Redesigning the system: A recap of the 2026 TEDxChicago panel and workshop

Building on the 2026 theme, We The People, the event brought together local leaders and changemakers who are challenging assumptions across mental health, education, sport, arts and culture. Moderated by Abbie Clary, Executive Director of Health for All at CannonDesign, the conversation featured Jessica Schleider, Thackston Lundy, Clarissa Flores and Derek Lee McPhatter — a subset of the speaker list for TEDxChicago’s main event.

The discussion was grounded in the reality that, while the systems shaping our everyday lives often appear fixed, every system reflects choices about whose needs are prioritized, what barriers are accepted and how success is defined. But meaningful change is possible when we take bold steps toward new realities — both individually and collectively. The work of the panelists spans different fields, but each shared their journey and inspiration in response to one big idea: How do we take the change we imagine and make it happen?

Here are a few themes from the conversation:

Systems change when someone stops accepting the gap

The moment we decide to catalyze change may come at our most vulnerable moments. We might encounter skepticism from others — the suggestion that an idea is unrealistic, unsustainable or simply not how things are done. But do not let doubt stop an idea. Use it to clarify the change needed.

The people closest to the problem are already designing

Meaningful change is not something we design for people and deliver to them. It’s something we build with them. People who are not served by an existing system don’t simply wait for a better one, but instead, they create workarounds, informal networks and new ways to get what they need. Those responses contain knowledge. If we want to build something more useful, we have to notice what people are already doing, invite them into the process and keep listening after an idea is launched. Design, in this sense, is not a grand reveal. It is an ongoing exchange.

Action needs allies — and honest ones

Changemakers don’t act alone. Progress depends on finding people who truly believe in the work. But allies are not just cheerleaders. The most useful people around us are often those willing to tell the truth, identify where the team is struggling and help improve it quickly. Led by humility and confidence, it’s critical to choose the right partners.

Curiosity is more useful than certainty

Redesigning a system means living with doubt, resistance and failure. So, what do we do when they arrive? “Get curious, not furious,” said Thackston Lundy. Curiosity changes the posture of the work. Instead of treating failure as a verdict, it turns failure into information. What did we learn? What assumption was wrong? What can we test next? Curiosity can be a practical tool for staying in motion.

Presence is part of the system, too

Change is not only the institutions we build, the policies we rewrite or the programs we launch. It can also begin in a brief encounter that helps someone see their choices, and we can design conditions that help us practice that kind of thoughtfulness. We can ask what we’re doing to help others, create teams that tell the truth and encourage communities to make service a habit rather than an exception. Even presence can be supported by a system.

After the panel, attendees moved into small-group conversations focused on education, mental health, arts and culture, sports and healthcare. The goal was for each group to share ideas, make connections and name an action worth pursuing.

That progression — ideas, connections, activation — captured the point of the day. Inspiration is valuable, but it’s only impactful when we act on it. We’ll make changes that improve our lives and those of the generations to follow when people decide the gap in front of them is no longer acceptable, find the right partners willing to take the journey and take the best first step.

We The People is a challenge for collective responsibility, similar to the challenge that sits at the heart of our idea for Health for All. Both themes ask us to look closely at the systems that shape people’s lives, recognize who they serve and who they leave behind, and take shared responsibility for creating systems that allow everyone to thrive — both preventatively and responsively. We can redesign systems to truly support health, well-being and prosperity for everyone. 

We look forward to continuing to advance these important conversations alongside TEDxChicago, through our Great Lakes ReFRESH initiative and beyond.