Episodes

We just hit a milestone!!! 40 episodes and almost a year of Notes from Chicago. To celebrate, we're kicking off a summer series of mini-episodes built around themes from the archive, and this first one is about accidental beginnings. None of these five people planned for their project to become what it became. Our 40th episode kicks off a short summer hiatus. We'll be back with new full-length interviews this fall, but keep an eye out for more mini-episodes in the meantime. In this episode, As...

Dyanna Knight Lewis is the publisher of the Chicago Defender and regional VP of Real Times Media. Her connection to the paper started long before her career did. In this episode, Dyanna joins Notes from Chicago to talk about stewarding one of the most storied Black institutions in American media, 121 years old and counting. Follow the Chicago Defender: * Website: https://chicagodefender.com * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagodefender Follow Notes from Chicago: * Spotify: https://ope...

Before it was a 40,000-person festival, it was a Fourth of July picnic outside the Museum of Science and Industry. This week, Tony Hatchett of the Chosen Few DJs joins Notes from Chicago to trace house music's roots from The Warehouse and disco-era South Side parties to becoming a founding member of the crew behind the world's longest-running house music festival. Follow Chosen Few DJs: * Website: https://chosenfewdjs.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djtonyhatchett | https://www.inst...

In this episode of Notes from Chicago, host Ashley Phillips talks with Isis Ferguson (Senior Director of Engagement & Partnerships) and Alyssa Gregory (Marketing Manager) of Arts + Public Life, a University of Chicago initiative rooted in Washington Park that connects, supports, and amplifies South Side artists and culture. Isis and Alyssa break down the four venues that make up Arts + Public Life and the layered history of jazz clubs, theaters, and creative life that once lived on that same bl...

Have you ever walked past a door and wondered what story it's holding? This week on Notes from Chicago, we sit down with Ronnie Frey, interior designer turned photographer, and the creator behind the wildly popular Instagram account Doorways of Chicago. What started as a pandemic-era pastime has grown into walking tours, a stunning new coffee table book (already the #1 seller at his publisher and a #1 Amazon Hot New Release in Travel Photography), and a studio inside Chicago's iconic Fine Arts ...

This week on Notes From Chicago, host Ashley Phillips sits down with Johnny Jones, documentary filmmaker, founder and CEO of The Lingo Chicago, and proud North Lawndale native. Johnny opens up about growing up in Rockwell Gardens housing projects on the west side, losing his mother at a young age, and how those formative experiences became the foundation for everything he creates today. Johnny shares the story behind Lawndale Stories, his three-part short film series developed through a residen...

David Manilow is a Chicago institution. As the creator of the beloved PBS series Check, Please!, which ran for nearly 20 years in Chicago and expanded to over 10 cities, including San Francisco, Miami, and even Vienna, David helped Chicagoans discover the city's neighborhoods through the lens of food. He's now the host of The Dining Table podcast with Crain's Chicago Business. In this episode, David sits down with Ashley to talk about how Check, Please! was really never just a restaurant show; ...

For decades, The Hideout has been one of Chicago’s most beloved music venues, a place where musicians, comedians, artists, and neighbors come together in a way that feels uniquely Chicago. In this episode of Notes From Chicago, Ashley Phillips sits down with Teri O'Brien, the venue’s new owner, to talk about taking over an iconic institution, preserving independent music spaces, and what makes The Hideout feel like home for so many Chicagoans. Teri shares her journey from Hideout intern to own...

Steph Krim, founder of Good Things Vending, joins Notes From Chicago to share how she transformed old snack vending machines into one of Chicago’s most innovative community art platforms. From sourcing vintage machines to supporting hundreds of local artists, Steph discusses: Starting Good Things Vending from scratch Entrepreneurship and creative risk-taking Building a Chicago-based brand CTA collaborations and future expansion Why Chicago is central to her mission Follow Good Things Vend...

What if one of Chicago’s most beloved family destinations was also quietly helping save endangered species around the world? In this episode of Notes from Chicago, Ashley Phillips sits down with Lisa Faust, Senior Director of Population Ecology at Lincoln Park Zoo, to explore the groundbreaking conservation work happening behind the scenes. From modeling wildlife populations to supporting species recovery efforts for elephants, Tasmanian devils, Puerto Rican parrots, and more, Lisa shares how d...

Spring in Chicago means one thing: unpredictable weather, cautious optimism, and finally finding ways to enjoy the city after a long winter. This week on Notes from Chicago, Ashley Phillips welcomes returning guest and producer Tanisha Blakely to the mic for a fun, candid conversation about surviving Chicago winters, navigating “fake spring,” and making the most of the city as it begins to thaw. Follow Tanisha Blakely: * Website: https://www.tanishablakely.com * Instagram: https://www.instagra...

What does it take to create world-class comedy? In this episode of Notes from Chicago, we sit down with Jen Ellison, Vice President of Creative at Second City, the legendary comedy institution that launched the careers of stars like Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Amy Poehler. Jen takes us inside the creative process behind improv and sketch comedy, how ideas evolve from spontaneous moments into iconic performances, and why collaboration, not ego, is the secret to great comedy. Follow Jen Ellison...

What would it actually take to fix Chicago’s biggest challenges? In this episode of Notes from Chicago, the CEO of Center for Neighborhood Technology, Nina Idemudia breaks down real, actionable solutions, from accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to bus rapid transit. She explains why change might be closer than we think. We discuss: Why affordable housing is still out of reach How simple policy shifts could transform neighborhoods What everyday Chicagoans can do to push change forward Follow Ni...

In this episode of Notes from Chicago, Emma McKee, the artist known as the StitchGawd, shares how she accidentally built a career in cross-stitching and what it felt like to watch WNBA legends try on her work on live national television. She also opens up about why she said no to Amazon and the NFL, the nine-foot Chairman Fred Hampton memorial she stitched on blue velvet, and the community map of Chicago she's building with the Chicago Public Library. Follow the StitchGawd, Emma McKee: * Websit...

What can biking tell you about a city like Chicago? In this episode of Notes from Chicago, we sit down with Viktor Köves, the creator behind Chicagoans Who Bike, a storytelling project capturing the lives, routines, and unexpected moments of people riding through the city. With nearly 100 interviews, Viktor has documented a wide range of experiences—from families biking with their kids to teens discovering confidence and calm, to everyday riders finding freedom in how they move through Chicago...

Penny Gibbons started Trash People in 2022 with eight people, a plastic bag, and a reply to a stranger on the Logan Square community Facebook page. What began as a personal search for community has grown into an unexpected grassroots movement, now spanning nine neighborhoods. In this episode of Notes from Chicago, Penny talks about how a neighborhood cleanup became the "gateway drug" to community participation, why she walked away from a marketing career to do work that actually aligns with her...

In this episode of Notes from Chicago, host Ashley Phillips sits down with founding Artistic Director and CEO of Red Clay Dance Company, Vershawn Sanders-Ward, to talk about how a 3-month trip to a fishing village in Senegal sparked the vision for one of Chicago's most dynamic dance companies. From building community on the South Side to co-creating work with urban farmers and young people in the juvenile detention system, Vershawn shares how Red Clay is much more than a dance company. Follow V...

Documentary photographer Sandra Steinbrecher joins Ashley for a conversation about her two-year journey documenting the transformation of the iconic Morton Salt complex into the Salt Shed, one of Chicago's most beloved music and event venues. We dig into her ongoing work documenting the Osaka Garden in Jackson Park and what preservation really means. Follow Sandra Steinbrecher: Website: https://www.sandrasteinbrecher.com Book: http://www.trope.com/products/the-salt-shed Instagram: https://www.i...

In this episode of Notes from Chicago, we sit down with muralist and artist Andy Belomo to explore how large-scale public art becomes a powerful vehicle for queer community, activism, and belonging in Chicago. Follow Andy Bellomo: Website: https://www.andybellomo.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andybmix Follow Notes from Chicago: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0qkYwUroGt4hMZQlhTg32z Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-chicago/id1838675173 YouTube: https://w...

Joabe Barbosa is on a mission to run every street in the city. And he's completed more than 80% of his goal. In this episode of Notes from Chicago, Joabe shares the motivation behind his ambitious project and the experiences he's had while running through every Chicago neighborhood. Follow Joabe Barbosa: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/heyjoabe Follow Notes from Chicago: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0qkYwUroGt4hMZQlhTg32z Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/notes-from-ch...

Step inside the world of contemporary dance leadership in Chicago with Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In this inspiring episode of Notes from Chicago, Linda-Denise shares her journey from her professional debut in 1989 to performing on global stages with Alvin Ailey Dance and how those experiences shaped her leadership style today. Drawing on lessons from legendary mentor Judith Jamison, Linda-Denise discusses resilience, authenticity, and the ev...

On this episode of Notes from Chicago, host Ashley Phillips sits down with Chicago photographer and visual artist Kenn Cook Jr. to discuss how he captures the true essence of the West Side of Chicago. Kenn shares how photography became a powerful tool for documenting community, culture, and everyday life — challenging the negative narratives often attached to the West Side. Through his exhibition ‘Echoes of Home’ and his upcoming zine ‘From the West Side with Love,’ he spotlights the beauty, re...

In this episode of Notes from Chicago, we talk with Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City, about what he's learning during his 77-month journey to live in all 77 neighborhoods of Chicago. He discusses building bridges across neighborhoods, investing in youth, and creating lasting social change, similar to the Red Cross. Follow Jahmal Cole: Website: https://www.formyblock.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myblockmyhoodmycity/ https://www.instagram.com/jahmal_cole Follow Note...

Stephanie Skora, Co-Writer & Editor of 'Girl, I Guess Progressive Voter Guide,' shares how her Illinois voter guide went viral in 2018, turning her small project into a movement that influences over 100,000 voters in Illinois. Stephanie explains why primary elections are the most critical yet overlooked elections in Chicago, and how key offices like judges, the County Board, and the Board of Review shape your everyday life while going under the radar. Follow Stephanie Skora: Website: girliguess...