Join Joshua Johnson

Speaking at TEDxChicago 2025: TEDx Global Idea Search

Friday, September 26th @ Harris Theater, Millennium Park

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Joshua Johnson

MODERATOR & HOST

Joshua Johnson plays anchorman Dwight Richmond on the satirical Onion News Network. His portrayal helped The Onion win a 2025 Webby Award for Comedy. Joshua Johnson has spent more than 20 years in journalism, helping people see each other despite their differences. He was the founding host of NPR’s national talk show 1A, which grew to a weekly audience of four million listeners during his three years on-air. MSNBC later recruited him to anchor The Week with Joshua Johnson, where he created rare spaces for audience interaction in network news, before becoming the anchor of NOW Tonight, a primetime nightly newscast. His NBC News projects included specials for Black History Month, a live broadcast from New York’s Stonewall Inn for LGBTQ Pride Month, and a focus group of small business owners reacting to President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union Address.

Earlier in his career, Johnson reported and anchored at at San Francisco’s KQED, and at South Florida’s WLRN in partnership with The Miami Herald. He also created The Night Light with Joshua Johnson, an independent project about democracy, culture, and connection. Johnson holds bachelor’s degrees in Broadcasting and Theater Arts from the University of Miami and now lives in Chicago.

Learn More

X: @JoshuaListening
Instagram: @JoshuaListening
Bluesky: @JoshuaListening
Facebook: @JoshuaListening
Website: joshuajohnson.me
LinkedIn

Photo Credit: SunArts Media, LLC

Chris Jones

PROFESSIONAL PROCRASTINATOR & HYPNOTIST

chrisjones (yes, it’s one word) is a self-described “master in failing up,” once a failed magician, track star, and academic who became a world-class hypnotist and comedian. A Chicago native and former nationally ranked college athlete, he studied sociology, psychology, and therapeutic recreation, all while honing his craft by performing magic and hypnosis nightly on campus.

His breakthrough moment came in 2015 on America’s Got Talent, when he hypnotized germophobe Howie Mandel into shaking hands with the entire judging panel. Since then, he has performed in all 50 U.S. states and ten countries, and has appeared on The Steve Harvey Show, Penn & Teller, and his own prank series Double Take on Facebook Watch.

Outside of performing, chrisjones is a marathon runner and a devoted husband and father who loves making his wife and daughter laugh. A resilient entertainer who turned missteps into magic, he embodies the spirit of reinvention and the power of humor.

Learn More

Website: www.americasgottalenthypnotist.com
Instagram: @1wordchrisjones

Photo Credit: Mike Sansone

Friday, September 26th at Harris Theater, Millennium Park

Chicago’s stage for ideas + connection at the convergence of our culture, innovation, and democracy.

Our future feels uncertain, yet we are resoundingly called to what matters most: You and me. Us. Humanity, itself. At TEDxChicago 2025, we believe the most powerful force shaping tomorrow is our collective agency, imagination, desire for connection and laughter, dignity, and generosity. This year, our speakers and artists arrive on Chicago’s stage to share their ideas, showcasing their fierce commitment to unify science, technology, and sustainability with the essential principles of compassion, justice, and care. This is our love letter to Chicago.