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Virtual Sessions

Released Sessions

Homeland Elegies: A conversation with Ayad Akhtar

Ayad Akhtar & Lindsay Christians
Ayad Akhtar, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright raised in suburban Milwaukee, discusses his latest book, “Homeland Elegies.” A blend of memoir and lyric fiction…
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One on one with Richard Graber

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Richard Graber & Katelyn Ferral
Since its expansion in the mid-1980s, the Wisconsin-based Bradley Foundation has grown to become one of the country’s foremost funding…
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Beyond the protests, the future of Madison policing

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Brian Chaney Austin, Anthony Cooper, Satya Rhodes-Conway & Noble Wray
Spring and summer brought the issue of police reform to the forefront in Madison and across the nation. Now that voices have been heard, it’s time to…
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What’s next for conservatives in Wisconsin?

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Brian Reisinger, Charles Sykes & Katelyn Ferral
Regardless of the election outcome, Wisconsin Republicans will face a crossroads between Trumpism and a more traditional Republican path. What will…
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A time to act: How does Madison make progress on racial equity?

Session sponsored and curated by Quartz Insurance
Shiva Bidar, Jack Daniels III, Kimila Daniels & Angela Russell
Madison has been grappling with a racial achievement gap for decades. This summer of racial reckoning suggests this affluent and liberal city has not…
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What will happen in Wisconsin on Nov. 3?

Tanya Bjork, Charles Franklin, Keith Gilkes & Briana Reilly
National eyes are trained on Wisconsin as a potential tipping point state for the presidential election, but state-level results could also…
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How should Wisconsin leaders tackle climate change?

Gregory Nemet, Madeleine Para, Joe Parisi, Elizabeth Ward & Kathleen Falk
Will strict governmental guidelines or a more voluntary approach for businesses be the best way to tackle climate change? Former Dane County executive…
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Supreme Misrule: A conversation with Ruth Marcus

Session sponsored by Home Savings Bank
Ruth Marcus & David Maraniss
Washington Post columnist and author Ruth Marcus, one of the sharpest legal and political analysts in America, talks about how the Trump administration…
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How should we prepare for the next pandemic?

Session curated by Wisconsin Alumni Association
Kristen Bernard & Kelly Tyrrell
A conversation with Professor Kristen Bernard of UW-Madison, whose research focuses on the interaction between viruses and hosts, with the hope…
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Rebecca Blank on the future of her flagship campus

Rebecca Blank & Paul Fanlund
As chancellor, Rebecca Blank leads a world-class research university that faces massive issues from the pandemic. But what makes Blank’s school different…
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What happens after a COVID-19 vaccine arrives?

Session sponsored by UnityPoint Health – Meriter
James Conway, Malia Jones, Nasia Safdar & Abigail Becker
Essentially the entire planet is looking ahead to the moment when a COVID-19 vaccine will become available, but will that be enough…
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After COVID-19, what about Madison’s economy?

Session sponsored by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Zach Brandon, Seth Lentz, Sabrina Madison & Jason Joyce
A panel discusses Madison’s post-COVID-19 economy, its advantages and challenges. How does Madison fit in a regional and national context? Its strengths…
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How can Madison attract and retain more professionals of color?

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Aaron Bird Bear, Esther Cepeda, Patrick Sims & Dawn Crim
Madison is a relatively easy sell to white professionals, but for years we’ve heard that candidates of color visit the city and see few people…
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How will COVID-19 change local health care institutions?

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Damond Boatwright, Sue Erickson, Alan Kaplan & David Wahlberg
The CEOs of Madison’s three big health-care systems discuss what the pandemic has wrought and how it might change delivery…
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Protest politics: What makes real change happen?

M Adams, Matthew Braunginn, Douglas McLeod & Natalie Yahr
Madison and the nation are seeing some of the most intensive protests since the 1960s, centered this time around racial disparities and policing…
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One on one with Tony Evers

Session sponsored by HealthX Ventures
Tony Evers & Briana Reilly
The pandemic forced schooling to go online at a time when no one has prepared for it. What have we learned and what can we expect?…
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‘Rage:’ A conversation with Bob Woodward

Session sponsored by UBS — The Burish Group
Bob Woodward & David Maraniss
Bob Woodward, the premier investigative journalist of the modern era, talks about his latest groundbreaking book on President Trump…
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How will COVID-19 change K-12 education?

Carlton Jenkins, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Mary Lee McKenzie & Scott Girard
The pandemic forced schooling to go online at a time when no one has prepared for it. What have we learned and what can we expect?…
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Past Sessions

Smarter than You Trivia

Paul Guse
Even the pandemic can’t stop trivia. Join us for Madison’s best trivia experience — offered via Zoom — with your fully formed team or come as an individual…
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