Idea Fest

×

Expand

Kris Julien

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

This year's Idea Fest brings in some serious politics wonk star power: Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig of The Washington Post discussing “How Trump Broke It,” 7:15 p.m., Sept. 17; George Packer of The Atlantic on “The Fracturing of America,” 2 p.m., Sept. 18; and Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation and columnist for The Progressive, as part of a “Sports and Social Justice” panel discussion, 12:45 p.m., Sept. 18. Live and pre-recorded sessions will be online Sept. 13-16, and remain available on demand; ticketed in-person sessions take place Sept. 17-18 at the Memorial Union (ticket holders may also livestream many of these events). Watch for updates and find tickets at captimesideafest.com.

press release: Coming out of the tumultuous changes of last year, we’re looking ahead to what the future will look like here in Madison and Wisconsin. In the fifth year of Cap Times Idea Fest, our theme is focused on how we reckon with the changes brought by the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and other forces.

This year's festival will be a hybrid of online and in-person events. There will be free, virtual, on-demand sessions posting early in the week — plus live episodes of Cap Times Live and Cooking with the Cap Times — ending with two days of live sessions at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union. Ticket holders will also have the option of livestreaming events from our biggest weekend stage at home. Lastly, it would help us spread the word about Idea Fest if you would RSVP for the Facebook Event here, but doing so isn't required for attendance. By the way, there will be discounts for Cap Times members, so if you're not one already, you can find out more here.

To enter in-person Idea Fest sessions at Memorial Union, take the confirmation email from Campus Arts Ticketing to the Wisconsin Union Theater box office (800 Langdon St.) during their regular business hours to receive a lanyard, which must be worn for access. Lanyards can be picked up in advance beginning September 7 or also at the first session you attend in Memorial Union. Ticketed attendees will also be given a link which will provide remote live access to Shannon Hall sessions via livestream.

With the exception of VIP tickets, which provide preferred, lower-level seating for Shannon Hall events, all other tickets provide general seating on a first-come, first-served basis. All-weekend passes also include (while supplies last) an Idea Fest T-shirt, which can be picked up starting Friday, September 17 at the evening sessions at Memorial Union. Cap Times members get 50% off all tickets, and members at the Champion level can get free tickets. Visit membership.captimes.com for information.

Visit captimesideafest.com for further information about parking, food options and more. For questions send an email to captimesideafest@gmail.com.

Monday, Sept. 13

1:00 PM  How will the pandemic continue to shape our lives? Moderator: George Smith; Panelists: James Conway, Ajay Sethi & Karen Timberlake. Session sponsored by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

3:00 PM How can we close the achievement gap? Moderator: Scott Girard; Panelists: Kaleem Caire, Angie Hicks, Gloria Ladson-Billings & Camara Stovall. Session sponsored by Madison Community Foundation.

7:00 PM One-on-one with playwright Adam Kennedy. Moderator: Khalid Y. Long

Tuesday, Sept. 14

1:00 PM One year later: How is local law enforcement evolving? Moderator: Abigail Becker; Panelists: Shon Barnes, Keith Findley, Brandi Grayson & Sarah Henrickson

7:30 PM Cap Times Live presents Proud Parents. Moderator: Rob Thomas. Session sponsored by Monona Bank, Goodman’s Jeweler’s & Lake Louie Brewing.

Wednesday, Sept. 15

1:00 PM Who gets to live here: How does Madison ensure fair access to housing? Moderator: Abigail Becker; Panelists: Vanessa McDowell, Kurt Paulsen & Satya Rhodes Conway

3:00 PM The future of cancer screening and diagnostics:  Moderator: Jo Handelsman; Panelists: John Kisiel, Jake Orville & Sung Poblete. Session curated and sponsored by Exact Sciences.

7:00 PM Smarter Than You Trivia at Cap TImes Idea Fest: Moderator: Paul Guse

Thursday, Sept. 16

1:00 PM The bottom line is not a race to the bottom: Moderator: Zach Brandon; Panelists: Jessica Cavazos & Carolyn Cawley

3:00 PM Title IX at 50: Issues for women in sports: Moderator: Andrew Maraniss; Panelists: Simone Charley, Courtney M. Cox, Victoria Jackson & Kristi Oshiro

6:00 PM Cooking with the Cap Times featuring chef Patience Clark: Moderator: Lindsay Christians. Session sponsored by Sitka Salmon Shares, Kessenich’s & Shiner Bock.

Friday, Sept. 17

6:00 PM ONE ONE ONE WITH SARA NELSON: Moderator: John Nichols

7:15 PM How Trump broke it: Moderator: David Maraniss; Panelists: Carol Leonnig & Philip Rucker

Saturday, Sept. 18

9:00 AM Planet on the brink: Moderator: David Maraniss; Panelists: Juliet Eilperin & Bonnie Jo Mount

9:00 AM  Wisconsin’s 2022 vote: Moderator: Jessie Opoien; Panelists: Dan Balz, Andrew Hitt & Angela Lang

10:15 AM ONE-ON-ONE WITH TAMMY BALDWIN: Moderator: Jessie Opoien

10:15 AM Health care is a fundamental human right: Moderator: Christina Ott; Panelists: Carola Gaines, Brenda González, Ken Loving & Beth Zeidler Schreiter. Session sponsored and curated by Quartz.

11:30 AM Dark money and democracy: Moderator: David Maraniss; Panelist: Jane Mayer. Session sponsored by Godfrey & Kahn.

12:45 PM Sports and social justice: Moderator: David Maraniss; Panelists: Howard Bryant, Toni Smith-Thompson & Dave Zirin

12:45 PM Sustaining Innovation: Technology, diversity and growth in a rapidly changing world: Moderator: Taha Jangda; Panelists: Feyi Olopade Ayodele & Meghan Gaffney. Session sponsored and curated by HealthX Ventures.

2:00 PM The fracturing of America: Moderator: Charles Sykes; Panelist: George Packer

2:00 PM The Great Resignation and the future of post-pandemic work: Moderator: Rebecca Ryan; Panelists: Shahar Erez, Jason Lauritsen & Mark Richardson

3:15 PM What will downtown Madison look like in the future? Moderator: Jason Ilstrup; Panelists: Jessica Cavazos, Ellie Westman Chin, Satya Rhodes-Conway & Amy Supple

3:15 PM What does it take to be a food and beverage entrepreneur in 2021 Madison? Moderator: Lindsay Christians; Panelists: Jonathan Correa, Billy DuPlanty, Harriet Gomez, Anne Minssen & Brad Rostowfske. Session sponsored by University Research Park.

4:30 PM Un(re)solved Wisconsin: A dialogue on racial violence: Moderator: Angela Fitzgerald; Panelists: Erika Howard, Denise Jackson-Ford & Brad Lichtenstein

5:30 PM Closing reception: Music: Dalton Gang; Food: Doc’s Smokehouse. Session sponsored by UBS – The Burish Group.