The Broad Cast

If you enjoyed our last episode with Tusk Philanthropies President, and former Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden, Sheila Nix, you’re in for a treat! Sheila is back to talk with The Broad Cast host Becky Carroll about Tusk’s work on the Mobile Voting Project and how the shift to mobile voting is now more important than ever.

Listen to part one of our conversation with Sheila Nix. The Broad Cast host Becky Carroll talked to Sheila about her background, the presidential campaign, what went on behind the scenes in the US Senate as they debated a COVID-19 relief bill, and her role as a woman leading high profile offices and missions.

There was an abundance of news made in the world of Illinois and Chicago politics in 2019 and in its annual year in review and look ahead, The Broad Cast welcomed The Daily Line Managing Editor and Chicago City Hall Reporter Heather Cherone to help make sense of it all. Click here to tune in!

Chicago has experienced a construction boom of epic proportions across the commercial and housing markets over the past several years and if you look around at neighborhoods surrounding the greater downtown - and beyond - you see cranes lined up block by block. On Episode 23, The Broad Cast welcomed Smita Shah, Erin Lavin Cabonargi, and Bonita Harrison, three women who all have their pulse on Chicago’s booming construction market.

Chicago journalist legend Mary Mitchell recently announced that she is stepping back at the Sun-Times after 29 years as one of its best known and respected columnists. We devote this entire episode to a conversation with Mary!

Tune in to hear The Broad Cast's first-ever live taping hosted at EvolveHer, which features the “Marijuana Moms” of the Illinois General Assembly. State Representatives Jehan Gordon-Booth and Kelly Cassidy and State Senators Toi Hutchinson and Heather Steans share their candid and inspirational stories about passing the nation’s first statewide recreational adult cannabis law, which also addresses critical equity and restorative justice issues. Co-sponsored by Legalize Illinois, Illinois Democratic Women and C-Strategies, this month’s special live taping is co-hosted by Becky Carroll and Jennifer Lee, Co-President of Illinois Democratic Women.

This year, we’ve had a changing of the guard with a new Chicago mayor who campaigned on vowing to invest in neighborhoods and stem violence that has plagued many communities. But with the city still facing significant budget gaps and new financial constraints that will put even more pressure on our city’s coffers, will we have the resources to make an impact? On the state side, the legislature passed new laws, from gaming to cannabis legalization, while in 2020, we’ll have a referendum on the ballot that will change the way we tax income in Illinois, all of which will generate much needed revenue for the state. Will all of this be enough to address root issues facing our city and state - especially our youth where we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives that can lead to a new Chicago where communities and families everywhere are thriving.

To address this question and the future of youth in Chicago, The Broad Cast hosted three of Chicago‘s most impactful non-profit leaders focused on our youth: Mikva Challenge Chicago CEO Michelle Morales; Kids Off the Block Executive Director Diane Latiker; and A Better Chicago CEO Elizabeth Swanson.

On April 2, 2019, Chicago is heading to the polls for the Runoff Election. Nicole Johnson will be on the ballot in 20th Ward. #TheBroadCast Host Becky Carroll sat down with Nicole to talk about her campaign and what she has learned on the trail.

This episode of The Broad Cast is devoted to one trailblazer: Cheryle Robinson Jackson. A high-powered exec, TedX Talk alum and survivor, Cheryle’s career has been marked by many firsts, spanning international business, civil rights, politics, government, not-for-profit, and the media. Her work and her life experiences have led her to launch a very special celebration of life and women: Grit + Grace Day on March 22, 2019.

2018 was one of the biggest years ever in Illinois politics. Chicago Sun-Times Columnist and ABC 7 Chicago Political Analyst Laura Washington joined #TheBroadCast for a special one-on-one interview to deconstruct every major storyline in 2018 and break down what all of this means for 2019 with host Becky Carroll.