The WBUR Festival: Full Schedule

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8:30am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Check In & Badge Pickup

Friday May 30, 2025 8:30am - 5:00pm EDT

Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave) @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

All festival guests are required to check in and receive a badge before admission to any festival activities. Your badge is your ticket to entry for all sessions and events. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival Hub the start of your festival experience!

Friday May 30, 2025 8:30am - 5:00pm EDT
Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave)

9:00am EDT

Endicott College Headshot Station

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT

Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave) @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Get your headshot taken at Endicott College's Career Builder station featuring complimentary hair and makeup touch ups.

Sponsored by:

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave)

9:00am EDT

Boston Press Photographer's Association: Pictures of the Year Exhibit

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30pm EDT

George Sherman Union Pavillion @ 775 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The Boston Press Photographers Association is thrilled to announce that this year’s annual Pictures of the Year exhibit will be on display during the WBUR Festival in front of the George Sherman Union at 775 Commonwealth Avenue from May 23 - June 7, featuring the award-winning images from the 2024 Pictures of the Year Contest. This is the BPPA’s fifth year of giving their work back to the public, allowing people to explore the award-winning work of New England area photojournalists from 2024.

Friday May 30, 2025 9:00am - Saturday May 31, 2025 11:30pm EDT
George Sherman Union Pavillion

Experience

9:30am EDT

The Future of Innovation in Massachusetts

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

What’s ahead for the world’s most dynamic biotech, pharmaceutical and life science companies.

Speakers

Avak Kahvejian

General Partner, Flagship Pioneering

Avak Kahvejian, Ph.D. is a life sciences inventor, entrepreneur, and CEO whose work has led to the creation of multiple high-value public and private companies. Since 2011, he has been a partner at Flagship Pioneering, where he leads a team to invent and launch new therapeutic platforms... Read More →

Katie Rae

CEO & Managing Partner, Engine Ventures

Katie Rae is the CEO & Managing Partner of Engine Ventures, a venture capital fund with over $1B AUM that invests in leading breakthrough technology companies. She serves as a Board Member for Engine Ventures’ portfolio companies Boston Metal, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, EVOLOH... Read More →

Julie Kim

President, U.S. Business Unit & U.S. Country Head, Takeda

Julie Kim, president of Takeda’s U.S. Business Unit and U.S. country head, oversees a portfolio of gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases. With 30 years in healthcare, she’s held leadership roles across therapeutic areas, market access, general... Read More →

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Contributor, WBUR

Scott Kirsner has spent more than 25 years working as a business journalist and contributing editor at the Boston Globe, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Variety, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Boston magazine, and other publications. He has covered many Massachusetts companies on... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

Business

9:30am EDT

The Age of Anxiety

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Learn why we’re all so anxious these days, how anxiety actually works, and what you can do about it.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Isabelle Rosso

Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Isabelle Rosso, PhD is a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist who runs a research laboratory and serves as co-director of the Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Disorders at McLean Hospital - Harvard Medical School.

Lisa Smith

Director, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders Clinical Professor, Boston University

Dr. Lisa Smith is the Director of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) at Boston University and the Founding Director of the Boston University Psychological Services Center (PSC).

Scott Tong

CO-Host, Here & Now, WBUR

Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a co-host in July 2021.Before that, he spent 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent. Scott has reported from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Ethiopia, Burma and Japan.During COVID-19, he reported... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

9:30am EDT

Signal and Noise

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT

FitRec Center (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 905 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

LIVE PODCAST TAPING

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg and Kara Swisher talk Trump and the media — in a live taping of her podcast On.

Speakers

Jeffrey Goldberg

Editor in chief, The Atlantic

Jeffrey Goldberg is the editor in chief of The Atlantic, and the moderator of Washington Week With The Atlantic on PBS. Goldberg is the 15th person to serve as editor in chief in The Atlantic's 167-year history. Under Goldberg’s leadership, The Atlantic has won the first three Pulitzer... Read More →

Kara Swisher

Journalist & Host, On with Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher is an American journalist. She has covered the business of the internet since 1994. As of 2023, Swisher was a contributing editor at New York Magazine, the host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, and the co-host of the podcast Pivot. In 2014, she co-founded Vox Media's... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am EDT
FitRec Center (915 Commonwealth Ave)

Live podcast taping, Politics

10:00am EDT

Amicus

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave) @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
In this live taping of Amicus, co-host Mark Joseph Stern is joined by legal scholar Jed Handelsman Shugerman to unpack the escalating power struggle between the Supreme Court and Donald Trump. Much of the legal and political chaos of 2025 can be traced back to Chief Justice Roberts’ sweeping 2024 immunity ruling, a decision that expanded presidential power, limited accountability, and set the stage for everything we’re watching unfold now. With major SCOTUS opinions coming down this June, the question is: Will the justices push back against Trump, or protect their own power?

In partnership with

Speakers

Jed Shugerman

Professor & Harry Elwood Warren Scholar, Boston University School of Law

Jed Handelsman Shugerman is a professor and Harry Elwood Warren Research Scholar at Boston University School of Law. He received his B.A., J.D., and Ph.D. (History) from Yale. He is currently working on a book “A Faithful President: The Founders v. the Originalists,” questioning... Read More →

Mark Joseph Stern

Senior Writer, Slate

Mark Joseph Stern is a senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate Magazine. Based in Washington, DC, he has covered the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate and district courts, and state and local courts since 2013. He holds a JD from the Georgetown University... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave)

Live podcast taping, Politics

10:00am EDT

America and the World: A Conversation with Nicholas Burns

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

A former United States Ambassador to China and an NPR White House correspondent examine relations between the U.S., China, and the world.

Speakers

Asma Khalid

White House Correspondent, NPR

Asma Khalid is a White House correspondent for NPR. She also co-hosts The NPR Politics Podcast.Khalid is a bit of a campaign-trail addict, having reported on the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections. She joined NPR's Washington team in 2016 to focus on the intersection of demographics and politics. During the 2020 presidential campaign, she covered the crowded Democratic pri... Read More →

Nicholas Burns

Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to China

Nicholas Burns is an American diplomat and international relations scholar. He served as the United States ambassador to China from 2022 to 2025.Burns has had a 25-year career in the State Department and has served as under secretary of state for political affairs. Appointed by President... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Politics

11:00am EDT

The Color of Capital

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Meet the changemakers working to ensure that BIPOC entrepreneurs in Massachusetts have the resources to build thriving businesses and lasting legacies.

Speakers

Glynn Lloyd

Executive Director, Nectar Community Investments

Glynn Lloyd has been an innovator in transformative urban economic development for more than 30 years. As Nectar’s Executive Director, he leads our efforts to invest in small businesses and create innovative residential programs that advance environmental justice and stable housing... Read More →

Darryl C. Murphy

Host, The Common, WBUR

Darryl C. Murphy is the host of WBUR's daily news and culture podcast, The Common.Before moving to the host’s chair, he was a reporter in the newsroom covering business and transportation. Darryl comes to WBUR from Philadelphia where he covered transportation and mobility for... Read More →

Betty Francisco

CEO, BII

Betty Francisco is a business executive, impact investor and community leader with more than 24 years of experience. She is known as a powerful convener and changemaker. In 2022, Boston Magazine named Betty as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston and the Boston Business... Read More →

Nicole Obi

President & CEO, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts

Nicole Obi is the President & CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA)whose mission is to drive economic equity and prosperity for Massachusetts to achieve inclusive growth through advocacy, programming, and strategic partnerships that enable Black-owned businesses... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Business

11:00am EDT

How to Be a Better Parent: A Conversation with Emily Oster

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

A leading parenting researcher and an award-winning journalist on what really matters for children (and what doesn’t).

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Emily Oster

CEO & Founder, ParentData

Emily Oster is on a mission to empower parents by providing the data and tools they need to make confident decisions. Emily is a Professor of Economics at Brown University, and the founder and CEO of ParentData, a data-driven guide to pregnancy, parenting, and beyond. ParentData’s... Read More →

Alyssa Rosenberg

Letters & Community Editor, The Washington Post

Alyssa Rosenberg is the Letters and Community Editor at The Washington Post. Previously, she spent ten years at The Post as a columnist and op-ed editor, and she won the 2023 Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary for her coverage of the 2022 infant formula shortage. She lives in Washington... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

11:30am EDT

Local News at a Crossroads

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Boston newsroom leaders on how they’re producing high-quality journalism, while dealing with shrinking resources, declining trust and growing coverage gaps.

Speakers

Victor Hernandez

Chief Content Officer, WBUR

Victor Hernandez is responsible for overseeing all aspects of editorial at WBUR including local news and programming, national programs, podcasting and CitySpace.As the organization's first-ever chief content officer, Hernandez is charged with helping to identify how to grow WBUR's... Read More →

Margaret Cronan

News Director, WCVB Channel 5

Margaret Cronan is News Director for WCVB Channel 5, Boston’s News and Community Leader. A communications executive with more than twenty years of leadership experience, Margaret returned to Hearst Television to head NewsCenter 5 in August 2021. She is just the eighth News Director... Read More →

Bill Forry

Executive Editor/ Publisher, The Dorchester Reporter

Bill Forry is the managing editor of the Dorchester Reporter.

Javier Marin

Media Entrepeneur

Javier Marin is a media entrepreneur. He founded Tiempo, a family-owned Spanish-language media company that runs several brands, including El Planeta in Boston. He is the author of America Despierta: How Latino TV Conquered the U.S., to be published in October 2025. Marin is a OPM... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave)

11:30am EDT

Behind-the-Scenes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The making of NPR’s weekly quiz show.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Ophira Eisenberg

Standup Comic

Ophira Eisenberg is a standup comedian, writer, and host of the award-winning (2024) comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke. She also hosted NPR’s Ask Me Another where she interviewed and played silly games with hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Stewart, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo... Read More →

Jennifer Mills

Senior Producer, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Jennifer Mills is a writer and producer for Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Doug Berman

Producer, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! & Car Talk

Two-time Peabody Award-winning producer Doug Berman is responsible for NPR's most successful entertainment programs, the hit comedies Car Talk and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Peter Sagal

Host, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Peter Sagal is, has been, and perhaps someday will be again, a husband, father, playwright, screenwriter, author, journalist, columnist, marathoner, Jeopardy contestant, dramaturg, podcast host, documentary host, foreign correspondent, wedding officiant, and magician's assistant.In... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Arts & Culture

11:30am EDT

Is Business Broken?

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave) @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

LIVE PODCAST TAPING

AI promises to boost productivity—but at what cost to innovation? Who’s winning in this new economy, and who’s being left behind? Can we regulate AI without choking progress? Or are we already too late? A live recording of the podcast Is Business Broken?, uncovers what’s really at stake.

The Is Business Broken? podcast, produced by the Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society at BU Questrom School of Business, features conversations about the role of business in society with perspectives from academia, industry and the public sector.

This is a special session produced by our sponsor, The Mehrotra Institute.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Divya Sridhar

Vice President, Global Privacy Division & Privacy Operations, BBB National Programs

Dr. Divya Sridhar is the Vice President, Global Privacy Initiatives & Operations at BBB National Programs. Her portfolio encompasses the design, development, and launch of multiple, global industry self-regulation programs. Sridhar is a seasoned leader focused on data privacy and... Read More →

Asu Ozdaglar

Department Head, MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Deputy Dean, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

Asu Ozdaglar is the Mathworks Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is the department head of EECS and deputy dean of academics of the Schwarzman College of Computing at MIT. Her research expertise... Read More →

Andrei Hagiu

Associate Professor of Information Systems, Boston University Questrom School of Business

Andrei Hagiu is an Associate Professor of Information Systems at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Previously, he was an Associate Professor in the Strategy group at Harvard Business School and in the Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management... Read More →

Sen. Barry Finegold

State Senator, Essex and Middlesex Counties, MA

Barry R. Finegold currently serves as a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the Second Essex and Middlesex district since 2019. He previously served from January 2011 to January 2015. He is a former state representative of the 17th Essex district in Massac... Read More →

Curt Nickisch

Senior Editor, The Harvard Business Review

Curt Nickisch is the host of Is Business Broken? and former host of HBR IdeaCast. He’s a senior editor at Harvard Business Review and previously reported on business and technology for WBUR. He lives in Cambridge.

Friday May 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave)

Business, Business

12:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Otto Pizza Pop-Up

Friday May 30, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Join us in the Howard Thurman Center from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (or while supplies last!) for complimentary pizza, provided by our sponsor Otto Pizza!

Friday May 30, 2025 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Experience

12:30pm EDT

Otherness and Solidarity: A Conversation with Viet Thanh Nguyen

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Sympathizer” and the All Things Considered host reflect on living and writing as an “other.”

In partnership with

Speakers

Ailsa Chang

Host, All Things Considered, NPR

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Mary Louise Kelly and Juana Summers. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.Previously, she was a congressional correspondent with NPR's Washington Desk. She... Read More →

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Author, Pulitzer Prize Winner & Professor

Viet Thanh Nguyen is the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Sympathizer and of Nothing Ever Dies, a finalist for the National Book Award. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation and Guggenheim fellowships and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nguyen... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

12:30pm EDT

Frontiers of Medicine

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Scientists and members of the sickle cell community share how new gene therapies developed in Massachusetts are transforming lives — and what these breakthroughs could mean for other diseases.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Dr. Maureen M. Achebe

Associate Professor, Hematology, Harvard Medical School

Maureen Okam Achebe, MD, MPH is Clinical Director of Hematology Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and an Associate Professor of Medicine and Global Health Equity at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Her area of excellence is Clinical Expertise... Read More →

Jonathan Gruber

Ford Professor of Economics; Department Head, MIT

Dr. Jonathan Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics and the Chairman of the Economics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has taught since 1992. He is also the former Director of the Health Care Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research... Read More →

Ravi Singh

VP, Market Access, Advocacy & Policy, bluebird bio.

Ravi Singh is the VP, Market Access, Advocacy & Policy for bluebird bio.

Deborah Becker

Host/Reporter, WBUR

Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.Deb is also a substitute host on several WBUR programs and helps produce and report for various WBUR special projects. Deb also worked on the launch of... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

1:00pm EDT

Harvard Business Review in Conversation

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The former head of Lincoln Center, now Brunswick Group CEO, in conversation with HBR’s Editor at Large on today’s business climate and how to communicate about what matters.

Speakers

Henry Timms

CEO, Brunswick Group

Henry Timms is Chief Executive Officer of Brunswick Group, the world’s leading critical issues advisory firm.Henry has a proven track-record leading and transforming major organizations, as well as advising CEOs and Boards on the complex issues emerging today. He is a bestselling... Read More →

Adi Ignatius

Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Business Review

Adi Ignatius is editor-in-chief of Harvard Business Review.

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave)

Business

1:00pm EDT

The NY Times Spelling Bee Buzzes Into Boston

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave) @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Join us for a live puzzle solve with The New York Times' Games.

In partnership with

Speakers

Everdeen Mason

Editorial Director, NY Times Games

Everdeen Mason is the editorial director of the New York Times Games team, overseeing the editorial direction and strategy of games such as The Crossword and Connections. Before working on games, Everdeen worked in Audience for nearly a decade, most recently conducting editorial... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave)

Experience

1:00pm EDT

Misinformation and Disinformation, Deconstructed

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Tech leaders in the fight for truth online share what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be done.

Speakers

David Rand

Erwin H. Schell Professor and Professor of Management Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT

David Rand is the Erwin H. Schell Professor and Professor of Management Science and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, an affiliate of the MIT Institute of Data, Systems, and Society, and the director of the Human Cooperation Laboratory and the Applied Cooperation Initiative. Applying... Read More →

Deb Roy

Professor, Media Arts and Sciences, MIT

Deb Roy is professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT, where he directs the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC). He leads research in designing human-AI systems that foster dialogue, listening, and deliberation in ways that build civic muscle. Roy is also co-founder... Read More →

Jennifer Grygiel

Assistant Professor, Communications, Syracuse University

Jennifer Grygiel is a social media professional who most recently served as social business and emerging media manager and assistant vice president at State Street Corporation in Boston. There, they developed a social listening and marketing data and analytics program and was the... Read More →

Costanza Sciubba Caniglia

Global Strategy Lead, Anti-disinformation

Costanza Sciubba Caniglia is a public policy expert and a researcher working on disinformation studies. Her research focuses on state-sponsored coordinated information operations and propaganda.She is the founder and Director of Istituto di Geopolitica Digitale, a think tank working... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Politics

2:00pm EDT

Climate and Clean Energy in an Age of Uncertainty

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

As the new administration works to dismantle environmental protections, is it still possible for Massachusetts to meet its climate goals?

In partnership with

Speakers

Secretary Rebecca Tepper

Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Rebecca Tepper has served as the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs since her appointment by Governor Maura Healey in 2023. Secretary Tepper oversees the agencies charged with facilitating the clean energy transition, improving resilience to climate... Read More →

Mireille Bejjani

Co-Executive Director, Slingshot

Mireille Bejjani works with community groups fighting fossil fuel infrastructure and waste facilities across Massachusetts, facilitates the Fix the Grid campaign to overhaul the regional electric grid, and helps manage the overall operations of Slingshot. Before Slingshot, Mireille... Read More →

Dan Dolan

President, New England Power Generators Association

Dan Dolan has served as President of the New England Power Generators Association (NEPGA) since the fall of 2011. NEPGA is the trade association representing roughly 95% of the installed generation capacity in New England. As President he is the principal spokesperson and oversees... Read More →

Miriam Wasser

Senior Reporter, Climate & Environment, WBUR

Miriam Wasser is a senior reporter with WBUR's climate and environment team. Before coming to WBUR, she was a staff writer for the Phoenix New Times in Arizona. Her work has also appeared in Boston Magazine, The Atlantic, Narratively, DigBoston and The Big Roundtable.

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Climate & Environment

2:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Mayor Wu

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Boston’s mayor on governing in the age of Trump, what’s ahead for the Commonwealth, and her own leadership experience.

Speakers

Mayor Michelle Wu

Mayor, City of Boston

Mayor Michelle Wu is working to make Boston a home for everyone.Since taking office, she has invested more in making housing affordable than any other administration in Boston’s history. In her first full year as mayor, gun violence fell to the lowest level on record—and has continued... Read More →

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR

Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition. Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.Tiziana came to journalism after a career that... Read More →

Sharman Sacchetti

Political Reporter & Co-host, On The Record, WCVB

Emmy award-winning journalist Sharman Sacchetti is WCVB NewsCenter 5’s political reporter and co-host of WCVB’s “On The Record” since January 2023, along with Ed Harding. OTR is a weekly roundtable discussion of Massachusetts politics which airs on Sunday mornings at 11AM... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

Politics

2:30pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Have a Beer with Joe Castiglione

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave) @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Join us in the festival Hub for a Q+A with the former announcer for The Boston Red Sox.

One complimentary beer (or non-alcoholic drink) per person, first come, first served.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Joe Castiglione

Fmr. Announcer, The Boston Red Sox

The 2015 season marked Joe Castiglione’s 33rd season broadcasting the play-by-play on the Red Sox Radio Network and his 36th season broadcasting Major League Baseball. Joe previously called games on TV for the Cleveland Indians (1979, 1982) and the Milwaukee Brewers (1981). Joe... Read More →

Anthony Brooks

Senior Political Reporter, WBUR

Anthony Brooks brings more than 30 years of experience in public radio, working as a producer, editor, reporter and host for WBUR and NPR.Before becoming WBUR’s senior political reporter, Brooks was co-host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s local news and talk show. For many years, Brooks... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave)

Experience

2:30pm EDT

Hunger, Anger, Joy: A Conversation with Roxane Gay

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The bestselling writer, editor and social commentator reflects on American life today.

The first 100 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of "The Feminist Reader".

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Sam Sanders

Journalist & Podcast Host

Sam Sanders is an American journalist and podcast host. He is one of the co-hosts of the Stitcher/Sirius XM podcast Vibe Check, and the host and executive producer of The Sam Sanders Show, a podcast and radio show on NPR member station KCRW. He launched and previously hosted NPR's... Read More →

Roxane Gay

Writer, Editor & Professor

Roxane Gay is a widely published writer, editor and professor who works across many genres. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and the editor of an eponymous imprint at Grove Atlantic. She splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Arts & Culture

2:30pm EDT

Health on a Warming Planet

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

It’s estimated that by 2050, more than 14 million people will die as a result of climate change.. From tick-borne disease to high heat exposure and avian influenza, hear how physicians, researchers, and policy-makers are tackling all the new risks.

Sponsored by

In partnership with

Speakers

Dr. Gaurab Basu

Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Gaurab Basu is a physician and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and assistant professor of global health & social medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is core faculty at the Harvard Chan Center for Climate... Read More →

Zoya Teirstein

Staff Writer, Grist

Zoya Teirstein is a staff writer covering the impacts of climate change on human health. Her work can also be found in Rolling Stone, Wired, and the Associated Press. She has received awards from the Indigenous Journalists Association, the SEAL Awards, and the Society of Environmental... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave)

Climate & Environment

2:30pm EDT

On Point

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave) @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
This will be a bonus episode of On Point’s landmark series, “Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America’s Boys.” Boston’s first Chief Behavioral Health Officer shares his insights on why boys behave the way they do and what they need.

Speakers

Meghna Chakrabarti

Host, On Point, WBUR

Meghna Chakrabarti is the award-winning host and editor of On Point. Based in Boston, she is on the air Monday through Friday.On Point has been frequently recognized for excellence in journalism under Meghna's leadership.Chakrabarti is the former host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s acclaimed... Read More →

Dr. Kevin Simon

Chief Behavioral Health Officer, City of Boston & Pediatric Addiction Medicine Psychiatrist, Boston Children's Hospital

Dr. Kevin M. Simon is the City of Boston’s inaugural Chief Behavioral Health Officer, leading and advising on mental health strategies through the Boston Public Health Commission. A triple board-certified psychiatrist and physician-scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, he is... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave)

Live podcast taping, Health

3:30pm EDT

Higher Ed Today

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Two college presidents discuss how they’re navigating this turbulent moment in higher ed.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Evan Smith

Senior Advisor, Emerson Collective

Evan Smith is a senior advisor at Emerson Collective, working closely with journalists and funders around the country to support the local news ecosystem. He’s also a Professor of Practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches... Read More →

Danielle Holley

President, Mount Holyoke College

Danielle R. Holley is the twentieth president of Mount Holyoke College. A noted legal scholar and educator, Holley served as Dean of the School of Law at Howard University (2014 - 2023) prior to joining Mount Holyoke. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law... Read More →

Dr. Melissa Gilliam

President, Boston University

Dr. Melissa Gilliam is Boston University’s eleventh president. She is a physician and interdisciplinary researcher focused on adolescent health and well-being. She joined Boston University from The Ohio State University, where she served as executive vice president and provost... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

Business

3:30pm EDT

Dying Well

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

A bestselling author and a death educator talk about how we reckon with the end of life and what happens when we die.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Robin Young

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR

Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today S... Read More →

Sebastian Junger

Author

Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of Tribe, War, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National... Read More →

Suzanne O'Brien

Founder & CEO, DoulaGivers Institute

Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN is considered a pioneer in the global Death Doula movement and is the author of the international bestselling book The Good Death. She is the founder of Doulagivers Institute, has over two decades of end-of-life experience, and has personally served at the... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

4:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Greening Your Life

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave) @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

A climate writer and a “Right to Repair” advocate share their stories about small shifts that can make a big difference in the fight against climate change.

In partnership with

Speakers

Nathan Proctor

Senior Director, Right to Repair Campaign, PIRG

Nathan Proctor is the Senior Director for PIRG's Right to Repair campaigns, which stretch across dozens of states and includes shareholder, Congressional and federal advocacy to protect people's ability to repair modern electronics. He has authored more than a dozen reports on Right... Read More →

Tik Root

Senior Staff Writer, Grist

Tik Root covers the economics of climate change at Grist. He started his career as a freelance journalist in Yemen, and has since covered everything from Al Qaeda to the Olympics for outlets such as National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, among others. He previously... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave)

Climate & Environment

4:00pm EDT

How Easy is That? A Conversation with Ina Garten

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The legendary cookbook author and television host swaps stories with the co-host of The Daily from The New York Times.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Michael Barbaro

Host, The Daily, The NY Times

Michael Barbaro is an American journalist and co-host of The New York Times news podcast The Daily, one of the most popular podcasts in the United States.

Ina Garten

Cookbook Author & Television Host

Ina Garten, the celebrated specialty food store maven and bestselling cookbook author, was once a nuclear budget analyst at President Carter’s White House. Garten left Washington, DC in 1978 to buy a 400 sq. ft. store called Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptons – eighteen years... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Arts & Culture, Food & Drink

4:00pm EDT

A Vision for Powering New England with Bill McKibben

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Explore New England’s renewable energy and climate tech possibilities from solar to wind to geothermal networks.

In partnership with

Speakers

Jamie Beard

Founder & Executive Director, Project InnerSpace

Jamie Beard is the founder and executive director of Project InnerSpace, a non-profit working for the global growth and development of geothermal energy. An energy and regulatory attorney by training but a creative at heart, Beard is principal investigator of a U.S. Department of... Read More →

Asegun Henry

Founder & Chief Technologist, Fourth Power

Asegun Henry, founder of Fourth Power and MIT professor, is advancing renewable energy with breakthrough thermal battery technology. His innovations, including pumping liquid tin at 2400°C and record-setting thermophotovoltaic efficiency, are integral components of Fourth Power’s... Read More →

Kat Bagley

Editor-in-Chief, Grist

Katherine (Kat) Bagley is the editor-in-chief of Grist, a nonprofit media organization covering climate, environmental justice, and solutions. She is a journalism leader with more than 18 years of experience covering climate change and the environment, and more than a decade working... Read More →

Emily Reichert

CEO, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

As Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Dr. Emily Reichert leads MassCEC’s efforts to build a robust, internationally competitive clean energy and climatetech economy in Massachusetts.Before joining MassCEC in 2023, Emily served as CEO of Greentown... Read More →

Bill McKibben

Environmentalist & Author

Bill McKibben is founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice.His 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has appeared in 24 languages. He’s gone on to write... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave)

Climate & Environment

4:00pm EDT

Design Matters

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave) @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

LIVE PODCAST TAPING
A deep dive into how a leading scholar, poet, and advocate for AI justice designs her life.

Sponsored by

Speakers

Joy Buolamwini

Founder, Algorithmic Justice League & Poet of Code

Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League to create a world with more equitable and accountable technology. Her TED Featured... Read More →

Debbie Millman

Host, Design Matters

Debbie Millman is the host of Design Matters, one of the first and longest running podcasts in the world. She is also Chair of the first-ever Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts, Editorial Director of PrintMag.com, an Executive Fellow at the Harvard Business School... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace (890 Commonwealth Ave)

Live podcast taping, Arts & Culture

5:00pm EDT

What Smart Businesses Know About A.I.

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave) @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Join this interactive session with a leading Harvard Business School authority on Artificial Intelligence to understand how business is evolving as A.I. brings expertise to our fingertips.
Attendees will receive complimentary access to “Future Proof with AI” learning modules from the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard.

Speakers

Scott Tong

CO-Host, Here & Now, WBUR

Karim Lakhani

Professor, Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Karim R. Lakhani is the Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He specializes in technology management, innovation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). His innovation-related research is centered around his... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre (820 Commonwealth Ave)

Business

5:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Happy Hour with WBUR's Newsletters Team & Grist

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave) @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA

Join us in the festival Hub for a happy hour with the WBUR Newsletters team and Grist.

Complimentary refreshments provided.

Speakers

Nikhil Swaminathan

CEO, Grist

Nikhil Swaminathan is the CEO of Grist. Previously, he led the newsroom for five years. Prior to that, he was a digital producer for “Fault Lines,” a current affairs documentary film program that airs on Al Jazeera America and Al Jazeera English. Prior to that, he was a senior... Read More →

Rachel Bouton

Senior Manager, Grist

Rachel Bouton (she/her) is the Senior Manager for Networks and Events at Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. At Grist Rachel leads strategy, design and production for a robust lineup of events focused... Read More →

Tik Root

Senior Staff Writer, Grist

Zoya Teirstein

Staff Writer, Grist

Kat Bagley

Editor-in-Chief, Grist

Frida Garza

Staff Writer, Food and Agriculture, Grist

Frida Garza is a staff writer covering food and agriculture at Grist. Previously, she has worked as an editor at the Guardian US where she launched America's Dirty Divide, a series on environmental and climate justice, and as a senior staff writer at Jezebel. She lives in Brooklyn... Read More →

Meagan McGinnes-Bessey

Managing Editor, Digital Audience & Community Engagement, WBUR

Meagan is the managing editor of digital audience & community engagement at WBUR, Boston's largest NPR newsroom. She oversees the newsletter and social media teams.Her mouthful of a title really means thinking about the ways and places WBUR can bring its local journalism to more communities... Read More →

Nik DeCosta-Klipa

Senior Editor, Newsletters

Nik wakes up early each morning to write WBUR's flagship newsletter, WBUR Today. He runs the day-to-day of all things email. He joined WBUR in 2022 from Boston.com, where he was a staff writer covering local news, politics, and transportation. Nik holds bachelor's degrees in journalism... Read More →

Hanna Ali

Associate Producer, Newsletters, WBUR

Hanna Ali is an associate producer for newsletters at WBUR, and is the host of WBUR's Weekender newsletter.Before joining WBUR, Hanna worked as a digital editor at the PBS science documentary series NOVA, writing articles for NOVA Next and managing the show’s newsletters and social... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Festival Hub (808 Commonwealth Ave)

Experience

5:00pm EDT

Our Homeless Neighbors

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave) @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

A devoted street doctor and the subject of Tracy Kidder’s “Rough Sleepers” shares his experience with a journalist who publishes the work of homeless writers.

In partnership with

Speakers

The Avatar

Poet

Avi Manning (The Avatar) is a Boston poet with huge ambitions and an interest in social justice.

Dr. Jim O'Connell

President, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Dr. O’Connell graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and received his master’s degree in theology from Cambridge University in 1972. After graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1982, he completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts... Read More →

James Parker

Staff Writer, The Atlantic

James Parker is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Turned On, his 1998 biography of the punk-rock performer Henry Rollins, has been described as “breathlessly brilliant” (New Musical Express) and “a modern-day Pilgrim’s Progress” (Feed.com). He was previously a staff writer for the Boston Phoenix, where he won New England Newspap... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall (855 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

5:30pm EDT

Common Wealth

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 915 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

The interim secretary of economic development on the outlook for the Massachusetts economy.

Speakers

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Contributor, WBUR

Ashley Stolba

Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, Executive Office of Economic Development

Ashley Stolba is the Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, Executive Office of Economic Development.

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Dance Theatre (915 Commonwealth Ave)

5:30pm EDT

The Future of Reproductive Rights

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave) @ 685 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA

An actress (Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, Girls5eva) who testified to Congress about her abortion and a pro-choice advocate get personal about the state of reproductive rights in this country.

Sponsored by:

Speakers

Amory Sivertson

Host & Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts

Amory Sivertson is the host/reporter of Beyond All Repair and the co-host and senior producer of Endless Thread. She's one of the founding producers of Modern Love: The Podcast and the former producer of Dear Sugar Radio (now called Dear Sugars).Previously, Amory was the studio... Read More →

Busy Philipps

Actress & ACLU Ambassador

Busy Philipps is a New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, writer and previous late-night talk show host of Busy Tonight. Philipps served as executive producer on the show, alongside Tina Fey. In 2018, Philipps released a collection of humorous autobiographical essays... Read More →

Jessica Weitz

Nationwide Director of Artist & Entertainment Engagement, ACLU

Jessica Herman Weitz is the Director of Artist & Entertainment Engagement at the ACLU. Jessica educates, inspires, and activates artists + entertainment companies to speak up for the ACLU and the issues we fight for - which means working across the country with artists to fight for... Read More →

Friday May 30, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Ave)

Health

6:00pm EDT

The WBUR Festival Anniversary Bash (separate ticket required)

Friday May 30, 2025 6:00pm - 9:30pm EDT

FitRec Center (915 Commonwealth Ave) @ 905 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

WBUR has hosted an annual gala — our premier fundraising event — for 23 years. In 2025, we’re mixing things up!
The WBUR Anniversary Bash: 75 Years of Life Out Loud celebrates 75 years of local journalism in Boston and those who have made it possible. A capstone dinner celebration and program within The WBUR Festival weekend, the Anniversary Bash will raise critical funds to support WBUR throughout the year.

The WBUR Medal of Honor will be presented to William and Lia Poorvu and Howard and Fredericka Stevenson in recognition of their service and leadership in public media

This year’s program will include a conversation with Nobel laureate and economist Paul Krugman.

Speakers

Paul Krugman

Nobel Prize-winning Economist

Paul Krugman is a Nobel Prize-winning economist. He was a columnist for The New York Times for nearly 25 years, writing about the intersection of economics and government. He now writes a popular newsletter on Substack.

Friday May 30, 2025 6:00pm - 9:30pm EDT
FitRec Center (915 Commonwealth Ave)