Star Trek fans know that for series creator Gene Roddenberry, a vivid imagination, progressive values, and innovative thinking were key to driving social change and creating a world of diversity, inclusion, and respect. So it should come as no surprise that The Roddenberry Foundation advances his philosophy to “think, question, and challenge the status quo”…
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/ By Tamieka Briscoe / We’ve carefully designed Upswell as an opportunity to elevate local ideas in a national spotlight. As we head to Chicago for Upswell later this year, we have our eye on innovative projects taking place throughout the city. In this installment of Innovation in Chicago, BallotReady—a nonprofit that uses data and…
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As founder and executive director of 2020 Mom, Joy Burkhard’s work to increase and improve maternal mental health awareness, diagnosis, and treatment is well known. In 2016, Independent Sector highlighted Joy’s work and organization in a story about strong champions for women and children. As an early registrant for our inaugural Upswell In Los Angeles…
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The pursuit of racial equity requires measurable shifts in mindsets, practices, and systems in the social sector. So how do we get to a future where nonprofit and philanthropic organizations implement and advance race equity internally while advocating for and centering it in work externally? If you’re looking for a day-long, deep dive into how…
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Jeremy S. Rossman, Ph.D., President and Founder of Research-Aid Networks, is Upswell Chicago’s first registrant, and a native Chicagoan to boot! His organization works to improve global humanitarian aid by facilitating and growing a collaborative interdisciplinary network of researchers, aid organizations, and the communities they serve – both here in the United States and internationally.…
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/ By Robert Jones / This week, Upswell completed its largest ever crowdsourcing effort, with more than 100,000 participants across our host city of Chicago. Okay, that’s not strictly true, but Upswell will benefit directly from one of the largest in-person crowdsourcing projects in America. We didn’t bring those 100,000 people together, but we’re helping…
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Community immersion is a core part of the Upswell identity. And every changemaker knows that you can’t learn with (or from) a community by just reading or hearing about it. Besides, what would be the point of Upswell visiting a new place each year if you didn’t have the chance to explore the context, culture,…
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/ By Jackie Brennan / In its five-year history, tens of thousands of people across the Chicago Metropolitan Area have participated in The Chicago Community Trust’s annual On the Table event. On the Table is comprised of a series of conversations across the region that take place on a single day—this year’s is happening Tuesday,…
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/ By Jackie Brennan / We recently had a lot of fun mapping out a list of iconic landmarks within blocks of Hilton Chicago, where Upswell is happening this November. That gave us an opportunity to set the scene of the city’s downtown area, known as the Loop. It also gave us an opportunity to…
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/ By Tamieka Briscoe / We’ve carefully designed Upswell as an opportunity to elevate ideas that are taking place locally and put them in a national spotlight. As we head to Chicago for Upswell later this year, we have our eye on innovative projects taking place throughout the city. One organization doing such work in…
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