The Moth Mainstage
7:00PM @ NEW HAZLETT THEATER > CLICK FOR TICKETS
Called "New York's hottest and hippest literary ticket" by the Wall Street Journal, The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of storytelling. Each Moth Mainstage program features two acts of original stories told by a variety of artists and personalities live, without notes. Past storytellers include celebrated writers and actors, as well as folks with true stories to tell—a car salesman, a business executive, a former pickpocket, an astronaut. Of course, when The Moth goes on the road, they pick up local storytellers along the way.
On August 26th, the evening of storytelling will relate back to a theme relevant to Pittsburgh’s local culture, “Nerves of Steel: Stories of Moxie & Might.” The host is talented stand-up comic and Saturday Night Live writer Jessi Klein. Jessi will be joined by Jimmy Krenn, another storyteller from Pittsburgh and a musician, as well as three visiting storytellers from New York, including George Dawes Green, American novelist and founder of The Moth. Check back soon for more details!
This special event is a cityLIVE!, American Shorts @ WYEP, and New Hazlett Theater collaboration.
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6:30PM @ NEW HAZLETT THEATER > CLICK TO RSVP
We live in a region defined by our rivers. Our region has plentiful water supplies — a tremendous economic and quality of life asset — but significant water quality challenges.
Pittsburgh was selected as the North American host city by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to join World
Environment Day 2010 and is hosting the WED conference, "Water Matters!", on June 3. Participants from across the country will speak to the problems and possibilities of water in our region – its impact on health, energy and the economy.
The June 29 cityLIVE! event will reflect upon the results of the conference, discuss what we’ve learned and how we can protect and embrace our most valuable resource – water.
Our panelists are Jeanne VanBriesen, director of the Center for Water Quality in Urban Environmental Systems at CMU, Janie French, director of Green Infrastructure Programs at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and John Schombert, executive director of 3 Rivers Wet Weather. Moderating is Pittsburgh City Councilman, Patrick Dowd.
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Many buildings of the Modern Movement have already been saved; the icons amongst these have even become so precious that they are treated like pieces of art rather than as buildings in everyday use. Can we craft such a future for the Civic Arena? Can the social, political and cultural baggage that comes with it be set aside? Who should decide on whether the igloo survives or not?
Our distinguished panel will be moderated by Evan Stoddard, Associate Dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts at Duquense University. Panelists include Kimberly C. Ellis, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Historic Hill Institute; Christine Madrid French, Director of the Modernism + Recent Past Initiative with the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Larry Glasco, an expert in the history of Black Pittsburgh and Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and Rob Pfaffmann, AIA, AICP, architect and planner whose proposals for the reuse of the Civic Arena received an AIA design award last fall.
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How can we take control and make sure our environment is healthy and pure? How can we turn the tide and reclaim our air, water and land? Who is working to make this happen in Pittsburgh?
Three Pittsburghers will share stories of their efforts to make a cleaner environment for all of us. Our panelists are Meredith Grelli, cofounder and director of 'Burgh Bees; Tom Hoffman, the Western PA director for Clean Water Action and Ned Mulcahy, the founder of Three Rivers Waterkeeper. Discussion will be moderated by Khari Mosley, Director of Green Economy Initiatives at G-TECH.
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One Moderator, Five Panelists, More Soapbox Ranters than you can count on two hands, and you!
Soapbox Rant, cityLIVE!'s March event, will be held on the 16th of the month, at our usual place, the New Hazlett, and our usual time of 6:30 pm. But rest assured, there'll be nothing usual about the event.
You'll hear passionate perspectives, pet peeves and inner fury about immigration, city finances, smoking, free markets, customer service, trash on the street and much more. Jim Denova, Benedum Foundation, will moderate the crowd. Panelists include Tracy Certo, Pop City, Selena Schmidt, Power of 32 and three Coro Civic Leadership Fellows - Zachary Morris, Lena Andrews and De'Sean Woods.
90 quick seconds for each rant, big or small, spicy or tame. You'll have to make the most of it.
Tune in now, or forever hold your peace.
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The Pittsburgh region has been a leader in the “green” building wave. With innovative thinkers in our ranks and technological advances happening in our midst, we are poised to remain in the lead. Will our progress come solely from within the region, or are there advances happening elsewhere that we can learn from? Will there be economic benefits? Is the biggest “green” bang for our buck only for new buildings, or can larger efficiencies be made in older buildings?
Our speakers will discuss the latest advances in the green building movement, what we can expect in the future and what we can learn from innovation elsewhere.
Anne Swager, Executive Director of AIA Pittsburgh will moderate. Speakers include former Ambassador Charles Ries, who is a Senior Fellow in the RAND, Washington, DC office, Maureen Guttman, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Green Government Council, and Francisco Escalante, VP of Development at Rugby Realty. Amb. Ries has written about energy performance of buildings and what can be learned from the UK and Austrialia. Ms. Guttman, who sits on the International Construction Code panel, will discuss the national movement to implement green construction codes and what that means for Pennsylvania and area businesses.
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Pop Culture and the the city of Pittsburgh – what we are watching, reading and listening to – both good and bad. We will discuss television, movies, printed material, the internet and music, and how it goes from a niche phenomenon to a full-on pop-cultural extravaganza. How have these influences changed Pittsburgh and the region, our population and our perception of ourselves in the larger world – both positive and negative, and is any of it within our control?
Our panel includes Pablo Garcia, from the School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon; Emmai Alaquiva, of Ya Momz House; and Kathy Savitt, of Lockerz ... we will be moderated by Rob Rogers, editorial cartoonist and president of the ToonSeum.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Show your love!
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Back by popular demand! 10 more opinionated souls give us their most brilliant ideas for change. From the reasonable to the audacious.
Give us 30 minutes and we’ll change the way you see the city. Each person gets three minutes to offer up an idea without any restrictions. Forget feasibility, funding or anything as ridiculous as consensus-building. We asked for ‘thought-provoking’ and ‘outside the box’ concepts that examine change and how we approach it.
We have Susan Everingham, director of the RAND office in Pittsburgh; Scott Faber, a developmental pediatrician at the Children's Institute; Raymar Hampshire of sponsorchange (.org); Sean Jones of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra; Alexi Morrissey, a poet; Priya Narasimhan from Carnegie Mellon's Mobility Center; LaVerne Baker Hotep from the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime; Hilary Robinson, dean at the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon; Jon Rubin, artist, and the man behind The Waffle Shop; and Janera Solomon, executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
And back to moderate this year is Chris Potter, renowned editor of the City Paper.
Audience participation is a must. Show your love.
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City County consolidation is a big, top down idea. We’ve worked on it locally for years now and are told there are many valuable efficiencies to gain from such a consolidation.
In the meantime, while we are waiting, are there ways to streamline government services from the bottom up? Should we wait for the big prize, or should we be chipping away at consolidating smaller chunks that may eventually add up to the big prize?
Our panel of experts will present and discuss their ideas for effectively streamlining government services today. They include Kathleen McKenzie, deputy county manager for Allegheny County; Moe Coleman, professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and of Urban Studies; Sala Udin, president and CEO of Coro Center for Civic Leadership; and moderating will be Laura Ellsworth, partner at Jones Day.
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Welcome to the third season of cityLIVE!
Join us at our first event as we examine how to brand (or not brand) Pittsburgh.
The eyes of the world are on Pittsburgh right now. Not only has the G-20 Summit drawn world leaders and thousands of reporters, but over the last year Pittsburgh has been constantly in the “good” news.
How is it then that the response to our selection as the location of the G-20 Summit has been a resounding “Why Pittsburgh?” David Francis reported (for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that some people in Europe have “expressed concern that world leaders might not be safe in such a place.”
What must we do to shake an image that no longer fits our city?
Our moderator and panelists will engage in a feisty discussion on branding (or unbranding) our city. Panelists include Madhu Malhan, vice president and director of creative branding for Publicis, USA; Gloria Blint, president and CEO of Red House Communications; and Charlie Humphrey, executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
Moderating will be Brian Bronaugh, president and executive creative director of Mullen-Pittsburgh.
Bring a friend and you'll get a drink free! Show your love!
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How does YOUR environment impact YOUR health? What is more important – the products you use every day, or the effects of your outdoor surroundings?
We'll review a typical day of two of our favorite citizens and 1. unveil the kinds of things they are exposed to every day – in their daily habits, their home and their neighborhood, 2. learn about the impact our world has on US, and 3. give suggestions for changes you can make that will impact YOUR health.
Panelists are Jane Houlihan, from the Environmental Working Group, and Amanda Parks, co-owner of Equita. Our case studies are Justin Strong, co-founder of the Shadow Lounge + AVA, and Heather Arnet, executive director of the Women and Girls Foundation. Our moderator is Josh Knauer of Rhiza Labs.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!
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Many places around the world have profited from a broadly-participatory exercise in which all people from all sectors are invited to envision together the best future for their city or region. Come hear how this has worked both in this country and overseas.
Panelists will include Valentino Castellani, former Mayor of the City of Turin, Italy; Maureen McAvey of the Urban Land Institute; Allen Kukovich, Executive Director of the Regional Visioning Project; and Candi Castleberry-Singleton, Chief Diversity Officer of UPMC as moderator.
You can read more about Pittsburgh’s Regional Visioning Project here and here and it’s new Executive Director here.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!
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Demographic and social trends indicate a looming shortage of family and paid care givers. How do we enhance the lives of our seniors and those who care for them? Why does it make economic sense for all of us? Join our experts as we discuss current and upcoming aging trends and the policies meant to address these issues.
Panelists for the evening are John Rother, Executive VP of Policy and Strategy for AARP; Stefani Danes, Principal, Perkins Eastman Architects; Ivonne Gutiérrez Bucher, Special Advisor to the Secretary of Public Welfare, with moderator Jules Rosen, Chief, Geriatric Services, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!
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What does it take to get the ordinary citizen to take action? When does the need to act, not just stand on the sidelines, become urgent and impossible to ignore?
Three citizens, each successful in their professional lives, will share how and why they became civically involved and the passion that drove them to it. We hope their stories drive you to action too.
Panelists for the evening are Georgia Berner, CEO of Berner International Corporation; Mark DeSantis, President and Co-founder of Mobile Fusion, Inc., Khari Mosley, League of Young Voters, National Political Director, with moderator Bill Isler.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.
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Presented in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Chapter of CEOs for Cities.
Providing quality public education for all has been called the civil rights issue of our time. Why doesn’t every child in American today have access to the best education possible? When will we get there? How can we bring about the transformation?
Three experts, with the help of moderator B.J. Leber, will share their dreams and engage us in the solution.
Panelists for the evening are Geoffrey Canada, the charismatic leader of Harlem Children’s Zone, the innovative social community model; Marian Heard, founder of Boston-based Mentor, a national mentoring organization; and Mark Roosevelt, Superintendent of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.
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Spend an evening of holiday mayhem with Phat Man Dee and the ChristmaChannaKwanzaa Tones during the ultimate night of international caroling. With the promise of free food, absurd behavior and earth-quaking vocals who could refuse? You will not want to miss this one, kids.
Bring friends. Bring the family ... and join us.
Cocktails and general merriment to follow.
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The future is being invented right here in Pittsburgh! The Pittsburgh Innovates KIZ contest allows people to show off tech with a Pittsburgh connection. We’ll showcase their best entries and announce the winners. Jury Award: $20,000. People’s Choice Award: $10,000.
And with us to educate us about startups and venture capital in tech industry will be Jack Lew of Electronic Arts, Catherine Mott of BlueTree Capital Group and BlueTree Allied Angels, Mark Re of Seagate, and Jay Katarincic, Managing Director of Draper Triangle Ventures will moderate the proceedings.
To learn more about the contest > www.pittsburghinnovates.com
Read about the contest on Pop City > www.popcitymedia.com
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Our city was transformed in the past by physical interventions that changed its DNA forever. Big and small, planned and organic, each has had an everlasting impact. What are the 10 biggest changes that we have seen? Are these now embedded in Pittsburgh's blueprint? What will, or should, the next 10 be?
Learn to see the city through the eyes of urban planners.
Eve Picker, one of the founders of the cityLIVE! series, will be joined by John Rahaim, Planning Director for the City and County of San Francisco, and Mark Minnerly of The Mosites Company.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.
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10 opinionated souls give us their most brilliant ideas for change. From the reasonable to the audacious. Give us 30 minutes and we'll change the way you see the city.
Chris Potter, editor of Pittsburgh City Paper will moderate this extravaganza. Our participants are Heather Arnet, Executive Director of the Women and Girls Foundation, Lalit Chordia, founder of Thar Technologies, John Norton, head of the Philosophy of Science department at University of Pittsburgh, Jonathan Greene, architect and designer, Bomani Howze, program officer at The Heinz Endowments, Erik Lingren, Executive Director of Venture Outdoors, Nathan Martin, CEO and President of deeplocal, Inc., City Councilman Bill Peduto, Joey Rahimi, co-founder of the College Prowler and Branding Brand, and Elisabeth Schroeder, Executive Director of Riverlife.
Cocktails and conversation to follow ... if you've managed to catch your breath. Show your love! Join us.
cityLIVE! 11 (new season!)
Pittsburgh cannot know where it ought to go unless it knows where it is.
While we sail towards a new future we hear statistics that are daunting. Not enough immigration. Young people leaving. 50,000 jobs with no-one to fill them. Are these numbers really accurate? And can they be interpreted in different ways? How can we understand them, and use them to know where we ought to go?
You’ll learn about John Craig’s Indicator Project, and how analysts such as Harold Miller of Future Strategies and Lisa Kuzma of the R.K. Mellon Foundation use the numbers and build on them.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.
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Is the auto the most convenient and efficient way to move people around our region? Can new technologies and policies help unite the region and contribute to our urban vitality? Can we use transportation to grow the city, and the region, in the right way?
The Pittsburgh region is ripe for innovation. New technologies present exciting opportunities to move people and goods around more efficiently than ever before. Light rail, extensive riverfront trails, an efficient bus system, car sharing are all heading in the right direction. But that’s just a start. Getting it “right” requires creative planning.
Join us for a charged discussion on how to get there … from here.
And as a bonus, because we believe that everyone should have a hand in the planning process, we’ll unveil a CitiWiki project which will allow everyone in the region to have a voice in the role of land use and transportation planning, whether you are an urban planner, environmentalist, architect, policy maker, transportation expert, biker, boater or skater.
Get going …. get involved!
a cityLIVE! salon
“One can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar.”
- Helen Keller, American author, activist and lecturer -
What is the essence of leadership? Leaders impact our lives, our futures, the world we live in. The mantle of leadership looks different on everyone. Aradhna Dhanda is the President and CEO of Leadership Pittsburgh, a creative and innovative leadership training program for senior leaders. Pioneered here in Pittsburgh, their program has since been used as a model for similar programs around the country. In this, the third of our monthly salon series, we will explore how we create opportunities for leadership and inspire those who wish to take a leadership role in their own field.
Limited to 35 people.
Read more about Aradhna in Pop City’s feature article, and more about Leadership Pittsburgh in Pop City’s “Leadership Pittsburgh Celebrates 25” both by Abby Mendelson.
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What’s not to rock? Three women - all strong, opinionated and wildly different. We’ll give you a brief glimpse into their fascinating lives and the passions that drive them. Moderated, of course, by a woman.
And with performances to boot, by 'betty', an all-female band assembled from members of some of the best local bands, and an impromptu set by liz berlin, playing songs off her most recent album.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Show your love!
a cityLIVE! salon
“Leaders are born with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county.”
- John W. Gardner, author, public servant & civic leader -
What is the essence of leadership? Leaders impact our lives, our futures, the world we live in. The mantle of leadership looks different on everyone. Diana Block is young and intensely passionate about her role at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and its place in Pittsburgh’s future. In this, the second of our monthly salon series, we will explore leadership in the media, the many forms it takes, and how to become engaged.
Limited to 50 people.
Read more about Diana in Pop City’s feature article by Abby Mendelson.
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In a time where the ultimate resources are ideas, connections and innovation, how can we facilitate these very things? How can creativity be used to bolster the socio-cultural, knowledge and creative capital of a city? This session will look at the power of creativity to engender self-organizing, self-generating means of exchange among citizens.
A panel of international leaders working in various creative disciplines will talk about their own experiences and what they’ve learned that can be put to work in cities everywhere. Co-hosted by CEOs for Cities and cityLIVE!, and sponsored by Pop City, this event will be open to meeting attendees and the people of Pittsburgh.
a cityLIVE! salon
“Leaders are born with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county.”
- John W. Gardner, author, public servant & civic leader -
What is the essence of leadership? Leaders impact our lives, our futures, the world we live in. The mantle of leadership looks different on everyone. Patrick Dowd is an energetic and passionate, freshly elected City Councilman. In this, the first of our monthly salon series, we will explore leadership in government, the commitment it takes, and how to become engaged.
Limited to 50 people.
Read more about Patrick in the Pop City feature story by Gregg Ramshaw.
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What does it take to lead?
There are many kinds of leaders from all walks of life, but how does one define the qualities they all share? What inspires, what drives, what challenges someone, anyone, to become a leader?
What is the very essence of leadership?
The Essence of Leadership will ask a diverse group of leaders to reveal their drive, passion and goals to you, our audience. In addition, The Essence of Leadership event kicks off our new Leadership Salon Series, a set of smaller, more intimate events that we hope will both inspire new leaders and allow you to network with a group of local movers and shakers who have defined what it means to take a leadership role in their field or community.
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The Blue Green Alliance, a partnership of the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers, envisions a nationwide green economic renaissance, with revitalized manufacturing, green building, safer chemical usage and global warming solutions that will grow this new job sector.
And cityLIVE! kicks off the National Green Jobs Conference (the first of its kind, to be held in Pittsburgh on March 13 + 14) with a dialogue sharing the best thinking about the link between economic opportunities and environmental situations.
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We need to find ways to contain our hunger for energy and other resources that are, inevitably, dwindling. Are there solutions? How realistic are they? And how can they be implemented?
Come listen to our experts’ well-formulated ideas as they discuss and debate Green chemistry, adapting our manufacturing processes, energy options, infrastructure and more.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!
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“The arts open your heart and mind to possibilities that are limitless. They are pathways that touch upon our brains and emotions and bring sustenance to imagination. Human beings’ greatest form of communication, they walk in tandem with science and play and best describe what it is to be human.”
- Jacques d’Amboise -
Jacques d'Amboise, one of the finest classical dancers of our time, joins Michele de la Reza, co-founder of Attack Theatre, to discuss how the arts impact community, youth and the city. Moderated by Lynne Conner, we'll surprise you with a youthful warm-up act by the Coleman Brothers and a dance event led by Peter Kope which will bring down the house!
Bring your questions, your ideas and your energy. It might be you out on the dance floor. Cocktails and conversation to follow.
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Time magazine recently named him the Person of the Century, calling him the "pre-eminent scientist in a century dominated by science. The touchstones of the era – the Bomb, the Big Bang, quantum physics and electronics – all bear his imprint.”
Ever wondered what Einstein was really like. How did he live? How did he think? Find out by spending an evening with two renowned Einstein experts.
Cocktails and conversation to follow. Join us!
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Immigration brings the kind of energy, diversity, entrepreneurship, creativity and of course, great food that make any highly diverse city an enviable place to live. More than that, in an increasingly global economy, international talent plays an especially important role.
Historically, Pittsburgh's wealth and economy, like most other U.S. cities, was built with the help of a vast pool of immigrant workers. Now we rank 49 out of the top 50 metro areas in the U.S., in percentage of the population who are foreign born and have completed a college degree. Will we be left behind if we don't? How do we jump-start it? Panelists include both national and local experts.
Bring your ideas and join the discussion!
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On July 18, 2007, Pop City published this response to a survey in our June 27th issue. Readers overwhelmingly judged their city as special in five ways:
• Loyal and proud – “Pittsburgh built America with steel and is leading America in the high tech age.”
• Great value and quality of life – “Pittsburgh has a low cost of living which means artists can buy homes and still have money left over.”
• Accessible and friendly - “Pittsburghers wave you to turn left in front of them in traffic.”
• Leading edge – “Pittsburgh has the first ever Ph.D in robotics.”
• Unique – “Pittsburgh is the first city to put French fries on a sandwich.”
Readers had much more to say, of course, and their comments provide an inside look at our city’s strengths. One respondent summed up one aspect of Pittsburgh that some faster growing cities find hard to duplicate: “The city is at once old world and modern. We allow the future to grow on top of the past.”
So for this, our inaugural event, we invited a panel of people, whose lives and work revolves around the vitality of our region, to get their view of the city, and what they would do if they were in charge. Come and join the discussion, and be sure to bring your own ideas.
Cocktails and conversation to follow.