The Broad Cast

On this episode of The Broad Cast, hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek sit down with Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward) and Ald. Nicole Lee (11th Ward) to explore Chicago's historic FY26 budget battle and the behind-the-scenes effort to craft an alternative budget. The conversation covers how a broad City Council coalition came together to close a billion-plus dollar budget gap while protecting job growth and making critical pension payments without raising property taxes — plus what’s at stake the City’s heads into an even more challenging FY2027 budget cycle.

Christy George played a major role in leading the most successful Democratic National Convention Host Committees in recent history — and now she’s at the helm of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, the state’s public-private economic development arm, as President and CEO. On this episode of The Broad Cast, Christy joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek to talk about her path to public service, how she led the Host Committee for a high-profile convention and what it means to lead with purpose. She shares what’s behind Illinois’ recent economic momentum, from attracting quantum computing companies to fueling clean energy and advanced manufacturing growth. Christy also reflects on what it takes for women to step into once-in-a-lifetime leadership roles, and why lifting others up along the way is central to how she leads.

1871 has long been the heartbeat of Chicago’s tech ecosystem — a hub for visionary founders, resilient innovators and dedicated mentors building community and driving inclusive innovation. And, it’s been The Broad Cast’s recording location for the last six years! This spring marked a major transition: 1871 moved out of its office space in the Merchandise Mart, signaling a new chapter for the organization. One day before they closed the doors, The Broad Cast sat down with 1871 CEO Betsy Ziegler for one last recording in their studio. Betsy looked back on her seven-year journey leading 1871, from its bold beginnings to becoming a national model for inclusive innovation. She shared why it was time to leave the Mart, what this shift means for Chicago’s startup community and how 1871 plans to evolve while staying rooted in connection and collaboration. __________________________________________________ The Broad Cast is hosted by Becky Carroll, President and CEO of C-Strategies, and Eileen Dordek, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and political activist. Keep up with The Broad Cast on socials: Instagram: @cstrategieschi LinkedIn: @C-Strategies Inc. Facebook: @C-Strategies Inc. Bluesky: @cstrategieschi.bsky.social

In the early days of the second Trump presidency, there’s already been a slew of regressive executive orders targeting everything from federal funding to marginalized groups. Here in Illinois, organizations that advocate for racial and economic justice, like The Shriver Center on Poverty Law, are moving to the frontlines of the battles created by these EOs, and other policies, to protect the rights of those most impacted by the actions of this administration. Shriver Center President and CEO Audra Wilson joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek to discuss the initial weeks of the Trump Administration, its impact and how Shriver is preparing for what lies ahead. __________________________________________________ The Broad Cast is hosted by Becky Carroll, President and CEO of C-Strategies, and Eileen Dordek, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and political activist. Keep up with The Broad Cast on socials: Instagram: @cstrategieschi LinkedIn: @C-Strategies Inc. Facebook: @C-Strategies Inc. Twitter: @cstrategieschi

A lot is at stake on the ballot this November, and we’re not just talking the Presidential race — for the first time, Chicago voters will get to choose who will serve on the Chicago Public Schools board (at least 10 of the 21 members for now!). One of the candidates is Ellen Rosenfeld from District 4 (which includes Uptown to Old Town), who has worn nearly every hat at Chicago Public Schools as a teacher, parent, Local School Council member, a Family and Community Engagement Specialist and more. She joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek to talk about what this election means for Chicago, creating balanced representation on the new school board and her platform as a candidate. __________________________________________________ The Broad Cast is hosted by Becky Carroll, President and CEO of C-Strategies, and Eileen Dordek, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and political activist. Keep up with The Broad Cast on socials: Instagram: @cstrategieschi LinkedIn: @C-Strategies Inc. Facebook: @C-Strategies Inc. Twitter: @cstrategieschi

Cherita Ellens is the President and CEO of Women Employed, which advocates for fair and equitable workplaces throughout Illinois so that women, families and communities thrive. She joins The Broad Cast to discuss WE’s key work in advancing policy to support women in the workplace for more than 50 years, economic equality as an intersectional issue, how to make your own workplace more equitable — and more! _________________________________________________________________ The Broad Cast is hosted by Becky Carroll, President and CEO of C-Strategies, and Eileen Dordek, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and political activist. Keep up with The Broad Cast on socials: Instagram: @cstrategieschi Twitter: @cstrategieschi Facebook: C-Strategies Inc. LinkedIn: C-Strategies Inc.

Chicago artist and creator of The Folded Map Project Tonika Lewis Johnson joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek on this episode of The Broad Cast! In Part 2, Tonika discusses some of her newer projects including Inequity For Sale, an exploration of Chicago's use of land sale contracts on the South and West sides of the city in the 20th century. Subscribe to The Broad Cast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Soundcloud. Keep up with us on socials: Instagram: @CStrategiesChi Twitter: @CStrategiesChi Facebook: C-Strategies Inc. LinkedIn: C-Strategies Inc.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joins hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek on this episode of The Broad Cast for a conversation on how she’s leveraged her office to lift up underrepresented voices and communities across the state, from restorative justice and violence prevention issues, to diversifying Illinois' agriculture industry and empowering women entrepreneurs — and more! Subscribe to The Broad Cast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud. Keep up with us on socials: Instagram: @CStrategiesChi Twitter: @CStrategiesChi Facebook: C-Strategies Inc. LinkedIn: C-Strategies Inc.

What are the issues facing rural Illinoisans today, and what can Democrats do to better engage these communities? On this episode of The Broad Cast, hosts Becky Carroll and Eileen Dordek speak with Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who hails from rural Illinois and today represents the state’s 13th congressional district, encompassing Springfield, Champaign, East St. Louis, and rural areas in between. Congresswoman Budzinski discusses the work she is leading to help invest in rural American communities and what Democrats can do to bring voters back to the party.

Chicago has a new mayor and 13 brand new members of City Council! The Broad Cast co-hosts Becky and Eileen do a deep dive into the election and mayoral transition along with the hopes and challenges that lie ahead. Our hosts are joined by Lisa Duarte, Lawyer and Government Relations Strategist, and Chakena Perry, Former MWRD Commissioner, Environmental Advocate and political activist.

For the 33rd Episode of The Broad Cast, C-Strategies CEO Becky Carroll is joined by new TBC co-host, Eileen Dordek! The pair are joined by Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita, Khem Khoeun, the first Cambodian American Woman elected to office in the United States and current Village of Skokie Trustee, and Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian American Midwest Progressives. These women have all accomplished significant “firsts” in their work to empower Asian American communities and women.

Episode 31 of The Broad Cast looks and sounds a bit different! To celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, organizer, environmentalist, and history-lover Chakena Perry takes over as our host for a conversation on environmental justice with two women that represent the new face of leadership in Cook County bringing attention to environmental issues facing our communities, IEC Clean Water Policy Director Iyana Simba and Chief of Staff to MWRD Commissioner Davis, Dawn Walker. The episode pays homage to Hazel M. Johnson, born on the South Side of Chicago and known today as the Mother of Environmental Justice. Don’t miss this one!

For our annual Year in Review episode, we sat down with Chicago Sun-Times Chief Political Reporter Rachel Hinton and broke down the major events of 2020, from racial injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement, to COVID-19 and its impact on our local and national elections. Rachel brings an important and nuanced perspective as a young Black female journalist covering everything 2020. This marks the second episode of our six-month series of conversations around systemic racism and building an anti-racist society.