Presenter Q&A with H. Luke Shaefer: invest in ideas and give them time to work

Could we alleviate poverty more quickly if scholars, communities, and policymakers worked together? H. Luke Shaefer, Ph.D. thinks so. He’s director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, and says data and action-based partnerships can help changemakers make headway on the intractable challenge of poverty. Read on to learn how an epiphany he experienced…

Combining the power of town, gown, and policy to end poverty

Imagine the progress we could make toward ending poverty if scholars, communities, and policymakers worked collaboratively on this complex and intractable issue. Luke Shaefer, Ph.D., director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, says “there’s tremendous potential in action-based partnerships between communities and university researchers to really make headway on issues that can seem…

Presenter Q&A with Adiel Suarez-Murias: nurture the forces heading us in the right direction

What kind of language do you use to talk about civic engagement? Perhaps you, like many working in this corner of changework, use terms like activism, justice, and democratic participation. Have you considered how words like those may resonate with some audiences but not others?  Adiel Suarez-Murias, communications and marketing director at Philanthropy for Active…

Chicago Lawn: supporting the Muslim community in South Side and beyond

We hope you’ve had a chance to check out the lineup for Chicago Inside & Out – a dozen thoughtfully designed experiences, all guided by dynamic community leaders across Chicago. These immersive tours are a cornerstone of the Upswell experience, which is all about going deep locally to uncover enriching and surprising insights that apply…

Presenter Q&A with Christina Krasov and Robert Albright: it’s all about collaboration

In the workshop, “How to Create Resilient Systems Change,” Robert Albright, director of programs at FSG – Collective Impact Forum, will join Thrive Chicago Chief Strategy Officer Christina Krasov for a primer on Thrive’s collaboration to accelerate innovation for Chicago’s youth. We caught up with Robert and Christina to learn more about both of them,…

Beyond binary: lessons learned from Latinx communities

Emilia Chico and Steven Rosado recently led focus groups in two of Chicago’s predominantly Latinx neighborhoods as the Upswell Accelerator sought to hear from community stakeholders in creating a racial equity framework. After giving them a week or so to collect their thoughts, we asked the two moderators to reflect, in their own words, on…

Easing race and ethnicity discussions through living room conversations

Let’s be honest. Talking about race and ethnicity can be uncomfortable. But would it be less uncomfortable in an environment where you feel more at ease, like say, your living room? That’s the premise of Living Room Conversations, a conversational model designed to revitalize civil discourse through conversation. As a follow-up to a session during…