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Graphic logo for The Philadelphia Citizen's third annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival

What are the bold ideas that can transform Philadelphia? Who is bringing solutions to the problems plaguing cities across the country? How can we make our city a more just, equitable and prosperous place to live?

We’ll get answers to all of those questions at The Philadelphia Citizen’s third annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival™, our yearly convening to bring together the most innovative urban thinkers and global thought leaders to share bold ideas that can move our city forward.

Panels will address changing police culture, curbing gun violence, moving the needle on poverty, using capitalism for good, and art as a force for social change.

A FUN, NEW FORMAT

This year the festival will be an all-virtual affair, held on the first four Tuesdays in December, from 5:30-7:30pm.

WHO YOU’LL HEAR FROM
Speakers include bestselling author, combat veteran, social entrepreneur and Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore; Birmingham’s Mayor Randall Woodfin; former LAPD sergeant-turned-police-reformer Cheryl Dorsey; education reformer and Chicago Beyond CEO Liz Dozier; comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr., former Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan; professor, author and reverend Michael Eric Dyson; Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots …and more trailblazing leaders.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
The Festival will also give you a chance to be part of a groundbreaking opportunity to help wipe out medical debt in Philadelphia, in partnership with RIP Medical Debt—an initiative you’ll learn more about throughout the festival.

We are so excited to welcome you, and to focus on moving our region forward, together. Get your tickets by pushing that button below.

Get Tickets Button

PAST EVENTS

  • Diana Lind, author of Brave New Home
WATCH: Five things Diana Lind taught us about housing
The author of the acclaimed new book Brave New Home joined urbanist Bruce Katz for a virtual discussion about making housing more affordable, accessible and in line with our times
  • Chrissy Houlahan, rocking aqua spectacles, talks in a virtual town hall with The Philadelphia Citizen
WATCH: Five Things We Learned About U.S. Rep Chrissy Houlahan
The first-term congresswoman from PA joined The Citizen for a virtual town hall to talk about the unique way she’s disrupting politics for the better
  • PA Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and Entrepreneur Jeff Bartos speak in a virtual town hall during the coronavirus pandemic.
WATCH: John Fetterman and Jeff Bartos
The Democratic lieutenant governor and his former Republican rival have the kind of bromance that proves politics can be friendly and forward-thinking
  • Dr. Robert Watson is Distinguished Professor of American History at Lynn University, and the author of more than 40 books, including his latest, The Nazi Titanic
WATCH: Virtual Book Club on The Nazi Titanic
The Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation and The Philadelphia Citizen welcomed author Robert Watson for an exploration of a shocking but little-known tragedy of World War II
WATCH: Virtual Book Club with Jennifer Weiner and Jo Piazza
The authors—both Philly residents—filled our, um, love buckets with joy and wit and wisdom
  • Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin speaking at a virtual town hall
WATCH: Virtual Event with Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin
At our virtual town hall, we learned how the millennial mayor is revamping government, including doing something revolutionary in politics: putting citizens first
  • Philadelphia grocery Jeff Brown speaks with The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder on a split screen during a virtual town hall
WATCH: 5 Ways Jeff Brown is uplifting Philly
Plus, three problems he wants our city to fix ASAP, and more from our virtual town hall with the local grocer bringing markets to food deserts
  • Penn Medicine Chief Innovation Officer speaks during a virtual event
WATCH: 5 Things We Learned From Roy Rosin
During a virtual event, Penn Medicine’s Chief Innovation Officer talked about solving problems by asking “how” not “can”
  • PA State Treasurer Joe Torsella chats with The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt in a virtual town hall about his work as the treasurer of the Commonwealth.
Six Things We Learned From PA Treasurer Joe Torsella
Wednesday night’s virtual event with the Commonwealth’s money maverick was a much-needed reminder that public institutions can be a force for good
  • Dr. Ala Stanford of the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium and Jefferson Health CEO Stephen Klasko in a virtual event.
WATCH: Health care disparity in the age of Covid-19
The most recent online Citizen event explored the deplorable state of racial inequality in health care, and what we can do about it
  • Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro talks to The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt in a virtual town hall.
WATCH: Six Things We Learned About AG Josh Shapiro
The state’s highest-ranking law enforcement official got real last night during a virtual chat with The Citizen, in partnership with Fitler Club
  • Filmmaker Mike Tollin (left) and writer and The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt in a virtual conversation about Tollin's ESPN documentary The Last Dance.
WATCH: Virtual Chat With The Last Dance Producer Mike Tollin
The Citizen’s virtual event found two old pals sharing an intimate conversation spanning life, death—and basketball
  • Liz Moore, author of Long Bright River, engages in a virtual book club discussion with Roxanne Patel Shepelavy, co-executive editor of The Philadelphia Citizen.
WATCH: The Citizen Virtual Book Club With Liz Moore
The author of Long Bright River took us behind the scenes of her haunting, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful novel
  • Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart in a split screen with The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt at a virtual town hall event during the coronavirus pandemic.
WATCH: Chat With City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart
In The Citizen and Fitler Club Virtual Town Hall, the city’s financial watchdog shared one key to our future success: total transparency
  • Kiley Reid and Jeannine Cook in a split screen during a virtual book club gathering to discuss Reid's debut novel, Such a Fun Age.
WATCH: The Citizen Book Club with Kiley Reid
The author of Such a Fun Age kicked off our new series with a provocative conversation about race, class and Philly love
  • Due Quach, of Collective Success Network and Calm Clarity; Michael Wong of Project SHIELDS; and Cheryl Molle, of the Philly Restaurant Server Relief Fund.
WATCH: Helpers in the Pandemic
At last week’s event, we heard from three Philadelphians who have jumped in to make a difference—and learned how we can all do our part
  • MSNBC host Ali Velshi and The Philadelphia Citizen editor Larry Platt talk during a virtual Crowdcast event.
WATCH: Virtual Town Hall with Ali Velshi
The MSNBC anchor spoke to Citizen editor Larry Platt and a community of engaged social distancers about covering coronavirus from his apartment—and why this might be the moment America needs for real change

  • Philadelphia 76ers chief operating officer Lara Price and Citizen executive director Roxanne Patel Shepelavy sit down for an interview at The Hive in Philadelphia.
The Citizen Recaps: Lara Price and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
The Citizen’s executive editor and Sixers chief operating officer talked about the key to helping women get ahead: Being a champion
Related from The Philadelphia Citizen:
  • Roxanne Patel Shepelavy and Larry Platt address the audience at the second annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival in 2019
What We Saw at the 2019 Festival
Check out videos from the second annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival
  • Ali Velshi addresses the crowd at the Ideas We Should Steal Festival in Philadelphia
Solutions? We Heard Them
10 takeaways from The Citizen’s second annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival
Sara Lomax-Reese and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
At a women’s happy hour on Wednesday, The Citizen’s Executive Editor and the President/CEO of WURD radio talked about women’s power—and obligation—to change Philly, and the world
Jon Dorenbos with Larry Platt
The Citizen co-founder talked with the former Eagle, whose new book chronicles his journey from tragedy to triumph
What We Saw And Heard at Ideas We Should Steal Festival 2018
Watch Gov. John Hickenlooper, MSNBC's Ali Velshi, Rev. Michael Eric Dyson, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and more

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