The Connecticut Forum announces 2024-25 slate of celebrity talks from Jon Batiste to José Andrés

The power couple of musician Jon Batiste and writer Suleika Jaouad, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, retired Admiral James Stavridis and chef/activist José Andrés are all part of The Connecticut Forum‘s 2024-25 panel discussion series at The Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford.

The Connecticut Forum events are unique discussions, not parts of tours or offered elsewhere. The conversations are organized by the Hartford-based non-profit The Connecticut Forum, whose mission is to “encourage the free and active exchange of ideas in forums that inform, challenge, entertain, inspire and build bridges among all people and organizations in our community.”

Connecticut Forum guests have ranged from former First Lady Michelle Obama to comedian Fred Armisen, astronomer Neil Degrasse Tyson, designer Tim Gunn and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, as well as such provocative same-event pairings as MSNBC host Joy Reid and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt and, in 2004, sparring authors Al Franken and Ann Coulter.

The 2024-25 slate is as follows:

Sept. 28: Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad. Batiste is a Grammy-winning musician/composer and former bandleader on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Jaouad has chronicled her experiences as a cancer survivor in a column for the New York Times and her bestselling book “Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted.” They have been married since 2022 and were the subject of last year’s Oscar-nominated documentary “American Symphony.”

Oct. 24: Nikole Hannah-Jones and Heather Cox Richardson. Hannah-Jones, who teaches at Howard University, initiated The 1619 Project, which reframes and reconsiders how the story of slavery has been told by historians and journalists. Richardson, who teaches at Boston College, writes the popular Substack newsletter “Letter from an American.” The talk will be moderated by journalist Jonathan Capehart.

March 6, 2025: Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.). Stavridis will be interviewed by NBC journalist Yamiche Alcindor. Stavridis’ 37-year military career included leading the NATO Alliance in global operations and as commander of U.S. Southern Command. He is now a partner and vice chair at the investment firm The Carlyle Group and the chair of the Rockefeller Foundation board. His latest historical novel is out this fall. His Connecticut Forum topic is “Global Affairs: Perspectives on Today’s Changed World and Looking Ahead to 2050.”

April 3, 2025: José Andrés. The founder of the non-profit World Central Kitchen as well as the Global Food Institute, Andrés was a renowned chef (and pioneer of the “small plates” concept in American dining) who got heavily involved in humanitarian pursuits and philanthropy while still overseeing many important restaurants.

“We are over-the-moon excited to host so many bright creative minds and thinkers who will educate, enrich and uplift us for our upcoming season,” Connecticut Forum’s executive director Mana Zarinejad said in a statement. “We hope audiences across Connecticut will leave The Forum with soaring hearts, inspired to improve the worlds around them.”

The Connecticut Forum talks begin at 7:30 p.m. at The Bushnell, located at 166 Capitol Ave. in Hartford. Season subscriptions are available starting at $130 through ctforum.org.