Darryl Holliday

A Black man with short dreadlocks and full beard smiles as he looks off to the right-hand side. His arms are crossed over each other as he sites at a table. Behind him there is a computer and bookshelf. He wears a black hoodie under a gray knit sweater.

Journalist, civic strategist, and media organizer

Darryl Holliday is a journalist, civic strategist, and media organizer. In 2015, he co-founded City Bureau, a Chicago-based civic media lab on Chicago’s South Side, where he designed participatory programs, projects, and platforms like the Documenters Network, a national nexus for community members committed to covering local public meetings. A former local beat reporter, Darryl knows that journalism can create the conditions for systems change. He’s collaborated with colleagues around the world on reporting practices that inform, engage, and equip communities toward civic action. He’s an Ashoka Fellow, Studs Terkel Award winner, and a proud “Leader for a New Chicago.”

Meet our 2023 Democracy Forum Speakers

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Baratunde Thurston

Democracy Forum Host
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Wemimo Abbey

Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Esusu
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Peter Adams

Senior Vice President of Research and Design of the News Literacy Project
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Aleena Agrawal

Director of Talent Solutions at P33
Ellen Alberding

Ellen Alberding

President and CEO, The Joyce Foundation
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Ian Bassin

Co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy
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Brian Deese

MIT Innovation Fellow
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Hany Farid

Professor at the University of California, Berkeley
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Nancy Gibbs

Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice and Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
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Emma Grede

Entrepreneur & Chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge and the CEO and Co-Founder of Good American
Regina Hall

Regina Hall

Award-winning actress and producer
Mary Kay Henry (Fair Economies and the Future of Work)

Mary Kay Henry

International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
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Valerie Jarrett

Chief Executive Officer
Major Brandon Johnson

Mayor Brandon Johnson

Mayor of Chicago
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Terah Lyons

Founding Executive Director of the Partnership on AI
Anna Makanju Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Anna Makanju

OpenAI's Vice President of Global Affairs
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Governor Wes Moore

Governor of the state of Maryland
Alondra Nelson Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Alondra Nelson

Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study
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Suzanne Nossel

CEO, PEN America
Chiedo Nwankwor

Chiedo Nwankwor

Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, Interim Director of SAIS Europe, Senior Lecturer, and Director of SAIS Women Lead
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President Obama

44th president of the United States
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John Palfrey

President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
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DeMario Phipps-Smith

Senior Manager of Community Learning at News Literacy Project.
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Sonal Shah

Chief Executive Officer at The Texas Tribune
Alex Smith Headshot (Finding Meaningful Connections in a Digital World)

Alex Smith

Founder of The Cares Family
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Betsey Stevenson

Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan
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Mandy Teefey

Co-Founder and CEO of Wondermind
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Shani Tran

Licensed therapist and author
Raquel Vazquez Llorente Headshot (Weighing AI and Human Progress)

Raquel Vazquez Llorente

Head of Law & Policy, Technology, Threats and Opportunities - WITNESS
Judy Woodruff Headshot (Democracy-s Immune System)

Judy Woodruff

Senior Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour

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    The Obama Presidential Center Museum is a world-class landmark that tells the story of our democracy through the lens of America’s first Black president and First Lady. Dynamic exhibits across four floors will highlight the events, policies, challenges, and accomplishments of the Obama presidency. The Museum is comprised of four levels of exhibitions and the Sky Room, a 5,000 square foot space that offers soul-stirring perspective and panoramic views of Chicago. Entry to the Museum is by time-ticket or event participation. Monday | 1 - 8 p.m. CTTuesday - Sunday | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT

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