All Topics in Chicago

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  So You Think You Know A Lot About Babe Ruth? Let’s Find Out!

  Gary Livacari, Author and Baseball Historian

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Entertainment

  During the first half of the twentieth century, America experienced profound cultural changes. Many of those changes were the direct result of the life of one man: George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895-1948). Author Gary Livacari is available to present a one-hour PowerPoint presentation covering the life and times of this original American sports icon. The discussion begins with Babe's early life as a neglected "incorrigible" orphan cruelly dispatched at age seven to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys by a family that didn't seem to want him. It continues through his early adulthood, highlighting his marriage to Claire Hodgson Merritt who finally gave him the stable family life that he so desperately desired. Included are many highlights from his record-setting, historic career. MORE >

  No one better personified the extravagance and excesses of "Roaring Twenties" that the great Bambino. At the height of his fame, he was possibly the most recognized and celebrated person in the world. The presentation details some of the most memorable Babe Ruth stories and fables, all illustrated with rarely seen photos. It concludes with a fun "Babe Ruth trivia quiz," followed by a question and answer session.

  The discussion will have appeal to baseball fans of all ages, but will also appeal to those who are intrigued by one of the most beloved and enduring personalities in American history. From our perspective in the twenty-first century, it's hard for us to appreciate the impact this one man had on American sports and culture. His legacy continues even now, 77 years after his death. All this and many more topics will be examined in detail.

  The presentation can also be given remotely via Zoom.

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  Build It Like a Brand, Not a Hobby

  Valeria Gershanova, Music Label Manager, MEGAO Inc.

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Business

  Too many talented people treat their passion like a side project — and then wonder why it doesn’t grow. In this powerful session, I challenge creatives and entrepreneurs to shift from hobby thinking to brand-building strategy. This talk focuses on positioning, clarity, consistency, and monetization. I break down what separates amateurs from professionals — and why branding, messaging, audience trust, and execution matter more than raw talent. Attendees will learn how to define their value, create a clear identity, structure their offers, and build something scalable instead of temporary. MORE >

  Whether you’re an artist, content creator, entrepreneur, or founder, this presentation will help you think bigger, operate smarter, and build with intention.

  Participants will leave with:
  • A clear understanding of what makes a real brand
  • A framework for positioning themselves professionally
  • Strategies to create income instead of just attention
  • The mindset shift required for long-term success

  Because if you want people to take you seriously — you have to build it seriously.

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  From Talent to Income: Turning Creativity into a Business

  Valeria Gershanova, Music Label Manager, MEGAO Inc.

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Business

  Creativity is powerful — but talent alone does not build wealth. In this dynamic and practical session, I break down how to transform skills, passion, and artistic ability into sustainable income streams. This presentation explores the shift from thinking like a creator to operating like a CEO. I share real-world strategies on branding, positioning, monetization models, audience building, and execution. Attendees will learn how to package their expertise, create multiple revenue streams, avoid common entrepreneurial mistakes, and move from hobby mindset to business strategy. MORE >

  This talk is designed for creatives, artists, entrepreneurs, and aspiring founders who are ready to stop waiting for opportunities — and start building their own.

  Participants will leave with:
  • A clear framework for monetizing their talent
  • Practical strategies to build a personal brand
  • Action steps to launch or scale a creative business
  • A mindset shift from “creative” to “creative entrepreneur”

  This is not just inspiration — it’s a blueprint.

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  The Mindset That Changes Everything: Leading With Clarity, Compassion, and Human Strength

  Clara Lucia Jaramillo-Carrier, M.A., PCC, Purpose, Life, Executive Coach and Author, Breaking Through Consulting & Coaching

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Business

  Leadership today is not failing because of a lack of talent or intelligence—it’s being strained by chronic pressure, fear-driven thinking, and disconnection from what makes us human. In environments that reward speed, certainty, and constant performance, leaders often lose access to their most powerful resource: a grounded, positive mindset that creates clarity, perspective, and empathy. MORE >

  This session reframes positive mindset as a leadership discipline—not cheerfulness, denial, or motivational talk, but the ability to choose thoughts, perspectives, and responses that expand capacity rather than contract it. Participants explore how mindset directly shapes leadership presence, relationships, and decision-making—and how reconnecting with purpose and humanity restores effectiveness, trust, and resilience in today’s complex world.

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  The Cost of Constant Pressure: Why Productivity Culture Is Breaking Leadership—and How Purpose Restores It

  Clara Lucia Jaramillo-Carrier, M.A., PCC, Purpose, Life, Executive Coach and Author, Breaking Through Consulting & Coaching

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Business

  We are working harder than ever—yet trust is lower, relationships are strained, and leaders are exhausted. Today’s productivity culture rewards speed, output, and performance at the expense of presence, discernment, and humanity. The result is unnecessary suffering: fear-based decisions, fractured communication, and leadership that reacts instead of leads. MORE >

  This session challenges the myth that more pressure produces better results. Participants will explore how chronic urgency narrows thinking, erodes empathy, and fuels chaos in teams and organizations. Through grounded insights and practical tools, leaders learn that reconnecting with purpose and values is a strategic choice—one that restores clarity, strengthens relationships, and enables sustainable, high-impact leadership without burnout.

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  Off High Alert: Practical Nervous System Tools for High-Pressure Work Environments

  Ron Martin, Principal, Founder, Executive Coach, Ocean Park Strategic Advisors

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Business

  Many capable, high-performing professionals experience stress in their body even when things are going well at work.

  - A tight chest before meetings.
  - A jolt when emails come in.
  - A constant background sense of being “on edge.” MORE >

  This free talk introduces Off High Alert, a practical, body-first approach to understanding and reducing work-related stress that doesn’t rely on mindset shifts, positive thinking, or therapy.

  Participants will learn why the nervous system often stays on high alert in modern work environments and why “just relaxing” rarely works, even for highly competent, prepared professionals.

  This session is especially relevant for people who:

  - Feel physically reactive to emails, meetings, or work interactions before their brain has time to catch up
  - Stay functional and productive while feeling tense or exhausted underneath
  - Don’t want therapy, oversharing, or long emotional processing
  - Want practical tools that can be used during the workday, discreetly and effectively

  During this talk, attendees will:

  - Understand how and why stress shows up physically at work
  - Learn simple, in-the-moment nervous system regulation tools
  - Reframe stress responses without self-blame or pathologizing
  - Leave with a clear, repeatable way to help their body stand down in high-pressure situations

  This is a grounded, practical, work-safe talk designed to meet professionals where they are, without asking them to lower their standards, change who they are, or step away from their careers.

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  What can I do to reduce my climate footprint and how effective is it?

  Dorelle Ackermann, Activist, Pachamama Alliance: Chicagoland Co-Hearts

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Climate

  Are you concerned about our warming planet want to do your part to create a sustainable future? Is it possible to have a thriving economy today and protect our planet? According to Hannah Ritchie, a data scientist, it is! Now, let's learn how we, as individuals, can make this happen. Using Project Drawdown's "Explore" we will follow the science in choosing measurable actions to consider. Next, we will recognize that respectful conversations are key to magnifying our individual actions into community actions that will bend the warming curve down.
  This presentation will explore the work of Jonathan Foley (Project Drawdown), Hannah Ritchie (Our World in Data) and Katharine Hayhoe (Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy) to give participants the information and resources they can use to create meaningful change. MORE >

  The presentation will end by creating a group "word cloud" to remind us that in the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

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  Reducing Deadly School Violence

  Katazyna Weresz, Clinical Director / Executive Director, Counseling Speaks / In Her Shoes Foundation

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Self-Improvement

  Learn from Kasia Weresz about reducing deadly school violence in a thought provoking presentation that focuses on prevention through understanding behavioral health.

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  Successful Sailboat Racing

  Bob Bernstein, MBA, Sailor and Author, My Sailing Odyssey

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Miscellaneous

  In Chicago I have raced sailboats for a lifetime. I have won many races in many different boats. I have also crewed on many boats. Recently I have been tactician on offshore boats and continue to win with my Rhodes 19 sailboat.

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  Sailing and Life

  Bob Bernstein, MBA, Sailor and Author, My Sailing Odyssey

  TOPIC CATEGORY: Motivational

  I recently have written a book "My Sailing Odyssey" that has connections at many levels between my life experiences and sailing.

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