Catalyst Ranch's
Creative Juice Blog
It's our favorite time of year, y'all! No, we're not talking about sweater-weather autumn. We're talking about the approach of this year's Chicago Ideas Week, which of course brings with it our 2018 Chicago Ideas Week Short List! This annual festival is coming round' the mountain, kicking off on October 15. Chicago Ideas Week gathers over 200 global [...]
Levi is an innovator and entrepreneur who is bringing together other innovators and entrepreneurs in a spirit of collaboration in a no-pressure environment. He brings this spirit to the West Loop when Coffee & Conversation comes to Catalyst Ranch in February. Name: Levi Baer Name of Your Company: Second Shift, teacher at DePaul University, and leader [...]
"In case you didn't notice. . " Everywhere you go, grocery stores are using less plastic bags, companies are reducing the use of plastic in their water and soda bottles, and eco-friendly companies are finding new ways to transport their products. The next logical question for someone concerned with the well-being of the planet and his or [...]
Photo Credit: Tommie Hansen via creativecommons.org Should I Really Admit This? How to Find Common Ground at Networking Events I belong to a private club in downtown Chicago. It occupies a regal, historic building. Membership requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, three letters of support from current members, and an ability to shoulder a monthly [...]
Ever stumble upon a great accident? Well that is how motherhood went for me. I was running for US Congress against Luis Gutierrez in the 4th District. It was 2012 and I had raised my first $25,000. I felt empowered. I felt alive. I was living my dream of working towards becoming a politician. Then [...]
Most Interesting Person: Ali Karbassi Over the past 15 years I’ve worked in many different industries; Professional photographer, senior web developer at web firms and advertising agencies, product developer at an Internet of Things startup, Technology Director at a product-based company, and CEO of a non-profit to name a few. Each has revolved around my love [...]
by Ida Abdalkhani It’s interesting how of my varied journeys and adventures in life—getting my MBA right after my undergraduate degrees (with no full-time work experience), going from corporate employee to entrepreneur, becoming a laughter yoga instructor, and even bungee jumping in Victoria Falls—the one thing that people most want to talk about is my backpacking [...]
7 Tips on How to Prepare to Teach, When You Haven't Been Trained as a Teacher by Ida Abdalkhani, Founder & President of Ability to Engage, Inc I recently started teaching at my alma mater, The Ohio State University. Given the focus of my boutique consulting business, Ability to Engage, where we help companies develop [...]
