Apr 5

YOU’RE INVITED TO THE 2025 Charlotte Ideas Festival!

Saturday sessions

April 5, 2025 at the dubois center at UNC Charlotte Center City

Join us for Timelines: Past Perspectives. Future Insights.

How do ideas evolve? How does history shape the present—and the future? Join us for Timelines, a dynamic day of panel discussions, interviews, and creative activations featuring local and regional thought leaders who challenge conventional wisdom and explore the ever-changing landscape of knowledge.

Throughout the day, engage in conversations that examine shifting narratives, breakthrough innovations, and transformative practices. Between sessions, enjoy unique experiences including:
• Interactive Art Installations
• Author Book Signings & Sales by Park Road Books
• Networking with Like-Minded Attendees & Experts
• Creative Activations and Table-Talks

Whether you're a lifelong learner, an innovator, or simply curious about the world around you, Timelines is your chance to gain fresh insights, make meaningful connections, and be inspired.

Event ticket: $50 (Free for students with college ID) includes access to all sessions throughout the day. We're proud to offer this event with the generosity of our sponsors and community partners.

Time: Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM

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Schedule of events

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Registration and Networking

11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Story in Time: Voices in Historical Fiction

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Step into the past with five celebrated authors as they explore the power of historical fiction to illuminate untold stories and reimagine history. Susie Orman Schnall, Vanessa Miller, Joy Calloway, Adele Myers, and Camille di Maio will dive into the art of blending fact and fiction, discussing how much historical accuracy matters, whose voices deserve to be heard, and what makes historical fiction so compelling today.

Whether you're a devoted fan of the genre or a curious reader, this thought-provoking panel will offer fresh insights into the stories that shape our understanding of the past—and ourselves. Don't miss this engaging conversation that brings history to life!

12:15 – 1:00 pm

Book signing & Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Cultivating a Culture of Connection: A Conversation with TEDx Sugar Creek Women

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Gain exclusive insights into the upcoming TEDx Sugarcreek Women event as panelists discuss this year's theme of Wired for Connection.

Celebrate the voices of women in leadership, innovation, and creativity as they inspire change and foster dialogue around vital global and local is-sues. Featuring:

• Shefalee V. Patel, Cultural Connector

• Christine Edwards Pitkin, founder and Principal Consultant for Civility Localized

• Cara Truitt, Founder and Executive Producer for TEDx Sugar Creek Women

• Amy Wartham, Director of Corporate Training and Executive Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, School of Professional Studies

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Independent Picture House Short Film Screening and Discussion with Filmmaker

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More details coming soon!

2:00 – 2:30 PM

Networking Break

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Food As Medicine: The Power of Nutrition in Healthcare

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Can food be the key to better health? As chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity continue to rise, a powerful movement is emerging—one that positions nutrition as a vital tool in both pre-venting and managing illness. Join a panel of experts in healthcare, nutrition, and community advocacy as they explore how food can transform health outcomes. Whether you're passionate about public health, nutrition, or healthcare inno-vation, this conversation will leave you inspired and empowered to rethink the role of food in medicine. Featuring: Chasidie Glover, Nourish Up; Chayil Johnson, Community Matters Cafe, Elaine Jones, Atrium Health; and Leslie Van Horn and Genny Komar, Johnson & Wales University

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Building Community with the Periodic Table of Human Emotions

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Join us for an engaging talk focused on building community. You’ll learn how a daily emotional “check-in” creates a brave space where individuals can engage in deeper discussions and embrace the ability to have challenging conversations. Featuring Ian Binns, Associate Professor, Reading & Elementary Education, UNC Charlotte

3:30 – 4:00 PM

Networking Break

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Internet Age from PC to AI

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Technology is neither good nor bad. Nor is it neutral.” Taking inspiration from the aphorism of technology historian Melvin Kranzberg that is both baffling and accurate, Dr. Min Jiang, Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, will lead a broad conversation on the multifaceted impact of the Internet on society including our psychological well-being, culture production, political polarization and platform economy. The talk will also entertain ideas pertaining to the uncertain futures of AI.

4:00 – 5:00 pm

I Love a Parade

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Artists for centuries have imagined strange and dazzling creations to transform cities into sites of celebration– think a parade of fire-breathing sea monsters floating through the center of Paris or a glowing papier-mâché mountain in Rome. In this talk, architectural historian Matthew Gin will introduce the fascinating history of temporary decorations built for festivals from the 1700s to our modern day.

5:30 – 6:30 pm

The Marvel Universe in Old and New Media

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The Marvel Universe in Old and New Media series will explore how the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the highest-grossing media franchises ever, but it originated as a series of comic books from a small, failing comic book publisher. How did the Marvel Universe evolve from obscurity to worldwide fame? How has the Marvel Universe changed as it moved from comics to film and TV, and as it tried to accommodate newer and more diverse audiences?

Featuring Aaron Kashtan, Assistant Teaching Professor Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies, UNC Charlote

5:30 – 6:30 pm

Timekeeping & The Great Beyond

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Join UNC Charlotte graduate students for a presentation and walk through Kyle Spence's outdoor art installation titled "Sundial." This presentation explores the intersection of timekeeping, community, and place. Adapting a previous sundial installation, this project invites participants to consider their own connections to Charlotte's history and its future. Using laser-cut wooden coins reflecting the city's mining and banking heritage, participants will mark their personal migrations and connections on a large-scale map, creating a collective portrait of the community and its relationship to time.

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