Richard Haass and Katie Couric: A Changing World Order
2024-07-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA and Katie Couric Media were honored to host a conversation with Richard Haass and Katie Couric. Haass shared his perspective of the changing world order impacted by key geopolitical events, including the Russia/Ukraine war, the war in the Middle East, concerns about the relationship between the United States and China, and of course the U.S. election in November.
About our Speakers
Dr. Richard Haass served as president of the Council on Foreign Relations (COFR) for two decades before becoming President Emeritus. He chaired the multiparty negotiations in Northern Ireland in 2013, leading to the pivotal Stormont House Agreement the following year, earning him the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award. Haass held key roles in the US Department of State, including director of policy planning and principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell, and he served as US coordinator for policy on Afghanistan and envoy to the Northern Ireland peace process. He is the author or editor of fourteen books on foreign policy and US democracy, including his latest bestseller, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author. Couric was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, serving as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2006 to 2011 following 15 years as co-anchor of NBC’s Today show. In 2017, she founded Katie Couric Media (KCM), which has developed a number of media projects, including a daily newsletter, “Wake-Up Call”, a podcast, “Next Question”, digital video series and several documentaries. You can find it all at katiecouric.com.

Tent Talk: A Conversation with Working America, Founder Karen Nussbaum
2024-07-23 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent hosted Karen Nussbaum, founding director of Working America, and Joseph Loyacono Bustos, Volunteer Coordinator.
Working America is the largest non-union organization in the U.S. With over 4 million members nationwide, working people get a chance to be heard in the political debate and make positive changes in their communities. Working America has helped increase the minimum wage in Ohio, save thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania and Colorado, protect workers’ rights in Minnesota and get more health insurance coverage for kids in Oregon. Across the country, they are taking the lead on the issues that matter to the 99%. They unite working people on commonsense issues of economic justice—and they win.
OUR SPEAKERS
Karen Nussbaum, the founding director of Working America and the Working America Education Fund, has been fighting for the rights of working people for more than four decades. She was a founder and director of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women and president of District 925, SEIU. Karen served as the director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau during the first Clinton Administration, the highest seat in the federal government devoted to women’s issues. Prior to taking on the leadership of Working America, Karen served as a special assistant to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
Joseph Loyacono Bustos (Joe) is an organizer with Working America based in Washington, D.C. He has a personal and professional passion for making politics more attuned to the needs of working people and continues to pursue that goal by involving volunteers in the process of connecting with working-class voters. His time at Working America has been spent expanding and improving volunteer opportunities, specifically Working America’s personalized letter program. Joe continues to believe in the need to fight and advocate for a political and economic system that benefits all people.

Tent Talk: The States Project - Why States are the Bulwark for Democracy
2024-07-30 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On July 30th at 12:00PM ET BigTentUSA was honored to welcome Mandara Meyers, Chief Programs officer of The States Project along with Senior Manager of Recruitment, Giving Circles, Tia Howard.
“The States Project” is a pivotal national organization dedicated to highlighting the critical role of state legislatures in shaping our communities.The discussion focused on both electoral and policy work as well as giving circles in order to ensure fair elections, foster collaboration among state lawmakers, and protect the spirit of democracy. In 2024, they are focusing their efforts on AZ, KS, MI, MN, NV, NH, NC, PA, and WI.
As the threat of authoritarianism increases, states could become the key defenders of our democracy.
OUR SPEAKERS
Mandara Meyers, has served as Chief Programs Officer at The States Project since 2020, driving the strategy and expansion of TSP’s electoral and policy work. Previously, Mandara was a government relations attorney, developed hundreds of state and local political leaders at the Center for Progressive Leadership, oversaw programming for 40,000 members as a Vice President at Leadership for Educational Equity, and led a foundation focused on leadership. An alumna of Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Mandara started her career as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.
Tia Howard is Senior Manager of Recruitment, Giving Circles. Tia began her career working on the fundraising side of several political campaigns at the national and state levels. Just prior to joining The States Project, Tia worked to uplift the voices of women of color, immigrants, and care workers with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Care in Action. Tia is an alumna of American University’s School of International Service and Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.

Tent Talk: What is Rural America Thinking with Sarah Jaynes and Jess Piper
2024-08-13 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent USA was thrilled to welcome Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director of Rural Democracy Initiative and Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri. Our conversation focused on rural America and what voters are feeling about the Harris/Walz ticket, the November elections and their future.
The Rural Democracy Initiative is driving a growing array of organizing efforts in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana, and Arizona, where new work is underway to engage rural voters, speak to their concerns, and otherwise show up in places that many Democrats have written off. RDI is building power and shared prosperity across diverse communities in rural areas and small cities. Their investments target civic infrastructure in small towns and cities to influence public sentiment, electoral outcomes, and redistricting procedures. Their main goal is to provide support for rural working people, therefore transforming the landscape of rural America for future generations.
OUR SPEAKER
Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director Rural Democracy Initiative
Sarah grew up in a small town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and began her career organizing on climate issues in rural communities. Since then, she’s been a trailblazer in the progressive movement. Sarah led the development of one of the first state progressive donor networks—Washington’s Progress Alliance—and has coached emerging donor alliances from Alaska to New Hampshire to Alabama as a senior advisor to Committee on States. Sarah is recognized for her expertise leading innovative campaigns integrating field experiments, digital platforms, and transformative narrative, and manages to stay relentlessly optimistic and obsessed with winning.
Jess Piper is a mother to five and grandmother to three and lives on a small farm on the Missouri/Iowa border. She was born and raised in rural America. She was an American Literature teacher for 16 years. After the 2016 election of Trump, Jess became politically active. Jess ran for office in 2022 for State Representative in HD1 in Northwest Missouri. Jess wrires a well known newsletter: The View from Rural Missouri

How to Defend Against an Authoritarian Presidency
2024-08-14 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
We were thrilled to host a conversation with Brennan Center for Justice Senior Advisor Barton Gellman and national security expert Rosa Brooks, moderated by journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. They discussed the tabletop “what if” exercises conducted this summer, highlighting the need for defenders of democracy to prepare more robustly to mitigate potential threats of a second Trump Presidency to our constitutional government. While not all abuses can be entirely prevented, there are important steps we must take to combat these threats.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Barton Gellman is Senior Advisor to the president and executive director of the Brennan Center. His focus is on building safeguards against threats to democracy in the 2024 election and in the presidential administration to come in 2025. Gellman joined the Brennan Center from The Atlantic, where he was an award-winning staff writer. He is the author most recently of Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State. Gellman has received multiple professional honors including; the 2008 and 2014 Pulitzer Prizes, two George Polk Awards, two Overseas Press Club awards, two Emmy awards for a PBS Frontline documentary, Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
Rosa Brooks holds the Scott K. Ginsburg Chair in Law and Policy at Georgetown University Law Center, where she has served as a tenured professor since 2006. She also serves as Georgetown Law’s Associate Dean for Centers and Institutes and as co-director of Georgetown’s Center on Innovations in Public Safety. She is also an Adjunct Senior Scholar at West Point’s Modern War Institute, an ASU Future of War Senior Fellow at New America and a founder of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LCWINS). From April 2016 to November 2020, she served as a reserve police officer with the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor, a frequent panelist on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and co-host of the weekly Politicon legal news podcast #SistersInLaw. Previously, Kim was the inaugural columnist for The Emancipator, a collaboration between The Boston Globe and Boston University’s Center for Anti Racist Research that reframes the conversation about racial justice and equality.

Turn up the Vote with HeadCount’s Executive Director Lucille Wenegieme
2024-09-10 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent was thrilled to host Lucille Wenegieme Executive Director of HeadCount. Lucille discussed HeadCount’s impactful work in fostering voter engagement and civic involvement with young voters, through music and culture. She dove into their strategies and innovative approaches to promote voter registration and democratic participation.
HeadCount gets people registered to vote and interested in democracy. They are at concerts, festivals, community events – anywhere they can translate the power of music and culture into real action. Their mission is to use the power of music and popular culture to register voters and promote participation in democracy. They reach young people where they already are to inform and empower.
HeadCount stages nonpartisan voter registration drives at more than 1,000 live events each year and collaborate with cultural leaders to promote civic engagement on a national scale. Since 2004, they’ve signed up over 1,000,000 voters through their work with touring musicians like Ariana Grande, Dead & Company, and Beyoncé and events like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals and RuPaul’s DragCon. Meanwhile, their digital campaigns have won Clio and SHORTY awards, and their public service announcements have starred the likes of Jay-Z, Dave Matthews and members of the Grateful Dead.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Lucille Wenegieme is an executive in the civic engagement and democracy spaces with an eclectic background in political advocacy, communications, fashion, and biomedical science. Her central change philosophy is that democracy has to meet people where they are, and she focuses on culture as the vehicle to get there.
Prior to joining HeadCounT, Lucille served on the executive team at the Denver Clerk & Recorder’s Office where her team leveraged a $13 million budget to administer elections and provide other essential services. During her tenure, the Office launched a citizen-led campaign finance initiative to match local small-dollar donations with public funding and implemented a first-of-its-kind marijuana-themed get-out-the-vote campaign.
Her career has also included a stint as vice president of communications at the National Vote at Home Institute, which helped states and municipalities rapidly scale up their capacity to handle mail-in votes during the 2020 election. She also led her own communications firm, Kleos Creative, and was an executive at the Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm Fireside Campaigns. Prior to entering the democracy space, she worked in communications at the global luxury retail giant Tapestry (formerly Coach, Inc.).

Turning Tragedy into Activism: Amanda Zurawski and Tara McGowan
2024-09-11 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On Wednesday September 11 at 7:00PM ET, we were honored to have the lead plaintiff in Zurawski vs. Texas, Amanda Zurawski, and renowned journalist Tara McGowan.
This was an unique opportunity to hear from two women who are making significant contributions to critical issues in our society. Amanda Zurawski’s powerful testimony sheds light on the human cost of restrictive abortion laws, while Tara McGowan explored the vital role of media in strengthening democracy and inspiring civic action.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Amanda Zurawski was the lead plaintiff in Zurawski vs. Texas, the first lawsuit brought by patients challenging a state on its abortion bans since the fall of Roe. She lives in Austin, TX.
In 2022, after 18 months of fertility treatment, Zurawski and her husband Josh learned she was pregnant with their first baby. Unfortunately Amanda miscarried at 18 weeks, but due to the abortion bans in Texas, was unable to receive healthcare, and after three days crashed into septic shock, which nearly killed her. After spending a week in the hospital, Amanda began speaking out about her experience to help spread awareness and with hopes of preventing similar fates befalling other pregnant people, in Texas and beyond.
Amanda has spent the last two years advocating for reproductive rights and abortion access. She has testified in front of US Congress, has provided interviews for countless media outlets and platforms.
Tara McGowan is the founder and publisher of COURIER, a fast-growing left-leaning news network with local newsrooms in eleven states. COURIER is building a more informed, engaged, and representative democracy by reaching tens of millions of Americans where they are online with factual, values-driven news that inspires civic participation.
A former journalist and political strategist, Tara has seen firsthand how America’s growing information chasm has contributed to increased polarization and the rising threat of authoritarianism. Recognizing the need for a new model of media that exists explicitly to protect and strengthen our fragile democracy, Tara founded COURIER in 2019. COURIER is a network of state newsrooms whose on-the-ground reporters and correspondents deliver factual and empowering pro-democracy news directly to the social newsfeeds and inboxes of communities who have been left behind by traditional media. COURIER is one of the fastest-growing news networks in the country, with nearly 4 million online subscribers, over 800K TikTok followers, and an average weekly reach of over 50 million Americans.

Tent Talk: Recruiting Future State Leaders with New Politics Founder Emily Cherniack
2024-09-17 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent was thrilled to welcome New Politics Founder and Executive Director Emily Cherniak and AZ State House District 5 Candidate Aaron Márquez under the tent. Emily is on a mission to train and recruit “servant leaders” that will adopt the “we mindset.” See her recent article here.
New Politics revitalizes American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing servant leaders who put community and country over self. They support outstanding military veterans and national service leaders, alumni of programs like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, to step up and serve our country again, this time through politics. They understand that to achieve their mission to revitalize democracy they must break down barriers to entry, support servant leaders who reflect the diversity of our nation, and center the voices of those most impacted by OUR politics.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Emily Cherniack is founder and executive director of New Politics, which she founded in 2013 to recruit and support military and national service programs alumni to run for political office, and New Politics Leadership Academy. Previously, she served on the campaign staff of Alan Khazei, a US Senate candidate from Massachusetts who was her boss at City Year Boston. Cherniack also spent four years at Be the Change, as chief of staff and, before that, organizing director. At City Year Boston, she was service director and a program manager. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 “thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics.”
Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy.
Aaron Márquez is a veteran of multiple political campaigns and the United States Army – grew up in Arizona, served his country through two deployments to Afghanistan, and has fought for progressive change in Arizona across the country. Most recently, Aaron cofounded VetsForward.us, a group of progressive military veterans in Arizona that work to defend democratic values at home by winning the hearts and minds of American voters.
Raised in Arizona, Aaron proudly attended public elementary, middle, and high schools in Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, and Gilbert. In 2020, Aaron was elected to the at-large seat of the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, where he has been fighting for progressive change to improve local public schools for our students and their families. As a school board member, he has advocated for more robust public health policies, bringing in national service programs to provide increased wraparound services, and restorative justice practices.
Aaron lives in Phoenix with his wife – an elementary school principal – seven-year-old daughter Sarah, and seventeen-year-old stepson James. He is running as a state candidate for Arizona State House District 5.

Gen Z Vibes and The 2024 Election: A Conversation with renowned pollster John Della Volpe and Founder of GenVote Brianna Cea
2024-09-26 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On Thursday, September 26 at 7:00PM ET, BigTentUSA welcomed John Della Volpe, author and Director of Polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and Gen Zer Brianna Cea, founder and executive director of GenVote.
Whether or not, Gen Z’ goes to the polls will be the deciding factor in November. No one explains how Gen Z is feeling about the election more clearly than Della Volpe, one of America’s premier thought leaders and polling experts on Gen Z. In conversation with Brianna, they discussed the enormous power this generation can wield on electoral outcomes and on the formative factors that have defined Gen Z’s place in the arena of American politics and culture. Della Volpe also shared new polling data and screen a clip from the upcoming documentary The Power of Z.
See our recent piece on Gen Z HERE
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
John Della Volpe is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and the author of Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America (2022). The Washington Post referred to John as one of the world’s leading authorities on global sentiment, opinion, and influence, especially among young Americans and in the age of digital and social media.
John is also founder of SocialSphere, a Cambridge based public opinion and analytics company. He serves on the Board of Trustees of iCatholic Media, the Ad Club of Boston, and is a member of the Global Alumni Council for Eisenhower Fellowships. John appears regularly on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and his insights on the Millennial generation are found in national media outlets in the U.S. and abroad, including the Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
Brianna Cea is the executive director and founder of Generation Vote (GenVote). A skilled youth voting rights organizer and advocate for the AAPI community in NYC, Cea is a frequent media commentator on youth voting issues and has been featured in Good Morning America, WNYC, NPR, Vox News, as well as in USA Today, Ms. Magazine, among other outlets. Brianna is also the current President of OCA-Asian Pacific Advocates NY and the youngest chapter President on the OCA-National Board, where she is dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well being of Asian Americans in New York City.
Brianna is a former Senior Research and Program Associate at the Brennan Center for Justice. At the Brennan Center, Brianna focused on the census and redistricting. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Atlantic, SCOTUSblog and other outlets. Cea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in political science and philosophy, politics and law from Binghamton University in May 2018.

BigTentUSA Pep Rally with Comics for Kamala, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and Fair Fight!
2024-10-09 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA, in partnership with Comics for Kamala, Fair Fight, Vote Forward, and Sister District hosted a Virtual Pep Rally of laughs and action. This high-energy event featured a stellar lineup of speakers, including comedian George Wallace, Fair Fight’s Executive Director Lauren Groh-Wargo and Congressman Eric Swalwell (CA-D). They came together to discuss why getting out the vote (GOTV) is crucial for electing Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.
Following the pep rally, attendees had the opportunity to engage in breakout rooms led by grassroots experts. Choosing from letter writing, phone banking, or voter protection efforts in Georgia, led by Fair Fight, Sister District, and Vote Forward and take direct action to get out the vote!
Don’t miss this empowering event – your voice and your actions matter in this critical election!
***This is NOT a Fundraiser***
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Congressman Eric Swalwell (CA-D) is a U.S. Congressman from California’s 14th district. A Democrat, he has served since 2013 and is known for his work on national security, gun violence prevention, and tech innovation. Swalwell also gained attention for his role in the Trump impeachment and his brief 2020 presidential run. Prior to Congress, he was an Alameda County prosecutor.
George Wallace knew he wanted to be a comedian by the age of 6. He always enjoyed making people laugh. He began his career performing stand-up comedy and was offered a job writing for “The Redd Foxx Show.”
Wallace was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Soul Train/Centric Comedy All-Star Awards, and won Best Stand-Up Comedian at the prestigious American Comedy Awards after four consecutive nominations. As a veteran radio personality, he has also made appearances on “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” and is a charter member of “The Tom Joyner Morning Show.” Recently he was a guest star on the hit comedy series Hacks with actress Jean Smart.
Lauren Groh-Wargo is a top political, democracy and civic engagement strategist, executive, and fighter for economic justice. In 2012, Lauren began a partnership with Stacey Abrams to chart and then execute a ten-year plan to build power and policy wins for Georgia through supporting existing and building new civic engagement infrastructure. Spurred by wide scale voter suppression during the 2018 election, Lauren founded and is the CEO of Fair Fight Action, which focuses on fighting voter suppression and advancing voting rights. Fair Fight Action brings the full force of strategic campaign tactics and culturally relevant engagement and voter education to those most targeted by suppression and disinformation.
Raised near Cleveland, Ohio, she holds a degree in Economics from American University. Lauren resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her partner and nine-year-old son.

Tent Talk: Voting Access with CT’s Secretary of State and National Vote at Home Institute
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent welcomed Connecticut’s Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas and Barbara Smith Warner, Executive Director of Vote at Home (VAH). Voting turnout often reflects how accessible voting is for eligible voters. Currently, only 8 states and Washington, DC, automatically sends ballots to all active voters, allowing them to return the ballots by mail, or in-person, and track their vote with the option to correct any errors.
Connecticut voters are now considering a constitutional amendment to permit no-excuse absentee voting, which would broaden access and make voting simpler for everyone. Our speakers discussed why accessible voting is crucial, and explored ways to support this important reform in Connecticut and beyond.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Stephanie Thomas was sworn in as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State on January 4, 2023. With a distinguished 30-year career advising and problem-solving for nonprofit organizations, running her own business, and serving as a State Representative of the 143rd District (Norwalk, Wilton, Westport), Secretary Thomas brings a unique blend of business expertise and a passion for civics to public service.

Since taking office, Secretary Thomas has led the implementation of significant election reforms in the state, including the roll-out of early voting and a new centralized voter registration system. In September 2023, she secured a historic investment of $25 million to replace the state’s aging tabulators, marking Connecticut’s first voting machine upgrade since 2006. During her term, Secretary Thomas will also institute the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut and automatic voter registration at several Connecticut agencies.

A former small business owner, Secretary Thomas has worked to pass business-friendly legislation, and she has created a monthly e-newsletter that aggregates funding and training resources in one place to save business owners’ time.
Barbara Smith Warner serves as the Executive Director of the National Vote at Home Institute, a national non-profit that works to promote and expand the use of mailed-out ballots that allow all voters to safely and securely vote at home (the Oregon way!). Voting at home is foundational democracy that centers every voter in their right to vote and dramatically increases both turnout and participation. Barbara served 9 years (2014-2022) as an Oregon state representative, including almost 3 years as the Majority Leader of the Oregon House. She is a lifetime democracy defender who has worked as a legislative educator and political organizer, and is deeply committed to an open, accessible government that is of, for and by the people.

Screening of Oscar nominated Short Film RED WHITE AND BLUE | (LINK ATTACHED)
2024-10-21 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
????UPDATE: BIGTENTUSA is proud to be a partner of the film “Red, White and Blue” now streaming on YouTube HERE.
It is available for viewing for FREE for the next 2 weeks. Please share widely!
After watching the film head to our panel discussion with award-winning journalist Katie Couric, Oscar-nominated filmmaker and writer, director and producer of the film, Nazrin Choudhury, OBGYN and reproductive rights activist Dr. Austin Dennard, and Nourbese Flint, President of All*In Action Fund. The powerful discussion focused on how abortion policy is creating a healthcare crisis for many women, and how reproductive rights are impacting political messaging and voter turnout.
If you believe in reproductive freedom and justice and preserving the right of access to necessary healthcare for millions of Americans, here are three things you can do to help:
1. WATCH & SHARE: Please watch the film all the way through – it’s only 23 minutes long, so watch it in one sitting, then share with everyone you know! Link in bio to watch! Every view is being matched this week to a donation to the Purple Parlor Fund.
2. VOTE: Please vote like your lives and bodies depend on it because they do. Early voting is happening now through to November 5th.
3. DONATE: Please support Level Forward’s Purple Parlor Fund which is helping Pro-Choice partners (like us) to continue doing the important work on the ground.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
NAZRIN CHOUDHURY is a UK-US filmmaker who left the pursuit of medicine and a brief career in politics after her first foray into screenwriting garnered her a Focus on Talent Award with DNA FILMS. She is the recipient of the Imison award for her critically-acclaimed play, MIXED BLOOD, and an Arts Council of England award for her novel-in-progress, MY ENGLAND. Based in Los Angeles, Nazrin works extensively across film and television as a writer/producer/showrunner. Nazrin’s directorial debut on the short film, RED, WHITE AND BLUE – which she also wrote and produced – earned her an Oscar nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 96th Academy Awards.
AUSTIN DENNARD, M.D. is an OBGYN from Dallas, Texas. Dr. Dennard had to leave Texas to receive abortion care after learning she was carrying a fetus with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which the skull and brain do not fully develop. Dr. Dennard began her medical career in The University of Texas Southwestern Health system working at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. In addition to being a clinician, she has served as a clinical professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Listen to Dr. Dennard’s NPR Story here.
NOURBESE FLINT is President of All*In Action Fund, working to achieve abortion justice and build the political power of voters of color.  Prior to coming to All*In Action Fund she was the Senior Director of Black Engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she worked on the strategic partnership to strengthen Planned Parenthood’s relationships within existing racial justice, reproductive justice, Black serving and civil rights organizations.
Nourbese is a founding member of Trust Black Women, a national coalition dedicated to increasing respect and support of Black Women, and is one of the founding members of the Black Women’s Democratic Club. She has been featured in MSNBC, CalMatters, Newsweek, and more.
MODERATOR
KATIE COURIC is an award-winning journalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author. Couric was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, serving as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2006 to 2011 following 15 years as co-anchor of NBC’s Today show. In 2017, she founded Katie Couric Media (KCM), which has developed a number of media projects, including a daily newsletter, “Wake-Up Call”, a podcast, “Next Question”, digital video series and several documentaries. You can find it all at katiecouric.com.

‘Tis the Season: What to Expect on Election Day with Samantha Bee
2024-10-28 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
With November 5 around the corner and millions of Americans already casting their ballots, the stakes for our democracy couldn’t be higher. BigTent was honored to have host a conversation with Joanna Lydgate, Steve Bullock, Cisco Aguilar, and moderated by Samantha Bee.
Joanna Lydgate and the States United Democracy Center are at the forefront of a national effort to safeguard our free and fair elections, working to support election officials in the most critical states. Joining her were Steve Bullock, former Governor and Attorney General of Montana, and Cisco Aguilar, the Nevada Secretary of State. They discussed what to expect during an election season that may be long and contentious, how state officials are preparing, and explored solutions to the democracy crisis we are facing in this country.
Moderated by Samantha Bee, this timely conversation addressed the evolving threats to democracy and the crucial role we all play in protecting our democracy for future generations of goblins and ghosts ???? ????.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
JOANNA LYDGATE is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting free, fair, and secure elections. Since 2020, States United has provided legal, research, policy, and communications support to state officials who run elections. Before launching States United, Joanna served as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Massachusetts. In that role, she coordinated multi-state litigation and worked with a bipartisan team of colleagues from across the country to uphold shared values, protect civil liberties, and defend the rule of law. She also oversaw criminal enforcement, coordinating daily with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Joanna has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, was a law clerk to Judge Norman H. Stahl on the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and worked in nonprofit legal services in New York City. She is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.
STEVE BULLOCK served as Montana’s attorney general from 2009-2013. As attorney general, Bullock defended Montana’s hundred-year ban on corporate campaign spending, gaining national prominence for leading the challenge to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
Bullock was elected Montana’s 24th Governor, serving from 2013-2021. He worked with a Republican-majority legislature to improve access to health care, kick dark money out of state elections, make record investments in education, protect access to public lands, invest in infrastructure, and strengthen Montana’s economy. Bullock brought diverse interests together to address challenging issues, from sage grouse and forest management to the Main Street Montana Project. Nationally, Bullock was elected Chair of the National Governors Association, Western Governors Association and Democratic Governors Association.
Since leaving public office, Bullock has been involved with a number of corporate and nonprofit boards and organizations, as well as serving as the court-appointed Independent Monitor over Purdue Pharma. And he opened his own taphouse.
FRANCISCO “CISCO” AGUILAR was elected as Nevada Secretary of State in 2022 and assumed office on January 2, 2023. Prior to being elected, Secretary Aguilar served twelve years as General Counsel for Agassi Graf, the management company for Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. In this role, he was responsible for communications and media, marketing and brand management, strategic partnerships, legal and government affairs. The Secretary also served as Special Counsel to the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, Jim Rogers, and as a lawyer for the parent company of the Las Vegas and Reno NBC affiliates, KSNV Channel 3 and KRNV Channel 4, and 15 other NBC affiliates.
Secretary Aguilar is the Founding Chairman of Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. Cristo Rey serves students in one of Las Vegas’ most vulnerable neighborhoods, and provides an innovative work-study program designed to prepare them for future careers.
MODERATOR
SAMANTHA BEE received global recognition from the success of her weekly late-night comedy series, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, which was nominated for 70 awards and ran for seven seasons on TBS. Bee also served as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show Bee from 2003-2015. She is the author of the essay collection I Know I Am, But What Are You? and has been featured in TIME 100: The Most Influential People. She is also the host of Lemonada Media’s podcast Choice Words.

Sarah Longwell and Jonathan V. Last: Unpacking the First 10 Days of the New Trump Administration
2025-01-30 17:00 - 18:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA hosted Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, and Jonathan V. Last (JVL), editor of The Bulwark. They unpacked the first 10 days of Donald Trump’s administration. From major policy moves to early signals about the administration’s priorities, Sarah and JVL explored what these initial actions reveal about the next four years, AND what we can do.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The Bulwark, which she helped found in 2019. She regularly conducts focus groups with voters across the political spectrum and hosts the podcast “The Focus Group,” which is in its fourth season, and co-hosts “The Next Level” podcast and “The Secret Podcast.”
Jonathan V. Last is the editor of The Bulwark, and previously worked as a senior writer and digital editor at The Weekly Standard. He co-hosts “The Next Level” podcast and “The Secret Podcast” with Sarah.

Trump and Musk: An Oligarchic Presidency with Anne Applebaum & Katie Couric
2025-02-11 16:00 - 17:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum and acclaimed journalist Katie Couric join BigTentUSA for a compelling discussion on whether American democracy can endure the autocratic challenges posed by the Trump presidency and the far-reaching influence of Elon Musk, who has seized critical levers of power and authority within the federal government, seemingly giving him the ability to dismantle federal agencies at will.
We’ll examine the threats posed by unchecked power and explore what can be done to stop this dangerous takeover.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Anne Applebaum is staff writer for The Atlantic and author of the best-selling 2020 book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism and her new book Autocracy, Inc. Applebaum is also a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute, where she co-directs Arena, a program on disinformation and 21st-century propaganda.
Katie Couric is an award-winning journalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author. Couric was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, serving as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2006 to 2011 following 15 years as co-anchor of NBC’s Today show. In 2017, she founded Katie Couric Media (KCM), which has developed a number of media projects, including a daily newsletter, “Wake-Up Call”, a podcast, “Next Question”, digital video series and several documentaries. You can find it all at katiecouric.com.

Building an Opposition Coalition: Amanda Carpenter, Protect Democracy, & Leigh McGowan, PoliticsGirl
2025-03-13 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
Join BigTentUSA and Amanda Carpenter, writer and editor at Protect Democracy, and Leigh McGowan from PoliticsGirl, on Thursday, March 13, at 7:00 PM ET. Protect Democracy is on the frontlines safeguarding our institutions and countering Trump’s anti-constitutional assault on the rule of law. Leigh McGowan, whose award-winning PoliticsGirl brand has become a trusted source of political insight, brings her expertise in breaking down complex issues for a diverse audience. Together, we’ll explore what we can learn from The Tea Party’s success as an opposition force and the concrete steps we must take now to build a movement to counter Trump 2.0.

About the Speakers:
Amanda Carpenter is a writer and editor at Protect Democracy. Her work involves collaborating with Protect Democracy advocates and experts to promote the organization’s mission, ideas, and key priorities. Before joining Protect Democracy she was a writer for The Bulwark and CNN Contributor. Prior to that she worked on Capitol Hill as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s communications director and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint’s speechwriter. She brings over 15 years of political and media experience with her to Protect Democracy.
Leigh McGowan is the New York Times bestselling author of A Return to Common Sense: How to Fix America Before We Really Blow It, and the host and creator of the viral, award winning digital brand PoliticsGirl. First launched on YouTube in 2015 and relaunched on TikTok in 2020, PoliticsGirl has become a trusted source of information in the age of polarized media, helping a diverse audience reconnect with politics and the American experiment. Known for her KitchenRants, breaking down key issues of the day into digestible pieces, Leigh has amassed hundreds of millions of views, won two Webbys, and launched the highly successful PoliticsGirl Podcast.

Democracy Under Siege with Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Barbara McQuade
2025-03-26 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
Join BigTentUSA on Wednesday, March 26, at 7:00 PM ET for a crucial conversation with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian and author, and Barbara McQuade, former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC Legal Analyst . KImberly Atkins Stohr, senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe, will moderate the conversation.
Both Ben-Ghiat and McQuade are recognized for their expertise in analyzing and addressing challenges to democratic institutions and the rule of law. Together, they will discuss connections between historical fascist tactics and the current threats facing America today. This timely discussion will shed light on the strategies used to manipulate public perception, erode trust in democracy, and consolidate power—offering insights into how we can resist and respond.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University, specializing in the study of fascism, authoritarianism, and propaganda. She has authored several books, including the New York Times bestseller Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, which examines how illiberal leaders use propaganda, corruption, violence, and machismo to maintain power. In addition to her academic work, Ben-Ghiat publishes “Lucid,” a Substack newsletter focused on threats to democracy, and serves as an advisor to Protect Democracy.
Barbara McQuade is a professor from practice at the University of Michigan Law School, her alma mater, where she teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. From 2010 to 2017, McQuade served as U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. McQuade was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sports writer and copy editor, a judicial law clerk, an associate in private practice, and an assistant U.S. attorney. She is also the Author of Attack From Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor, a frequent panelist on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and co-host of the weekly Politicon legal news podcast #SistersInLaw. Previously, Kim was the inaugural columnist for The Emancipator, a collaboration between The Boston Globe and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research that reframes the conversation about racial justice and equality.

Crisis & Consequences: American Democracy and Our Security with Juliette Kayyem and Tom Nichols
2025-04-02 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On Wednesday. April 2 at 7pm ET, we’re bringing together two of the sharpest voices in national security, democracy, and political analysis—Tom Nichols and Juliette Kayyem—for a timely conversation.
Nichols, an expert on foreign policy and the dangers of authoritarianism, and Kayyem, a leading authority on homeland security and crisis management, will tackle the state of America’s role in the world, global instability, and what comes next. They will also discuss the fallout from Signal-gate—what it reveals about the integrity of Trump’s national security team, the risks of politicized intelligence, and the broader implications for American security and democracy.
About the Speakers:
Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. He has served as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House and the U.S. Senate. He writes about international security, nuclear weapons, Russia, and the challenges to democracy in the United States and around the world—along with occasional contrarian views on popular culture. His books include The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy. He is also a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion.
Juliette Kayyem is currently the faculty chair of the Homeland Security and Security and Global Health Projects at Harvard & Kennedy School of Government. She also serves as CNN Senior National Security Analyst for CNN where she has been described as CNN’s “go to” for disasters. A contributing writer to The Atlantic, she has a weekly security segment on NPR’s Boston station WGBH. Her most recent book, The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters, was described in a New Yorker profile of her as an “engagingly urgent blueprint for rethinking our approach to disaster preparedness and response.”
She is a frequent speaker and advisor to major corporations and associations on national and homeland security, planning for a crisis, cybersecurity and resiliency efforts. She is a Senior Advisor to Teneo, the global consulting firm, and also serves as a security advisor and consultant to several Fortune 500 companies and startups. She was named Inc. Magazine’s top 100 Female Founders in 2019 and received the Lifetime Achievement Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in 2023.

A Five-Alarm Fire for American Democracy: Marc Elias and Joyce Vance on the Frontlines
2025-04-17 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA was honored to welcome back Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket and partner at Elias Law Group, and Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney, legal analyst, and author of the forthcoming book Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy.
Together, they’ll examined the ongoing overreach of the Trump administration and its disregard for the rule of law. They also dove into the SAVE Act, recently passed by the House and now headed to the Senate. This legislation proposes strict new voter ID requirements and would centralize election oversight in Washington, D.C.—a dramatic shift from the current state-run model.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Joyce White Vance is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Alabama, a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and the author of the Civil Discourse newsletter. She co-hosts the podcasts #SistersInLaw and Insider with Preet Bharara. A former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under President Obama, her first book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable, comes out in October 2025. Joyce lives in Alabama with her husband, retired Judge Robert Vance Jr., their four kids, a collection of pets—and she knits, a lot.
Marc Elias is the Firm Chair of Elias Law Group. Marc has successfully argued and won four cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as dozens of cases in state supreme courts and U.S. courts of appeal. In 2020, Marc led the historic legal effort to protect voting rights, winning over 60 lawsuits against MAGA’s efforts to suppress the vote. Marc is the founder of Democracy Docket, the leading platform for advocacy and information about voting rights, elections, redistricting and democracy.

Ed Luce and Charlie Sykes: The Revenge of Geopolitics
2025-05-05 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA was honored to host an urgent and insightful conversation with Ed Luce, U.S. national editor and columnist for the Financial Times, and Charlie Sykes, founder and former editor-at-large of The Bulwark.
As democracy faces mounting threats around the world, Luce’s new biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski offers timely lessons. Shaped by the Cold War and an unmatched grasp of global power, Brzezinski’s strategic mind has never been more relevant. Luce and Sykes dove into why his legacy matters now—and what it teaches us about today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. See Luce’s New York Times Opinion Essay this past Sunday LINK (gift article)
They also unpacked the economic warning signs flashing across the global stage, including:

Trump’s tariffs and their impact on inflation and trade,
America’s economic outlook.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Edward Luce is the US national editor and columnist at the Financial Times. Luce’s forthcoming biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski “Zbig, The life of Zbig Brzezinski: America’s great power prophet”, comes out in May 2025.
Before that he was the FT’s Washington Bureau chief. Other roles have included South Asia bureau chief, Capital Markets editor, and Philippines Correspondent. Luce was previously the speechwriter for the US Treasury Secretary, Lawrence H. Summers, in the Clinton administration.
He is the author of three highly acclaimed books, The Retreat of Western Liberalism (2017), Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent (2012), and In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India (2007).
Charlie Sykes is the author of the Substack newsletter, “To the Contrary,” and contributes to The Atlantic and MSNBC. His most recent book, How the Right Lost Its Mind, published by St. Martin’s Press, was released in October 2017.
Sykes has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, Commentary, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Time.com, USA Today, National Review, The New York Review of Books, the New York Daily News, and other national publications.

Inside Project 2025 with The Atlantic’s David Graham moderated by Andra Watkins
2025-06-18 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA was excited to host an urgent and insightful conversation with David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the new book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America and Andra Watkins, founder of bestselling Substack newsletter For Such Time as This (formerly How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life).
Graham and Watkins provided crucial insights into the ideological and political machinery driving one of the most consequential shifts in modern U.S. history. They also delved into the roles of key figures such as Russ Vought, Stephen Miller, and other Trump-era officials who helped craft and now execute this agenda.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
David A. Graham is a staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is the author of the new book, The Project. He won the Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting in 2021 for his coverage of the 2020 presidential election. He previously reported for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, The Wall Street Journal. He is also an adjunct instructor of journalism at Duke University and lives in Durham, North Carolina.
Andra Watkins is a survivor of Christian Nationalism; author of the bestselling Substack For Such a Time as This (formerly How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life); NYT bestselling author of the memoir Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace; proud immigrant

Line of Defense: Attorneys General Tong (D-CT) & Bonta (D-CA) with The Brennan Center’s Michael Waldman
2025-06-25 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA hosted a conversation with Attorney General William Tong (D-CT) and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-CA), moderated by Michael Waldman, president and CEO, The Brennan Center for Justice. In the face of escalating federal overreach—from mass deportations targeting immigrant communities to the deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles without state consent—the role of state Attorneys General has never been more critical. As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on blue states, AGs are serving as a vital line of defense, challenging unconstitutional actions in the courts, protecting civil rights, and standing up for the rule of law. This conversation spotlighted the courageous and strategic work of state AGs as they fight back against authoritarian tactics and safeguard the rights and freedoms of their constituents.
About The Speakers
Attorney General William Tong (D-CT) is the 25th Attorney General to serve Connecticut since the office was established by the state constitution in 1897. He first took office in 2019 and is currently serving his second term.
Attorney General Tong currently serves as Eastern Region Chair and Finance Chair of the National Association of Attorneys General. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Attorney General Tong previously practiced for 18 years as a litigator in both state and federal courts, first at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City and then at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP in Stamford. He served for 12 years as a State Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, where he served as House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee as well as the Banking Committee. In 2006, he became the first Asian American elected to any state office in Connecticut history.
Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-CA) is the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position. Prior to being sworn in as Attorney General, Attorney General Bonta served in the state Assembly, and as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees, and fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling.
Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Attorney General Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. He is the son of a proud native Filipino mother and a father who taught him the value of public service to his community. He is married to Mia Bonta, and they are the proud parents of three children Reina, Iliana, and Andres.
Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to improve systems of democracy and justice so they work for all, the Brennan Center is a leading national voice on voting rights, money in politics, criminal justice reform, and constitutional law. Waldman is a constitutional lawyer and writer who is an expert on the presidency and American democracy. He has led the Center since 2005. He was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States in 2021.

Media in the Crosshairs: A Conversation with Judy Woodruff and Tara McGowan moderated by Rachel Janfaza
2025-07-10 19:00 - 20:00
BigTentUSA hosted legendary journalist Judy Woodruff and founder/publisher of Courier News, Tara McGowan. The conversation will be moderated by Gen Z journalist Rachel Janfaza.
At a time of historic distrust in the media and rising misinformation, how do we keep the public informed—and believing the facts? The conversation explored the challenges facing both legacy and emerging outlets, the growing cynicism among audiences, and the urgent need to rebuild trust in journalism as a cornerstone of democracy.
This discussion highlighted how data driven Courier is in meeting the moment with social-first, fact-based reporting designed to reach Americans who’ve been left behind by traditional media. Our speakers will also examine how legacy voices like Woodruff’s continue to guide the public through complicated, high-stakes times with clarity and integrity.
This was more than a conversation about the media—it was about defending truth and preserving democracy.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
JUDY WOODRUFF is the Senior Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour after serving for 11 years as its Anchor and Managing Editor. She has covered politics and other news for over four decades at CNN, NBC, and PBS. In 2023 and 2024, she undertook a reporting project, America at a Crossroads, to better understand the country’s political divide.
Woodruff is the recent recipient of an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the Radcliffe Medal, the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism, the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University. She is the recipient of more than 25 honorary degrees.
TARA MCGOWAN is the founder and Publisher of Courier Newsroom and CEO of Good Information Inc, a civic incubator that invests in immediate solutions to counter disinformation online. Recognizing the need for new media infrastructure that deliberately reaches and informs the consumers across the country who are most susceptible to being targeted with disinformation online, she founded in Courier in 2019.
Courier is a network of state and local newsrooms that deliver factual, cultural, and relevant news through a pro-democracy lens to communities who have been left behind by traditional media, directly to their social newsfeeds and inboxes.
RACHEL JANFAZA is the founder of The Up and Up – a newsletter about young voters – and and a consultant on youth civic engagement and media strategy. A member of Generation Z myself, she is lazier-focused on the cohort’s civic attitude and has convened listening sessions with hundreds of young people across the country. Her written work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, The Free Press, Glamour, POLITICO Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vogue, Elle, Cosmo, and Bustle. And my on-air analysis has been featured on CNN, C-SPAN, The Hill TV, NY-1, WNYC Public Radio, and NPR/WBUR.

A Conversation with Adam Kinzinger and Reed Galen: The Strength of Collective Action
2025-07-16 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA was honored to host former Congressman Adam Kinzinger – a leading voice in the fight to protect democracy, and co-founder of The Lincoln Project and President of The Union, Reed Galen. As Trump and his allies push forward with Project 2025—threatening to dismantle democratic norms, purge civil servants, and consolidate power—the urgency for collective action has never been greater. On the eve of a nationwide protest against the authoritarian threats facing our country, join us for this timely conversation.
Our speakers explored the vision behind collective action and how it’s helping build long-term civic muscle across the country. More importantly they will address how everyday Americans can take meaningful action to strengthen democracy in their communities.
The Union is a growing national coalition of volunteers, organizers, and pro-democracy advocates working to defend decency, truth, and competence in American government. Under Reed’s leadership, The Union is building a durable, nationwide organizing infrastructure to support candidates—up and down the ballot—who will uphold the Constitution and serve the public in good faith.
Country First mobilizes and equips the Reasonable Majority to defend democracy and champion change in their own communities. By equipping citizens with the tools to take action where they live and by leading grassroots efforts that strengthen communities, we are building a healthier, more stable and stronger country from the ground up.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
REED GALEN is an independent political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project. He now serves as the President of The Union, a nationwide coalition working to rebuild American democracy from the ground up. The Union brings together volunteers, organizers, and local leaders to support decent, competent candidates at every level of government. Under Reed’s leadership, The Union is building the infrastructure needed to show up in all 50 states and strengthen civic engagement nationwide.
ADAM KINZINGER served six terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 2011-2022, where he represented Illinois’ Sixteenth Congressional District. Prior to being elected to Congress, Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently he is a senior political commentator on CNN, founder of Country First and is known for his unwavering commitment to defend democratic values and promote civic participation across America.

Heather Cox Richardson & Stacey Abrams: MAGA's Rewriting History, Rigging Elections
2025-08-12 17:00 - 18:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On Tuesday, August 12th at 5:00PM ET, BigTentUSA was thrilled to welcome back civic strategist and former Georgia State Representative, Stacey Abrams, and renowned historian, Heather Cox Richardson for a discussion moderated by Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Their discussion focused on how the Trump administration & MAGA are using America’s education system to entrench authoritarian power. From rewriting history to gutting diversity and issuing sweeping Executive Orders targeting higher education, these actions are part of a broader strategy to consolidate control. That same authoritarian playbook is at work in Texas, where Republicans are attempting to redraw congressional maps to dilute representation and lock in political power.
Together, these efforts reveal a coordinated plan to undermine democratic norms — and Stacey and Heather unpacked what’s at stake and how we can fight back.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
STACEY ABRAMS is a political leader, business owner and New York Times bestselling author. A tax attorney by training, Abrams served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as Minority Leader, and became the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in 2018 and 2022. Over the course of her career, she has launched multiple organizations devoted to democracy protection, voter engagement, tackling social issues, and building a more equitable future in the South. Committed to the pursuit of equity, she works to break barriers for young people, people of color and the marginalized through her work in the public, nonprofit and corporate sectors.
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON is a renowned historian, writing widely about Reconstruction, the Civil War, and the history of the Republican Party. She is the author of seven books including, most recently, Democracy Awakening, as well as the award-winning How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America. She writes the popular newsletter, Letters from an American, a daily chronicle of the history behind American politics.
KIMBERLY ATKINS STOHR is a senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor, a frequent panelist on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and co-host of the weekly Politicon legal news podcast #SistersInLaw. Previously, Kim was the inaugural columnist for The Emancipator, a collaboration between The Boston Globe and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research that reframes the conversation about racial justice and equality.

Tammy Duckworth: Veterans, Values, & the Fight for Democracy
2025-09-16 18:00 - 19:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On Tuesday, September 16th at 6:00PM ET, BigTentUSA welcomed Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Janessa Goldbeck, Vet Voice Foundation CEO, for a crucial virtual conversation on the urgent threats facing our national security, democratic institutions, and the veteran community.
They discussed Trump’s harmful government cuts that threaten employment for veterans and access to critical VA services, the troubling legacy of Pete Hegseth’s tenure at the Department of Defense, and what the push for increased ICE funding really means for public safety and national priorities.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms.
One of the landmark bills she authored and passed—the Troop Talent Act—helps returning veterans transition into private-sector jobs. She’s also been a relentless advocate for cutting waste and fraud at the Pentagon and across the federal government.
Duckworth attended college at the University of Hawaii and earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the George Washington University.
JANESSA GOLDBECK is the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit that mobilizes veterans and military families to shape American democracy and defend democratic values. As a Marine Corps Combat Engineer Officer, Janessa led missions overseas and served as a Uniformed Victim Advocate, supporting fellow service members through some of their toughest moments. While on active duty, in addition to her assigned duties, Janessa worked to reform the military’s broken sexual assault reporting process and played a role in overturning the discriminatory Combat Exclusion policy. Janessa holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and a Master’s in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor to VoteVets and on the California Governor’s Veterans Board.

Rising Signal: Powering Media for the People
2025-10-14 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTentUSA brought together an incredible audience for a powerful conversation about how media paywalls, profit models, and political pressures are shaping what Americans see—and don’t see—in the news.
Our panelists, Daniella Ballou-Aares of Leadership Now Project and Heidi Przybyla of Get Real News, unpacked the growing tensions between political power, corporate media, and democracy itself. From newsroom crackdowns to the dangers of media consolidation, they explored how misinformation spreads when access to trusted journalism is limited—and why rebuilding public trust starts with reimagining how news is funded and shared.
The discussion also offered hope: independent media is rising to meet the moment—harnessing the reach of social media influencers, the power of new technologies like AI, and the energy of engaged audiences to deliver thoughtful, fact-based reporting that connects with people where they are.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Daniella Ballou-Aares is Founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project, a national membership organization of business and thought leaders committed to fixing American democracy. She began her career at Bain & Company, working in the US, South Africa, and the UK, then became a founding Partner at Dalberg, where she led the Americas business and helped grow the startup into the largest social impact strategy firm with 25 offices worldwide. Daniella later served five years in the Obama Administration as Senior Advisor for Development to the Secretary of State under Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. Her perspectives have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fast Company, POLITICO, and the World Economic Forum. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a 2014 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Daniella holds an MBA from Harvard, an MPA from the Kennedy School, and a BS from Cornell.
Heidi Przybyla is an award-winning investigative and television correspondent championing new approaches to reporting that put Americans first. A veteran journalist, she has regularly broken exclusive stories on how White House, congressional, and presidential policies affect everyday people. Her reporting has spanned top newspaper, digital, radio, and TV outlets, with appearances on CNN, PBS, NPR, CBS, ABC, FOX, and across NBC News platforms. She was part of a team honored with a George Polk Award, Batten Medal, and Toner Prize for reporting on dark money in the making of the Supreme Court, which was also a Pulitzer finalist. Previously, she was an investigative correspondent at NBC and senior political reporter at USA TODAY, where she led coverage of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the 2016 presidential field. In late 2024, Przybyla founded Get Real News, a platform using new technologies and independent journalists to deliver reliable local and national news.

Mobilize Virginia: Students Rising for Democracy
2025-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
BigTent hosted a TentTalk on Wednesday, October 15 at 12:00pm ET featuring Sandy Radoff and Claire Ullman, co-founders of Students for Voting Justice, and Andrea Miller, founding board member of Center for Common Ground. The discussion offered an in-depth briefing on the state of the 2025 Virginia elections and highlighted effective Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) strategies. Speakers shared how young leaders across the Commonwealth are mobilizing voters through grassroots tactics, youth-focused outreach, and strong partnerships with community and campus networks to drive turnout and civic engagement.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Sandy Radoff is a researcher and statistician who had her own business as a marketing and opinion research consultant for over 20 years. She has a Masters Degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and went back to graduate school to indulge her passion by completing all the coursework towards a Masters Degree in political science. For the past several years, she has spent considerable time as an activist focusing on the environment and social justice. Being Co-Director of Students for Voting Justice has brought the most meaningful pieces of her life together in one place. Sandra lives in New York City with her husband and has two grown children, a son and a daughter, both Millennials.
Claire Ullman taught political science and public policy at Barnard College and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs until co-founding Students for Voting Justice in 2020. She has a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University and a BA from Harvard University. Before she went to graduate school, Claire helped found an emergency shelter for homeless women and children in Seattle as a VISTA volunteer and then stayed on as its development officer and then its Assistant Director. She served on the board of the Grand Street Settlement in New York City from 1995 to 2008. Finally, and perhaps most relevant to her current job as Co-Director of Students for Justice, Claire is the parent of three recent college graduates.
Andrea Miller is the Founding Board Member of the Center for Common Ground, Executive Director of People Demanding Action, Founding President of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Virginia, and a member of the Democracy and Governance working group of the Virginia Green New Deal. Andrea is an IT and Political Director and a digital and elections strategist. She designs and administers digital phone banks and texting programs. From 2013 to 2015, she led the Progressive Round Table on Capitol Hill, bringing together members of Congress, activists, and non-profit leaders. Her expertise is in voting rights, climate, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She has successfully advocated for legislation on both the Federal and State level. In 2008 she was the Democratic nominee for the Virginia 4th Congressional district.

Justice Over ICE: Fighting for Fair Immigration
2025-10-22 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On October 22, BigTentUSA hosted a thought-provoking conversation with Kerry Kennedy, President of ‪RFK Human Rights and ‪Senator Chris Murphy‬ (D-CT), moderated by ‪The Bulwark‬’s Sam Stein.
Rather than focusing solely on policy reform, the speakers explored how decades of broken promises from both Democrats and Republicans — coupled with the lack of a shared understanding of what it truly means to be American — have fueled the intolerance underlying today’s immigration crisis. They reflected on how this erosion of shared values has weakened trust in institutions and deepened divisions across the country.
The discussion also examined the broader democratic moment, from the real-world impact of the ongoing government shutdown to the growing threats posed by authoritarianism. Kennedy and Murphy emphasized that lasting progress depends not only on government action but on the collective power of citizens and civil society organizations to push for accountability and justice.
It was an illuminating and deeply human conversation — a call to restore our sense of common purpose and to harness the power of civic engagement in defense of democracy and human rights.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Kerry Kennedy is president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, where she partners with courageous activists around the world to advance justice and human dignity. A human rights lawyer and author of the New York Times bestsellers Being Catholic Now and Speak Truth to Power, Kennedy has spent more than four decades championing causes from women’s rights and criminal justice reform to freedom of expression and environmental justice.
The seventh child of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy, she has led hundreds of human rights delegations globally and appears frequently as a commentator and contributor in national media. Kennedy serves on the boards of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, among others, and has received numerous international honors for her advocacy. She is a graduate of Brown University and Boston College Law School and the proud mother of three daughters.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), the junior United States Senator from Connecticut, has dedicated his career to public service as an advocate for Connecticut families. Senator Murphy has been a strong voice in the Senate fighting for job creation, affordable health care, education, sensible gun laws, and a forward-looking foreign policy.
Senator Murphy is a consensus builder and many times throughout his political career has worked to bridge the political divide. He led a bipartisan effort to reform the mental health system, working across the aisle to craft the first comprehensive mental health bill in the Senate in decades. Following the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012, Senator Murphy became one of the leading proponents of commonsense reforms to reduce gun violence. He has championed a number of bipartisan bills aimed at expanding background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. And most recently, he was the lead Democratic negotiator of the breakthrough bipartisan border reform agreement.
Sam Stein is managing editor for The Bulwark. Prior to then he was Deputy Managing Editor for Politics at Politico. He held similar posts at both The Daily Beast and HuffPost, where he founded the site’s D.C. bureau. He has been a longtime contributor on MSNBC. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he met his wife!

Joyce Vance Book Event: "Giving Up Is Unforgivable"
2025-11-11 19:00 - 20:00 | BigTent Zoom Room
On November 11, BigTent hosted an urgent and inspiring virtual conversation with Joyce Vance — former U.S. Attorney, MSNBC legal analyst, and author of the new book Giving Up Is Unforgivable — moderated by Vanita Gupta, NYU Law Scholar and Director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law School.
Framed around Joyce’s powerful new book, the discussion explored the threats facing American democracy — including the Administration’s ongoing efforts to limit voting rights, the erosion of the rule of law, and the dangers posed by attempts to expand executive power. Joyce offered expert legal analysis on these challenges and what they mean for the future of the country.
Throughout the conversation, Joyce shared riveting stories of hope and resilience from her decades in public service, inspiring us all to stay engaged, defend our democratic values, and never give up.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Joyce White Vance is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Alabama, a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and the author of the Civil Discourse newsletter. She co-hosts the podcasts #SistersInLaw and Insider with Preet Bharara. A former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under President Obama. Joyce lives in Alabama with her husband, retired Judge Robert Vance Jr., their four kids, a collection of pets—and she knits, a lot.
Vanita Gupta is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence and Director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law. She served as the 19th Associate Attorney General of the United States (2021–2024), leading key Justice Department divisions and initiatives on police reform, reproductive rights, and environmental justice. Previously, she was President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and led the DOJ Civil Rights Division under President Obama. Earlier, at the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund, she helped overturn wrongful convictions in Tulia, Texas. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale College and NYU Law.
