific discoveries.
How to set the right goals and stay motivated
You can't just "find" motivation, says scientist Ayelet Fishbach — you have to learn how to motivate yourself. She shares a handful of tips backed by 20 years of motivation research, offering surprisingly simple wisdom on how to optimize your goals, set yourself up for success and avoid the tempting calls of procrastination.
How undiscovered light will be seen by Quantum Eyes
Nature consisting of atoms and molecules is already a marvel. But even more marvelous is the use of the atoms and molecules and the laws of the quantum world to create artificial structures that can generate and detect light, which is invisible. And this is what Dr. Manijeh Razeghi has been working on with her students and coworkers as a scientist. Her talk explores what she has dedicated her life to: exploring the frontiers of unseeable light in hopes of changing our everyday lives.
The Playbook for Creating Lasting Change
Mike Strautmanis has been engaging Chicagoans and stakeholders all over the country to learn how to create systemic impact to empower young leaders to give back to their communities and increase access to economic opportunity. He not only shares his story, but also how we can make a difference on each other and influence the next generation of leaders.
Want Better Health and Better Lives? Think Life Sciences.
We often hear stories about Chicago’s south and west side lacking resources that most of us take for granted and many feel as though there is no hope. A product of Chicago's south and west side, Dr. Suzet McKinney's work has taken her around the world, advising mayors, governors, federal officials and international governments. She shares her idea about the power of life science innovation hubs and how they could create sustainable economic development, minimize health disparities, and empower communities.
The Power of Choosing Yourself
A fireside chat featuring Deepti Vempati. Deepti is a speaker, author, entrepreneur, social influencer, and reality TV star best known for her leading role on Season 2 of the Netflix dating show, Love Is Blind. Born in India and immigrating to the USA when she was a child, Deepti has been on a lifelong quest to embrace her identity as both a South Asian and Chicagoan woman. In this talk, Deepti will discuss what it truly means to find your voice and choose yourself first. She hopes to inspire others to recognize that at the end of the day the most important relationship you can have is with yourself.
The moderator of the chat is Snigdha Sur, the Founder and CEO of The Juggernaut, a media company dedicated to telling South Asian stories.
Make anything, anywhere with just-add-water biotechnology
Michael Jewett is a bioengineer who wonders if we can create equitable and distributed biotechnologies for the good. In this thought-provoking and insightful talk, he lays out a vision to re-think how biotechnologies are created and shared, made possible by biology without cells. Can just-add-water biotechnology turn us all into biomakers? Listen and learn how engineered biological systems are opening access to medicines, diagnostics, and more.
Ending Global Hunger: Yes We Can.
Ertharin Cousin shares an idea about how we must invest resources, finances, and ourselves differently so that we can truly build resilient agricultural systems all over the world, especially in the face of climate change.
How The Power of Poker is Changing the Game for Women
The mother-daughter duo of Jenny Just & Juliette Hulsizer is changing the game for women through one simple game. In this empowering and personal talk, they share how the power of poker has guided them in cracking the code on closing the gender-based confidence and equity gaps. Learn more about how the skills of poker can help you in the boardroom and beyond.
How everyday interactions shape your future
A few words can change the course of a life; they have the power to shrink, expand or transform someone's identity -- even your own. Social psychologist Mesmin Destin explores how everyday interactions and experiences play a powerful part in who we become, sharing the key moments and messages that can inspire us to grow into our best selves.
Honoring Indigenous Cultures and Histories
What happens to human beings when their culture and history are systematically erased? In this powerful account, psychology PhD candidate Jill Fish tells her story growing up as a Tuscarora woman in a world that fails to accurately acknowledge indigenous peoples’ cultures and histories. Integrating psychological theory and research with her personal and collective stories as a Tuscarora woman, Fish demonstrates the critical need to pay attention to the role culture and history plays in the present day lives of indigenous peoples through her model of human development – forcing individuals to see the legacy of settler colonialism and challenging them to do something about it.
Places and Spaces and the Behavior They Create
Can architecture bring people together and create community? Can it truly help people reach their full potential? Damaris Hollingsworth champions approachable and memorable spaces that are culturally relevant, accessible to all and committed to maximize human well being.