It’s hard to keep a level head in a tough conversation, especially with someone you dislike. Veteran journalist Joshua Johnson — founding host of NPR's 1A, later anchor at MSNBC — argues the antidote isn't louder debate. It's better questions. Drawing from 20+ years in broadcast journalism including live broadcasts from CPAC, Johnson introduces "clinical journalism": a framework that replaces performative objectivity with genuine curiosity. He examines how asking about the story behind a belief — not just the belief itself — unlocks unexpected human connection. Three strategies, one radical reframe: objectivity isn't an identity. It's a skill anyone can learn. Joshua Johnson plays anchorman Dwight Richmond on the satirical Onion News Network. His portrayal helped The Onion win a 2025 Webby Award for Comedy. Joshua Johnson has spent more than 20 years in journalism, helping people see each other despite their differences. He was the founding host of NPR’s national talk show 1A, which grew to a weekly audience of four million listeners during his three years on-air. MSNBC later recruited him to anchor The Week with Joshua Johnson, where he created rare spaces for audience interaction in network news, before becoming the anchor of NOW Tonight, a primetime nightly newscast. His NBC News projects included specials for Black History Month, a live broadcast from New York’s Stonewall Inn for LGBTQ Pride Month, and a focus group of small business owners reacting to President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union Address.Web: www.theresolutiongame.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshualistening/ Social: https://beacons.ai/_joshuajohnson This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What if the path to healing begins on the dancefloor? In this talk that draws from the origins of house music and its radical spirit of inclusion, Darlene Jackson aka DJ Lady D, reveals how a community built on resistance, resilience, and ingenuity became a living model for mental and emotional liberation. Through movement, trust, and collective safety, we can learn to dissolve anxiety, model self-actualization, and help young folks do the same. This talk is a blueprint for fearless living and proof that wherever your “dancefloor” resides, inner peace is available to us all.#Chicago #ChicagoHouse #HouseMusic #House #DJLadyD #self-acceptance #mental health #community #creativity #culture #music Darlene Jackson, also known as DJ Lady D, is hailed as “Chicago’s House Music Queen” by Chicago Magazine. An international DJ, producer, and remixer, she has toured North America, Europe, Asia, and Russia with her charismatic sets of house, techno, and disco. She has performed at ARC, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Burning Man, and the Chosen Few Picnic, and in 2004 launched her independent label and brand, D’lectable, cementing her role as a trailblazer in electronic music.Jackson’s influence extends beyond the stage. She has appeared in documentaries including The War on Disco and The Godfather of Disco, been featured in Forbes, Mixmag, and Billboard, and contributed to outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, NPR WBEZ, and BBC Radio. A Chicago Chapter Governor for the Recording Academy and a Screen Actors Guild member, she also holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University and shares her expertise on the history and science of house music with audiences nationwide. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What can you do when endangered species get sick? Sea turtles with cancer, tropical frogs battling a fungal pandemic – endangered species all around us are fighting diseases. But in the golden era of medicine we currently live in, can we find medicine for the iconic species of our biosphere? Tim Cernak, is launching a new field of conservation chemistry, bringing his expertise in pharmaceutical research to the frontlines of biodiversity loss.#EndangeredSpecies #Science #Medicine #Turtles #AI #Conservation #Chemistry #Pandemic #Pharmaceuticals #Climate Change] Tim Cernak is an Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan, with appointments in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, the Center for Global Health Equity, the Rogel Cancer Center, the Michigan Institute for Data Science, and the Michigan Center for Infectious Disease Threats. His research spans chemical synthesis, ecology, data science, automation, sustainability, and drug discovery, with applications ranging from oncology and neurology to agriculture and conservation.Before joining Michigan in 2018, Tim spent nearly a decade at Merck Research Laboratories, advancing C–H functionalization, reaction miniaturization, and drug design for major diseases. He studied at UBC Okanagan, completed his PhD at McGill University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University. He is also a co-founder of Iambic Therapeutics and has been a Research Fellow of the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Every single diaper ever made still exists today - and they take up to 500 years to break down. With 27 billion diapers dumped into U.S. landfills each year, the scale of plastic waste feels impossible. But what if the solution has been here all along - in fungi?In this personal, surprising talk, serial entrepreneur Miki Agrawal (founder of THINX, TUSHY, and HIRO Diapers) shares how her team discovered a way to harness plastic-eating fungi to transform the world’s most wasteful product - the diaper - into something nature can reclaim. With humor, science, and storytelling, she invites us to reimagine waste not as the end of the story, but as the beginning of a new one.Talk was given as part of the TEDx Global Idea Search.#Fungi #Nature #Diapers #Entrepreneurship #Sustainability #Plastic #Pollution Miki Agrawal is a social entrepreneur and the founder of several acclaimed companies including TUSHY (modern bidet), THINX (period underwear), and now HIRO Diapers (fungi-powered diapers). Named “Fast Company’s Most Creative People” and a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, she has built multiple nine-figure businesses while challenging taboos and pioneering sustainable solutions. With HIRO Diapers, Miki is introducing the world’s first MycoDigestible™ Diaper, using fungi to tackle plastic pollution. A bestselling author and speaker, she blends humor, innovation, and storytelling to spark global conversations about creating a regenerative future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

While helplessly watching her house go up in flames in the brisk winter air — no fire department in sight - the burning embers sparked an idea in Alla’s mind; a curvy road leading her to design cities that protect, empower, and provide people the freedom to live better lives.In this deeply personal and visionary talk, Alla shares how she now helps build cities from the ground up — from Freedom Cities and Charter Cities to the cities we all call home — and how each of us can reimagine the places we live to design belonging, safety, agency, and meaning into our daily life.The talk was presented and filmed at TEDxChicago 2025 on September 26, 2025, at the Harris Theater in Chicago.#Design #Cities #Freedom #Innovation #SocialChange #Future Alla Adam has been future-proofing humans across the globe since 2003. An experienced founder, negotiator, mentor, and investor, she has guided leaders and teams at Tesla, Amazon, Google, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Nestlé, and others, helping generate over $12B in venture capital and grants for startups worldwide. She is a mentor at Techstars, Founder Institute, and StartOut, a member of the HeartMath Institute and the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School, and a non-resident fellow at Charter Cities Institute. She serves on advisory councils for Forbes Coaches Council and Harvard Business Review. Her frameworks—including The Adam Method (TAM), Negotiations as a Service (NaaS), and The Adam Curve (TAC)—have become transformational tools for executives, investors, and entrepreneurs alike. Alla holds executive education certifications from Harvard Law, Yale, Kellogg, and Berkeley Law, as well as Master's and Bachelor's from Kyiv National Economic University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

chrisjones, yes, it’s one word, gained international headlines after being the first hypnotist to perform on America’s Got Talent where he successfully got germophobe, Howie Mandel, to shake hands with him and all the other judges. Following that success on stage, he found himself exactly one year later in a psychiatric hospital. The Chicago native shares a vulnerable glimpse into the challenges of having a mixed identity: being a performer and a person.Talk was given as part of the TEDx Global Idea Search.#MentalHealth #Self-Help #Chicago #AGT #America'sGotTalent #Hypnosis #Magic #Connections #Comedy #Relationships chrisjones (yes, it’s one word) is a self-described “master in failing up,” once a failed magician, track star, and academic who became a world-class hypnotist and comedian. A Chicago native and former nationally ranked college athlete, he studied sociology, psychology, and therapeutic recreation, all while honing his craft by performing magic and hypnosis nightly on campus.His breakthrough moment came in 2015 on America’s Got Talent, when he hypnotized germophobe Howie Mandel into shaking hands with the entire judging panel. Since then, he has performed in all 50 U.S. states and ten countries, and has appeared on The Steve Harvey Show, Penn & Teller, and his own prank series Double Take on Facebook Watch.Outside of performing, chrisjones is a marathon runner and a devoted husband and father who loves making his wife and daughter laugh. A resilient entertainer who turned missteps into magic, he embodies the spirit of reinvention and the power of humor. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What happens when a near-fatal accident leaves you searching for a way to heal? For Joabe, the answer became a mission: to run every single street in Chicago. Spanning thousands of miles, his journey has uncovered not just hidden corners of a city, but also lessons about resilience, fear, and human connection. In this inspiring talk, Joabe shares how confronting physical and mental limits can reshape the stories we tell about the communities we live in and about ourselves.Talk was given as part of the TEDx Global Idea Search.#Running #Chicago #Discovery #Achievement #Cities #Community #Fitness #Humanity #PersonalGrowth #Surprise Joabe Barbosa is a clinical psychology doctoral student embarking on an extraordinary journey to become the first person in history to officially run every single street in the city of Chicago. What began as rehabilitation after a life-threatening incident has evolved into a mission now more than halfway complete, spanning nearly 4,000 miles across every neighborhood in the city.Along the way, Joabe has uncovered Chicago – not in headlines, but on foot. His project has grown into a call to challenge fear-driven narratives and connect divided communities, reframing how we view our cities: not as places defined by danger, but as communities full of ordinary people.His story has captured attention and inspired others to step off the familiar path to see the world differently. At his core, Joabe believes exploration has the power to dissolve fear, reframe perception, and illuminate the extraordinary in the ordinary. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Alesha Miller never thought she’d work in AI. But after spending nearly two decades trying to solve challenges facing the world’s smallholder farmers, that’s where the path led. This talk shows how AI can be inclusive and participatory, even for some of the world’s most marginal people, if we put in the collective effort. Just as farmers are facing the biggest challenge in history—climate change—AI may deliver on a dream: getting every farmer the advice they need, when they need it. Come along on a down-to-earth learning journey about how AI is opening doors for these 500M farm families and explore how you can contribute to a more responsible AI future.Talk was given as part of the TEDx Global Idea Search.#Agriculture #AI #Farming #Food #ClimateChange #GlobalIssues #Impact #Poverty Alesha Miller is Chief Strategy Officer for Digital Green, a global tech nonprofit co-creating a world where farmers use technology and data to build prosperous, resilient communities. She guides the organization's learning, impact, and partnership approach as they scale Farmer Chat, an AI powered pocket advisor. She is also a board member of Proofing Station, an impact-first investor focused on small and mid-sized food enterprises in the Midwest. Prior to serving at Digital Green, Alesha was the Managing Director of the Global Food and Agriculture Program at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs where she led research, policy and advisory work focused on challenges and opportunities affecting the food system, including urbanization, booming African youth populations, water scarcity, and digital technology.Alesha began her career at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she held several roles over eight years, all dedicated to growing incomes and wellbeing for farm families. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

What happens when an ordinary day is no longer ordinary? For millions of girls and women in Afghanistan, a simple walk to school has turned into an impossible dream. Since 2021, girls over the age of 11 have been banned from secondary education, erasing futures and silencing voices that the world desperately needs. In this moving and urgent talk, Roquiya Sayeq shares Sarah’s story, one of many young women whose education was stripped away overnight. Yet amid the restrictions, a powerful movement is growing. Through an online educational center, Victory Afghanistan, Roquiya and her team are reclaiming lost learning hours. But this fight extends beyond Afghanistan. Denying education to half a nation robs humanity of problem solvers, leaders, doctors, and innovators. This talk is both a call to action and a reminder: education equality is not optional; it is essential. What role will you play in ensuring every girl and woman has the chance to learn?#Afghanistan #Women #Education #Activism #Empowerment #WomensRights #SocialChange Roquiya Sayeq is the co-founder of Victory Afghanistan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking down barriers in education for women in Afghanistan. She is also a data science consultant, applying machine learning to tackle complex business challenges across industries. Drawing on her expertise as a data scientist, Roquiya shapes data-driven strategies at Victory Afghanistan.Since founding Victory Afghanistan, Roquiya has mobilized volunteers from 24 countries around the world to deliver over 144,000 hours of learning to 800 students in Afghanistan. She leads programs that empower students and volunteers alike, emphasizing growth and meaningful change. Remarkably, 22 of the organization’s project coordinators are current mentees, turning students into leaders and proving that true empowerment multiplies. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Dr. Sammy Ramsey, your friendly neighborhood entomologist, makes the case for why the same empathy that helped us solve a more than 70 year old bee health mystery is critical for the advancement of science broadly and what we stand to lose if this skill continues to fade. Taking you on this journey through the honey bee health crisis from a bees’ perspective (and from their parasite's)– he outlines why seeing the world from another's eyes is paramount in preserving our pollinators and the integrity of the pursuit of knowledge.#Bees #Empathy #Consciousness #Science #GlobalIssues #Insects Dr. Sammy is celebrated as an engaging science communicator who aims to make science more accessible to a broader audience. As a professor at CU Bolder, he teaches students how to communicate science in an engaging way as seen in his popular course “Effective Science Communication.” Dr. Sammy has been featured on Hulu’s Docuseries: Your Attention Please–as well as in the Washington Post, New York Times, on NPR, CNN, Wired, CBS’s This Morning, Khan Academy, Seeker, The Today Show, and several local news segments. His nonprofit, The Ramsey Research Foundation (RFF), works to develop novel pathways for scientific funding by removing paywalls that keep the public from engaging with published scientific work.In each system he studies, Dr. Sammy works to resolve the symbioses at play, further highlighting the interconnected nature of our world and the need to understand the sum of its parts. Through RFF, Dr. Sammy studies how to develop sustainable solutions to environmental issues. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx