For over a decade, Rush has hosted the American Society on Aging Chicagoland Roundtable, to bring together Chicago area professionals in aging every other month to share and explore important topics related to aging.

Events are hosted on the first Friday of the month from 8:30-10:30am CT during the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December. You can sign up for the ASA Chicagoland Roundtable listserv at ASA Chicagoland Email Sign Up.

The events are organized by the ASA Chicagoland Planning Committee. To learn more, contact the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging, Aging@rush.edu.

Upcoming session

Our next session will take place on Friday, June 5th, 2026 from 8:30-10:30am CT via ZOOM. You can register now HERE.

Bridging Generations: A Conversation on Connection, Purpose, and Social Change

Join Donna Butts and Ken Stern, authors and leaders in the field, for an engaging fireside chat exploring the power of connection across generations and sectors. Drawing on their extensive experience in media and nonprofit leadership, Butts and Stern will reflect on what it takes to build a more inclusive, connected society—especially in a time marked by growing social isolation. Through storytelling, the conversation will offer insights into fostering meaningful relationships and advancing intergenerational collaboration to transform aging services and strengthen community well-being.

Designed for professionals in aging, the discussion will explore ways to bring together younger and older generations, support family caregivers and grandfamilies, and shift organizational culture to value connection across the lifespan. Attendees will leave with practical ideas and inspiration to reimagine services that not only support older adults, but actively engage all generations as part of the solution.

Speakers:
1. Donna Butts, Senior Fellow, Generations United; Author, Grandfamilies: Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raise Them
2. Ken Stern, Founder and Chair, Longevity Project; Author, Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead To Long Lives

The session will be moderated by Amy Eisenstein, PhD, FGSA, Senior Program Officer and Director of Research and Evaluation, RRF Foundation for Aging & Gretchen Knowlton, Manager of Planning, Advocacy & Program Development, AgeGuide

Recent sessions

Each session features several panelists and a moderated discussion. Presenter slides and recordings from recent sessions are included here:

2026

• April 10, 2026, Aging Diplomacy: The Chicago-Shanghai Sister Cities Exchange 2025
  • View slides here and recording here
• February 6, 2026, Illinois has a Multi-Sector Plan for Aging: What are the Next Steps?
  • View slides here and recording here

Past sessions