Ami is a design researcher passionate about the potential of collective imagination in civic life. Through play and immersive storytelling, she shifts the focus from problem-solving to celebrating community wisdom and dreaming. She has collaborated with the City of Boston, public school districts across the U.S., and non-profits from Singapore to the Dominican Republic on civic engagement, educational equity, and community resilience. At Harvard, where she is pursuing a Master in Design Studies, her work explores how critical research, worldbuilding, and interactive experiences bring people together to rediscover wonder in overlooked places.

Antionette D. Carroll is a serial social entrepreneur, founder of Creative Reaction Lab (CRXLAB) and the Institute of Equitable Design and Justice, and co-founder of Design + Diversity LLC and &Design LLC. At CRXLAB and the Institute, she pioneered Equity-Centered Community Design™ (ECCD™), recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, and developed the leadership model Redesigner for Justice™. She has been honored as a PepsiCo and Doritos Solid Black Changemaker, Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, TED Fellow, and more. Her work has been featured on NPR, Fast Company, Bloomberg, BET, and other outlets.

Arianne Miller is passionate about bringing a human-centered approach to complex systems and work that shapes people’s lives. She recently ended 13 years as a federal civil servant, beginning as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and then serving over a decade with The Lab at OPM. As Managing Director, she grew the program and led a multi-disciplinary team partnering with 100+ federal programs and 7,000+ civil servants. Her earlier career focused on public education at Chicago Public Schools and DonorsChoose.org. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.

Bronwyn Clarke is a civic designer, user experience researcher, and community organizer dedicated to redesigning social services with communities most impacted by them—from guaranteed income programs to Medicaid to child welfare prevention. Her passion for this work was sparked while earning her master’s in social policy at the University of Oxford and deepened through nonprofit work during the pandemic. In Tacoma, she led a participatory evaluation of a guaranteed income program. At the Centre for Public Impact, she coaches cities in human-centered design and innovation. Bronwyn is running for Parks Commissioner, believing all design is political.

Carlos Roles-Shanahan is the co-founder and director of Duo/, an innovation studio that designs and builds ethical real estate ventures and partnerships for social benefit. Duo’s multicontextual approach explores how “norms” and “forms” shape the world we create together. This vision has produced projects like Starling, an award-winning building in North Lawndale; Homekeep, reimagining the landlord-tenant model; and In.Field, a toolkit for joyful community engagement. Carlos brings lived expertise as an immigrant and experience as a Deloitte consultant, University of Michigan researcher, and CPS teacher. He holds degrees from Michigan, Loyola Chicago, and Harper College.

Daniel O. Ash is president of the Field Foundation, a private, independent foundation advancing community power in Chicago through investments in civic infrastructure, culture, local news, and organizing. Each year, the foundation distributes over $11 million in grants, focusing on the city’s South and West Sides. Previously, Daniel served as associate vice president of Community Impact and chief marketing officer at The Chicago Community Trust and as vice president at Chicago Public Media. He holds an M.P.P. from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Economics from Oberlin College. He was named a 2025 Crain’s Notable Leader in Philanthropy.

Elmer Moore, Jr. is CEO and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), appointed in 2022. With 15+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, workforce development, and community revitalization, he leads efforts to expand affordable housing across Wisconsin. Under his leadership, WHEDA has invested in 15,000 housing units, administered $525 million in state funding, and achieved a 52-year high in first-time homebuyer mortgages. Deeply committed to equity, Moore also serves on several boards, teaches entrepreneurship at Marquette University and UW–Milwaukee, and holds degrees from Muhlenberg College and Columbia Business School.

Elodie Edjang is a Chicago-based filmmaker, design researcher, and nonprofit leader dedicated to helping people feel seen, heard, and understood. A third-culture kid with ties to Cameroon, France, and the United States, she holds degrees in Advertising and Anthropology from the University of Georgia and an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University. She has led community storytelling initiatives at Full Spectrum Features, supports women and non-binary filmmakers of color through Mezcla Media Collective, and, as a design researcher at Shure Inc., conducts exploratory research to elevate live events and content creation. Her work bridges story, strategy, and social impact.

Eugene Robinson Jr. is the inaugural Director of Black Student Success in the Office of Equity at Chicago Public Schools. With over 20 years in education and social work, he has led initiatives impacting more than 100,000 students, from student engagement to postsecondary planning. His leadership at CPS and the University of Chicago Charter School has strengthened academic success and emotional support for students and families. A CPS alum, Eugene earned degrees from Chicago State University and the University of Chicago and remains dedicated to racial justice, educational equity, and lifelong learning.

George co-founded Greater Good Studio in 2011 to use design to heal, be just, and be restorative, where he serves as Co-Executive Director. Previously, he was the first human-centered designer at the Chicago Transit Authority after seven years at a global innovation firm. Since founding Greater Good, he has guided clients through complex projects that honor reality, create ownership, and build power. He speaks frequently across the US and internationally and is an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University. He serves on boards including Asian-Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. Born in Myanmar, raised in the UK, he's now a U.S. citizen.

Hillary Carey, PhD, is a designer, researcher, and leadership coach focused on participatory design and collective visioning. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s Transition Design program, she explores how design futures can help communities tell compelling stories of their efforts toward social change. Her practice centers on collaboration, reflection, and imagination as tools for envisioning better systems and shared futures. Hillary works across disciplines to equip leaders and organizations with creative methods for collective transformation and long-term impact.

James Estrada is Associate Director of Digital Experience and Insights at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He unites national market insights and technology partnerships to scale digital health and advance health equity across reproductive care—from abortion access to paying for care to men’s reproductive health. With a background in data-driven storytelling and inclusive design, James focuses on making digital experiences more equitable and responsive to patient needs, helping expand access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for people nationwide.

Jason Schupbach, Dean of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, explores the intersections of design, arts, community development, social justice, and innovation.

Jenn is co-founder and CEO of the Department of Imaginary Affairs. She is a struggling idealist, a recovering perfectionist, a serial idea generator and big believer that collective liberation is possible. She loves spending her time floating in water, doing endless crafts, searching for beach glass and snuggling up with her kiddos.

Jennifer is Assistant Professor of Strategic Design and Management and Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Learning at Parsons School of Design. Her research explores design pedagogies that critique intersections of design and power and advances K12 design education that helps young people of color envision futures in design. She has published in Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers (Editor, 2024), The Black Experience in Design (Developmental Editor, 2022), and Design Museum Magazine (2021). Jennifer previously worked with Pentagram, Columbia’s Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, and the AIGA.

Jessica Meharry is a designer, researcher, facilitator, and educator who focuses on justice-oriented design methodologies in professional practice. Jessica is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Design at DePaul University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in graphic design and human-centered design. Her research and creative practice focus on three intersecting lines of inquiry: anti-oppressive design practices for professional designers; envisioning anti-racist futures through design methods; and equity-oriented experiential education within design pedagogy and curricula.

Judi Brown is a creative systems thinker and human-centered design practitioner who envisions a more inclusive future where decision-making belongs to the many, not the few. As founder of CivicMakers, she has spent the past decade bringing human-centered design to public institutions across California. An aspiring speculative futurist, Judi is passionate about radical participatory methods, co-design, and equity-centered facilitation. Outside of work, she’s a certified volunteer disaster worker, bass player, and devoted fan of the Great British Baking Show.

Karla Robles is a director at Duo/, where she leads community engagement and experience design. Her work centers on empowering individuals through education and civic involvement, creating innovative experiences that elevate voices and strengthen collective realities. Previously, she was a design researcher at Doblin, a high school teacher, and served with Senator Durbin’s office, focusing on education policy and legislative affairs. Karla also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA supporting parent engagement and activation. She holds bachelor’s degrees from Loyola University Chicago and an associate’s degree from Harper College.

Kat Reiser is a designer, educator, and researcher who brings warmth, authenticity, and humor to complex problem-solving. After starting her career designing products for Fortune 500 companies, she shifted her focus to public and social innovation. Today, Kat leads human-centered design initiatives at Greater Good Studio, advancing equitable solutions in civic spaces, healthcare, and aging. She also teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago and Offsite, mentoring emerging designers in research, facilitation, and ethical practice. A fixture in Chicago’s design community, Kat curates events that challenge the field to reckon with its social impact.

Mariama N’Diaye (she/her) is a Senegalese-American from Harlem serving as the Innovation Team Director for the City of Atlanta, where she drives community-centered solutions for a cleaner, more resilient, and economically thriving city. She holds dual Master’s degrees in City Planning and Business Administration from MIT, where she was Head of Design for MIT GOV/LAB and an Inaugural Morningside Academy for Design Fellow. Previously, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Milan, Chief of Staff at Ami Cole, and a consultant at Bloomberg Associates. Mariama centers care, equity, and imagination in her work, always exploring the “how” behind systems change.

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Nicole R. Robinson is Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, a human-centered organization dedicated to empowering women and eliminating racism. A fierce advocate for women, girls, and justice, she draws inspiration from the resilience of the families the YWCA serves. Previously, Nicole was Chief Partnership and Program Officer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, where she advanced food justice and co-created Chicago’s first Food Equity Council. Earlier, she led corporate philanthropy for Kraft Foods and Mondelez International. Nicole also founded Chicago’s first South Side Giving Circle supporting Black women and girls.

The Honorable Nina Turner is an impassioned public intellectual, motivational speaker, national news commentator, and self-proclaimed “hell-raising humanitarian.” She is founder and President of We Are Somebody, a coalition-building organization for the working class, and a Senior Fellow at The New School’s Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy. Turner served as national surrogate for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 campaign and as national co-chair in 2020. A former Cleveland City Council member and Ohio State Senator, she continues to champion a human rights economy and tirelessly advocates for policies that uplift working people.

Parker is a Design Strategist with a background in architecture who uses human-centered design to strengthen communities’ ability to process, create, and advocate for themselves amid changing environments. With Just City Memphis, he co-led efforts to transform public understanding of pretrial detention by combining real-time data and personal stories to promote judicial accountability. Most recently, he worked with the Illinois Division of Mental Health, mapping patient journeys through carceral and healthcare systems to improve outcomes for those deemed not guilty by reason of insanity. In Chicago, Parker continues exploring how design and community organizing can intersect for collective empowerment.

Rasmia Kirmani is the Chief Program Officer for Community Safety at the Center for Justice Innovation, a community justice organization centering safety and racial justice through partnerships with courts, communities, and those most impacted. She serves as a Commissioner on the NYC Planning Commission and Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Wagner School. Previously, she led the creation of the National Public Housing Network with Ford Foundation support and founded The Fund for Public Housing while serving on NYCHA’s executive team. A longtime Brooklyn resident, Rasmia holds degrees from The New School and the College of Wooster.

Sara Cantor is a creative leader and human-centered designer focused on equity, inclusion and social innovation. After seven years using human-centered design to create new markets for corporate clients, she co-founded Greater Good Studio in 2011 to apply design to pressing social sector challenges. Her team of "pissed-off optimists" has helped nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies build internal capacity for social innovation, create and prototype new programs, and sustain and scale their impact. Sara speaks regularly on designing for social impact and facilitates workshops worldwide. She holds a master's in design planning from IIT and a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University.

Sarah is the Director of Faculty Grants and Scholarship for the Loyola University School of Social Work, and was formerly the Grant Writer for DePaul University's Office of Research Services. Before moving into higher education grant writing, Sarah was a grant writer, communications professional, consultant, and program director at a variety of Chicago education non-profits for close to 20 years.

Sloan Leo Cowan is a social impact strategist, facilitator, and community designer with over 15 years of nonprofit experience. As Founder and CEO of FLOX Studio, Sloan partners with philanthropic, cultural, and social impact organizations to co-create strategies rooted in collective vision and shared values. Their work bridges participatory design, solidarity economy practices, and queer theory to build cultures of care and belonging. Sloan has managed national environmental boards, raised over $25 million, and guided transformative planning processes grounded in collaboration and community resilience.

Victor Udoewa, Engagement Manager at Bloom Works and former Service Design Lead at the CDC, is a civic designer, community designer, and practitioner of Radical Participatory Design, and has experience giving up power, prioritizing the wisdom and skills of community members as they lead their own interventions and approaches.