Ben Thomas

Ben Thomas is the Midwest General Manager of VeoRide, the bike share company that landed in CU last year. He is going to discuss VeoRide, its impact in our community, and the benefits of eco-friendly personal transit.

Ben is originally from Cincinnati, OH. He possess a BA in English from Northern Illinois University and a Masters in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship from Moody Bible Institute. He has been with VeoRide since September of 2018. He and his wife and 2 children live in Champaign.

Bruce Knight

Watch as Bruce Knight discusses Planning, Growth and Development in the City of Champaign.

Bruce Knight was hired as the Planning and Development Director of the City of Champaign in 1988. He also serves as the City's representative on the Board of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

David Michael Moore

Watch as David Michael Moore discusses being your own boss, and how to stabilize and thrive when starting your own business. David has been working in his own business full-time since February 2012. However, he almost didn't survive his first year. The path to stabilizing, then thriving in his field, was due in large part to learning how to manage himself. These are skills and tools accessible to anyone who is thinking about starting their own business. Watch as David discusses the lessons learned from his early career and start being a boss.

Chris Garcia

Chris Garcia of Champaign County Health Care Consumers discusses the benefits made possible by the Affordable Care Act law and changes to the current healthcare system. CCHCC can answer questions and provide assistance regarding health care coverage for children, people aging out of their parents dependent coverage, adult coverage, and senior options. He covers the designated sites for applying and some important things to keep in mind when doing so. CCHCC is available to help the people of the Champaign-Urbana community with their resources to find the health care package that is right for you.

Rep. Carol Ammons

IL State Representative Carol Ammons (D) discusses the new marijuana legalization law in Illinois. Rep. Ammons breaks down and discusses the law, which goes into effect January 1st, 2020. She also takes questions from constituents. Carol Ammons is serving her third term as the full-time state representative of the 103rd District, which includes Champaign-Urbana. Ammons looks to bring her experiences as a grassroots community organizer for equality in education, media and technology access and civil rights to her work as a public servant in the House of Representatives.

Katie M. Blakeman

Circuit Clerk Katie Blakeman is quickly becoming a statewide expert on the subject of expungement, sealing, and other forms of criminal record relief in the State of Illinois. In her role as Circuit Clerk, she hosts an annual Expungement and Record Sealing Summit, which provides free legal assistance to participants seeking to clear their records to improve employment and housing prospects. The success of this local event has lead to expanded efforts throughout Illinois. Katie speaks about specific efforts in Champaign County, but also discusses legislative changes that have greatly expanded eligibility. She also discusses expected changes following the legalization of adult recreational use of cannabis.

Dan Mann

Dan Mann is the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with responsibility for campus enrollment, undergraduate admissions, student financial aid, registration and records, enrollment management communications, data analysis and system services, and the Principal’s Scholars Program. Dan discusses and provides information on the new Illinois Commitment program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.