Innovative speaker series, “Kaleidoscope,” returns May 1 

Richland County’s own Kaleidoscope series returns May 1 for its second season – offering new and fresh perspectives on the challenges our community faces, often not so different from our neighbors around the nation.

Launched in 2024, Kaleidoscope was designed to bring some of America’s most prominent thought-leaders to Mansfield, Ohio, with the goal in mind to inspire meaningful conversations, unexpected collaborations, and local solutions that make Richland County an even better place to live.

“If you think about it, big cities expect to have access to the best talent and the brightest minds,” Jay Allred, CEO of Source Media Properties, sponsor and organizer of the event, said.

“Having an event like Kaleidoscope here in Mansfield represents something beyond the event itself. It’s a signal of self-worth and belief in our hometowns. It says, “We can have nice things.“”

New season, new energy

Building on last year’s strong turn out, the 2025 Kaleidoscope season is bringing more ways for the audience to engage.

“Hundreds of folks attended at least one Kaleidoscope event in 2024, which tells us there’s real interest in new perspectives from brilliant people which relate to real issues here at home. Attendance numbers and visitor feedback gave us the confidence to move into a second season,” Allred said.

Similar to last year, thanks to partnerships with the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, attendees join fireside chats designed to extend the conversation beyond the main stage. Now, for speakers who may be discussing a book they authored, book clubs will be available.

Who is Sarah Brokaw?

Kaleidoscope hopes these events will help attendees move beyond the excitement of the main event, which inevitably fades, toward collaboration and action.

The second season opens May 1 with nationally recognized author and therapist Sarah Brokaw. Her book, Fortytude, explores how resilience and well-being are key to navigating life’s inevitable transitions — from starting careers to raising families, finding new purpose in midlife, and embracing the realities of aging.

With a master’s in social work from NYU and advanced training from Fielding Graduate University, she specializes in resilience and emotional well-being. 

Brokaw’s message aligns closely with what Richland County residents said they wanted to explore: how to not just survive life’s changes, but thrive through them.

Emcee of the event and Marketing Director at Speherion, Jessica Hiser, found many good takeaways from the book.

“In the book she said something along the lines of ‘If we are always chasing what comes next in the future, then we are missing out on what we are currently experiencing,’ and I think that’s an interesting view point,” Hiser said.

“I think looking through that kind of lens can be helpful. There’s a lot of life lessons that she brings forward in this book that I think any gender or age in the audience can find something of interest.”

Well…why should we care?

In places like Mansfield, opportunities like this don’t just offer new ideas — they affirm that our community deserves a seat at the table of progress.

“We learned that Richland County residents are wanting to engage with their community more, they want to have meaningful conversations, and help create solutions to the problems we all face. This is great news for Richland County – for our neighbors, as well as the broader community,” Allie Watson, President and CEO of Richland County Foundation said.

“We are a community of doers who want to see our community thrive.”

Whether you’re attending for the first time or returning from last year, Kaleidoscope offers a chance to be part of something bigger — a movement toward a stronger, more connected Richland County.

Get your tickets (still at a pay-what-you-can model), at the Renaissance’s website.

Special thanks to The Richland County Foundation, in partnership with the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, Renaissance Theatre, and Richland Source.