Experience Chicagos most powerful stories, told by the people who are shaping its future. Cooler By the Lake brings together community builders, activists, and creatives for an unforgettable night of live storytelling. These arent just true tales, theyre sparks of transformation from the hearts of those making a difference. Authentic, emotional, sometimes hilarious, and deeply human, this show proves that storytelling is the heartbeat of our city. Produced in collaboration by Jill Howe is the producer and founder of Story Sessions, a live storytelling series with real-time illustrations, since 2013. She has performed widely across Chicagoland, served as a resident storyteller at the Field Museum, led storytelling workshops for Newberry Library, and presented a Naperville Tedx Talk on vulnerability. Find more of her work at jillhowe.com Suzy Kahn Weinberg is the founder and executive producer of Big Shoulders Stories, a storytelling production company launched in 2019 to elevate and amplify the voices of the people and organizations who work to change communities in Chicago. Suzy is also a co-producer of the long running monthly storytelling show, Is this a thing? now in its 12 year.