Friday, September 27th at Harris Theater, Millennium Park
Chicago’s biggest stage for ideas + connection
at the convergence of our culture, knowledge, and citizenship.
Rooted in the vibrant and dynamic city of Chicago, a hub of innovation, culture, and resilience, TEDxChicago celebrates the city’s unique spirit and its history of fostering groundbreaking ideas and movements. Our event serves as a beacon of hope and progress, reflecting Chicago's legacy as a place where visionaries and change-makers converge to make a difference. As we gather in this great city, we honor those who are Lighting the Way toward a brighter tomorrow, both on the stage and among all of you. Join us at TEDxChicago 2024: Lighting the Way in this extraordinary journey of discovery, where the power of ideas will illuminate our path and inspire us all to become leaders in our own right.
Thank you for an incredible show!
The Experience
Every ticket is all-inclusive
Note: All tickets, no matter the “Round” or experience tier, offer you the full experience, including both speaker and performance sessions.
EAT: Hosted snacks, desserts, and catered appetizers
DRINK: Hosted drinks, including beer, wine, coffee, and tea
THE STAGE: The intimate and exciting onstage experience, including 9 professionally coached TEDxChicago talks and 3 exhilarating live performances
THE EXPERIENCE: Immersive pop-up art galleries, engagements, and dynamic performances throughout the Harris Theater lobby spaces
Schedule
Friday, September 27th @
Harris Theater
2:00 PM | Registration & Happy Hour
3:00 PM | Session 1 - Talks & Performances
Speakers: Alessandro Rotta Loria, Erika Allen, Vanessa Harris. Lia Merminga, and Carol Ross Barney
5:00 PM | Intermission Party - Appetizers, Drinks, Arts, Performances, and Connection
6:00 PM | Session 2 - Talks & Performance
Speakers: Scheherazade Tillet, Abbie Clary, Mike Papka, and Mark Hersam
7:00 PM | Celebration
Exciting & Exclusive Opportunities
Premium
Admission
Includes early access seating to both sessions and invites to virtual meet and greets with speakers and TEDxChicago leadership
Campfire Patron Admission
A limited number of Campfire Patron experiences are available. Learn more about this exciting experience here.
Beacon Patron Admission
A limited number of Beacon Patron experiences are available. Learn more about this exclusive experience here.
Livestream
Pass
Livestream passes are now availabe, learn more and get your Livestream Experience Pass here.
The Speaker Lineup
See the speaker lineup below. Photos taken by Michele Marie
ECOSYSTEM INNOVATOR
Erika Allen
Erika Allen has dedicated her career to developing sustainable community food systems and addressing the ways in which structural racism prevents equity and justice. She is the Founder & CEO of the Urban Growers Collective and the President of Green ERA Educational NFP and Co-Owner of Green ERA Sustainability Partners. A commitment to conservation, a dedication to the eradication of environmental injustice, and a promotion of regenerative, urban agriculture within Chicago lie at the heart of her work. Her devotion to the public sector—by promoting restorative agriculture, creating economic opportunities for people living below the poverty line, and expanding access to healthy food—is helping transform Chicago into a city that can meet the needs of today’s residents without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
UrbanGrowersCollective.org ⏺ Newsletter ⏺ Facebook ⏺ IG: @urbangrowerscollective ⏺ GreenEraChicago.org ⏺ Facebook ⏺ IG: @greenerachicago
Community Food Systems, Circular Economies, Sustainability, Social Justice
THE PEOPLE’S ARCHITECT
Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, HASLA
Carol Ross Barney is an architect, urbanist, mentor, and educator and the recipient of the 2023 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. She is renowned for her expertise in civic space design and her dedication to creating exceptional public spaces—including the Chicago Riverwalk. From small community facilities to prestigious academic buildings, as well as innovative transit stations and urban places and spaces, her designs have become cultural icons. These projects are also renowned for showcasing the transformative power of architecture in our daily lives. Her work has garnered over 200 major design awards, fourteen National American Institute of Architects Honor Awards and over 45 AIA Chicago Awards, and her commitment to sustainable design has been recognized with two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE®) Top Ten Project Awards.
r-barc.com ⏺ IG: @r_barc ⏺ X: @r_barc ⏺ LinkedIn
Designing the Future of Our City, Public Space, We Are Founders
HEALTHCARE ARCHITECT
Abbie Clary, FAIA, FACHA
Abbie Clary has nearly 30 years of experience helping globally recognized institutions architect more accessible healthcare spaces and is the Global Health Practice Co-Director at CannonDesign. Abbie champions projects that challenge the status quo and break down existing barriers within the medical world, while emphasizing social progress and encouraging empathy-driven approaches. Her passion lies in translating design visions into inclusive and supportive experiences. For the entirety of her career, she has held the unwavering belief that intentionally designed platforms can set everyone up to thrive.
Design, Healthcare Experience Innovation, Telling Our Stories
ART ENGINEER
Vanessa Harris, PE
Vanessa Harris, PE, is a licensed civil engineer, problem-solver and artist with multiple disabilities. Amid a 46-year engineering career, she took a documentary class at Hyde Park Art Center that changed the trajectory of her life and led her to establish Strategy for Access. This organization has produced more than 180 videos celebrating and informing Chicago’s vast disability community of their right to access.
Her most recent project was the production of 16 short subjects in a series called Accessible Chicago, which she created to help Chicago become internationally recognized as a disability-friendly city. She covers each subject clearly with her unique sense of humor, helping to empower those with disabilities and giving them a platform to share their experiences, wisdom, and perspectives. Crain’s Chicago Business has recognized Vanessa as a Notable Black Leader and Executive and she is on the grantmaking panels for Illinois Humanities and the Resist Foundation. And in 2023, The Field Foundation, in partnership with The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, gave Vanessa Harris the Leaders for a New Chicago award.
Documentary Film, Inclusive Design, Joy
NANOTECHNOLOGIST
Dr. Mark Hersam
Dr. Mark C. Hersam, the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Director of the Materials Research Center, and Chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Northwestern University, has made major breakthroughs in the field of nanotechnology. His research interests include nanomaterials, additive manufacturing, nanoelectronics, scanning probe microscopy, renewable energy, and quantum information science. Dr. Hersam has received several honors including the Marshall Scholarship, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, American Vacuum Society Medard Welch Award, U.S. Science Envoy, and MacArthur Fellowship. In addition, he is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Inventors and has founded two companies, NanoIntegris and Volexion, which are suppliers of nanoelectronic and battery materials, respectively.
Energy Efficient Artificial Intelligence, Brain-Like Computing, Nanotechnology
SCIENTIFIC LEADER & ACCELERATOR PHYSICIST
Dr. Lia Merminga
Dr. Lia Merminga is a Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Distinguished Scientist, a fellow of the American Physical Society, Crain’s Chicago Business’ Notable Women in STEM, and a graduate of the first cohort of Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oppenheimer Energy Science Leadership Program. She has served on and led numerous international scientific committees. Currently, Dr. Merminga is Laboratory Director at Fermilab where she is overseeing the development and execution of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a first-of-its-kind experiment to unlock the mysteries of neutrinos. This program represents the largest international experiment ever built by the DOE on U.S. soil. Ultimately, it will help us get closer to answering the really big questions; such as, why does the universe, and—by extension—humankind exist?
Our Existence, The Universe, Quantum Physics, Dark Matter
SCIENCE ENABLER
Michael E. Papka
Michael E. Papka, the Director of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Chicago, is engineering a new future for enabling data-based insights. He oversees the development and deployment of Aurora, one of the world's first exascale supercomputers. While typical computers perform billions of calculations per second, Aurora can perform more than a quintillion calculations per second. With this “supercomputer power”, he and his team are pushing the boundaries of what we can learn from vast amounts of data. These insights can help us advance innovation within the fields of human health, material science, climate research, and more.
With three decades of experience, Michael constructs and strategically guides massive computing infrastructures and trains and mentors the next generation of data scientists. He specializes in high-performance computing, data visualization, and integrating research infrastructure, using these tools to ask bold questions and forge new pathways to discovery. He is dedicated to a future where supercomputers profoundly enhance humanity’s understanding of the universe as well as help societies work together to address critical real-world challenges.
Exascale Computing, Next Era of Open Science
SCIENTIST & ENGINEER OF THE UNDERGROUND
Prof. Alessandro F. Rotta Loria
Dr. Alessandro F. Rotta Loria is the Louis Berger Junior Professor at Northwestern University, where he directs SOIL – the Subsurface Opportunities and Innovations Laboratory. He is also the co-founder of GEOEG and enerdrape. His work is centered on the subsurface and is dedicated to fostering the renewable energy transition, decarbonizing the built environment, innovating infrastructure, and conserving the environment through underground solutions. His endeavors aim to address pressing challenges and opportunities for cities and territories: from subsurface urban heat islands to sea-level change, and from geological energy harvesting and storage to the sustainable construction and preservation of civil infrastructure. Rotta Loria’s work empowers the underground in support of human activity—on Earth and beyond. His studies have culminated in the publication of one book, two book chapters, two patents, and more than 100 publications in scientific journals and conference proceedings.
SOIL @ Northwestern.edu ⏺ GEOEG.net ⏺ enerdrape.com ⏺ X: @Rotta_Loria
Underground Climate Change, Sinking Cities, Renewable Energy
ARTIST
Scheherazade Tillet
Scheherazade Tillet is an artist, curator, and feminist activist focusing on Blackness, play, freedom, trauma, and healing. She is the Executive Director of A Long Walk Home—an arts organization she co-founded in 2003 with her sister, Salamishah Tillet—which combats violence against girls and women and empowers young people to create a more peaceful world.
Tillet’s efforts center Black girls and young women who are vulnerable to gender violence and racial inequality, as she is a strong advocate for their healing and protection through systemic changes in our society. Her work has been showcased at distinguished institutions and featured in various major publications. She was a consultant for the impactful Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly and was pivotal in leading the #MuteRKelly campaign in Chicago. Scheherazade is also the lead artist and curator of The Black Girlhood Altar installation, the founder of The Rekia Boyd Monument Project, and a co-curator of “Picturing Black Girlhood: Moments of Possibility,” the largest exhibition dedicated to Black girls and genderqueer youth. A leader in the global feminist movement, Tillet's impact is evident throughout the African Diaspora and in her ability to use art to shift cultural narratives and advocate for policies that promote gender and racial equality for young people.
alongwalkhome.org ⏺ IG: @sherphotographs ⏺ IG: @alongwalkhome ⏺ YouTube
Healing, Sisterhood, Transformational Power of the Arts
Performances
DOUBLE DUTCH GROUP
40+ Double Dutch Club
The 40+Double Dutch Club is an international group of over 15,000 women between the ages of 40 and 90 years old who get together once a week in cities across the world to relive old memories and create new ones while jumping double Dutch, hopscotching, Hula hooping, hand games, jacks and all of the games we played when we were growing up! They proudly display their names and ages on their backs in an effort to change the way society views aging - getting older is a blessing and is something that the 40+ Double Dutch Club wants everyone to look forward to.
DJ, PRODUCER, AND REMIXER
DJ Lady D
Darlene Jackson, aka DJ Lady D, is hailed as “Chicago’s House Music Queen” by Chicago Magazine. She has toured North America, Europe, Asia, and Russia as an international DJ, producer, and remixer. In 2004, she became a music publisher when she launched her independent record label and marketing brand, D’lectable. Well known for her charismatic sets of house, techno, and disco, her appearances at ARC, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Burning Man, and Chosen Few, and for fan-filled, influencer, charity, and celebrity events have solidified her trailblazing career. A member of the Screen Actors Guild and a Chicago Chapter Governor for the Recording Academy (The GRAMMYs), Jackson first acted professionally in “The Marva Collins Story” (with Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman). As a renowned DJ, she has been featured in numerous print, television, audio, and film media including the music documentaries, The War on Disco, Girl, The Godfather of Disco, and Slipcue. The books Do You Remember House by Micah Salkind, How To DJ Right by Frank Broughton, Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died by Dave Hoekstra, and Chicago House Music: Culture and Community by Marguerite Harrold have captured her dynamic story. As a host, producer, writer, and researcher, Jackson has worked with various media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, URB, Discoid, Chicago Public Media, Vocalo.org, NPR WBEZ, and BBC radio. Amazingly, she has been featured in Forbes, Mixmag, Billboard, the podcasts Throughline, Curious City, Reset, The Rundown and an exhaustive list of other magazines since she began her career. A noted mixshow DJ with a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University, Jackson provides storytelling on the history and science of house music to groups and organizations across the country.
IG: @djladyd
TikTok: @djladyd
www.djladydchicago.com
3x GRAMMY® AWARD WINNING POET
J. Ivy
J. Ivy is a poet and pioneer, a trendsetter, and changemaker. He’s knocked down impossible doors, taking the Art of Poetry directly to mainstream music and television arenas. His motivational motto, “Dreams Don't Come True, They Are True,” has guided him from his native home Chicago to becoming a 3x GRAMMY®, Peabody, Clio, Telly, and NAACP Image Award Winning Poet and Artist.
In February of 2023, 30 years after his first performance, J. Ivy won a GRAMMY® for his latest album, THE POET WHO SAT BY THE DOOR, becoming the first Poet to win in the GRAMMY® Awards’ new category, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Not only is he the first Poet to win a GRAMMY® since the great Dr. Maya Angelou, he also won a GRAMMY® for his work on the Tennessee State Marching Band’s The Urban Hymnal, which won in the Best Gospel Roots category. For his follow up, in September of 2023 J. Ivy released his 7th album, THE LIGHT INSIDE, and for the second year in a row, J. Ivy brought home the GRAMMY® in 2024.
SKATE CREW
JB ELITE
Tamela Watson and Charlotte Hart of JB Elite will be showcasing their rollerskating skills on the TEDx Chicago 2024 stage.
Founded in 2002, JB Elite is a premier rollerskating crew with up to 20 members from Chicago and North Carolina. Known for their mastery of the iconic JB skating style—rooted in Chicago and inspired by the music of James Brown—the crew travels the world for national skate events, representing their hometown’s rich skating history. With every performance, JB Elite embodies the energy and creativity of JB skating while inspiring others to live their dreams and push the boundaries of the sport.
IG: @jbelitechicago
DANCE COMPANY
MOMENTA
MOMENTA Dance Company was founded in Oak Park, Illinois in 1983. Since then it has been enriching lives through dance. In 2003, MOMENTA’s mission expanded to include dancers living with disabilities. The company is proud to showcase Physically-Integrated & Inclusive Dance as its own unique and beautiful art form. MOMENTA’s high-quality performances demonstrate the value of appreciating and celebrating differences while changing preconceived notions about disability.
Meet the exciting artists, collaborators, and performers you’ll experience during registration, intermission, and the celebration
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Adrian Stein
Multi-Disciplinary Immersion, AR, and Digital Artist
IG: @looneystein
looneystein.com -
Eva Carlini
Painter and Sculptor
IG: @evacarlini_art
evacarlini.com -
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Miracle Bailey, aka DJ Mo Milli
International DJ & Multifaceted Creative
TikTok, IG: @1momilli
momillii.club -
Movement Revolution Dance Crew
Hip Hop Dance Crew & Performing Arts Collective
FB, IG: @moverevolution2
movementrevolutiondancecrew.com -
Raspy Rivera
Painter
IG: @raspyrivera
raspyrivera.com -
Roy McGrath Trio
Roy McGraph: Saxophonist
Ben Dillinger: Acoustic Base
Hana Fujisaki: Piano
IG: @roymcgrathsaxophone -
Tobi Shinobi
Award-Winning International Photographer & Videographer
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Tuan Jones
Artist and Designer
IG: @TuanJonesArt
Tuanjonesart.com -
Willea Zwey
Multidisciplinary Artist & Musician
IG: @willzwey.creatur
X: @WillZwey
willeazwey.com -
Yufei and Tim Tango
Tango Dancers
IG: @yufei_xiong
Tastes and Sips
We engage all proud Chicagoan tastemakers, each who have an amazing story to share alongside
their bites and beverages. Each TEDxChicago ticket is all-inclusive of what you can eat and drink.
Harris Theater for Music and Dance
Located near Millennium Park in downtown Chicago: 205 E Randolph Street, Chicago
Our home at the Harris Theater is located in the cultural heart of downtown Chicago, against the spectacular backdrop of Millennium Park – the top tourist attraction in the Midwest. As the home venue of nearly 30 of Chicago’s not-for-profit arts organizations and a presenter of great artists from around the world, the Theater boasts some of the most diverse offerings of any multi-use venue in downtown Chicago.
HOW TO GET THERE & PARKING
Learn more about how to get to the Harris and parking information here. We’ll send out additional logistics and day-of event information the week of TEDxChicago 2023.
ACCESSIBILITY
An ASL Interpreter will be at the event. Additionally, a number of wheelchair accessible seats are available.
Learn more about accessibility options at the Harris here. You can indicate any accessibility needs you may have when you purchase your ticket, and our team will accommodate you.
Experience Our Prior Events
Check out our prior event Archives from the menu above, including TEDxChicago 2023, browsing the photos below our our event gallery on Flickr, and by watching our event reels.
