Chicago Stories

J.B. Pritzker wants to be the best Chief Marketing Officer Illinois has ever had--and a whole lot more. Fresh off his win for Illinois Governor, J.B. Pritzker dropped by City Hall to talk to Mayor Emanuel about his big plans for the state, starting with early-childhood education, budget reform, and job creation. They also look back at some of his early set-backs, his family’s philanthropy, and how he almost didn’t get a second date with his wife M.K.

Right on the heels of their opening night performance of "Swan Lake," Mayor Emanuel visited the Joffrey Ballet's artistic director Ashley Wheater in their downtown studio for a live conversation on this year's new works and reinvented classics, the importance of craft, his own influences and inspirations, and how he plans to continue take the celebrated dance company to new heights.

What makes a great war president? Can U.S. presidents be great without a war? Mayor Emanuel sits down with presidential historian Michael Beschloss to tackle these questions and a lot more in a rollicking discussion that stretches from the birth of our Constitution to the Vietnam War, and how the lessons of the past continue to inform our present day.

Denise Sauriol's first Chicago Marathon 24-years-ago ignited an empowerment engine she never thought possible. Today, she's a running coach working to inspire others to do the same. With this year's race just a few weeks away, Mayor Emanuel sat down with Denise to hear what inspires her, along with some training tips, favorite playlists, and the near-fatal accident that changed all.

How do you win the speaker's gavel twice? One vote at a time. Tune in as Mayor Emanuel sits down with the one and only Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for a wide-ranging discussion on politics and power, leadership and public service, and why after over 30 years in public life she’s still going strong.