Brad Keywell






Type: Blog
Date: 11,4,2020

Every generation is given a name – some more accurate than others. Consider this my nomination for the official name of the emerging generation (those born in 2000 to today): Generation:RE




Type: Blog
Date: 10,28,2020

The foundational design of Chicago Ideas is in sync with these times in which we find ourselves.



Type: Blog
Date: 10,22,2020

One hundred and thirty years ago, a German playwright first coined the phrase “Spring Awakening” as the title of his breakthrough play, first performed in 1891.



Type: Blog
Date: 10,06,2020

I first learned about integrity from my parents, often in reaction to testing the rules.



Type: Blog
Date: 9,30,2020

I’d like to propose playing a game at work. For the sake of naming it, let’s call it the “Get Better At” game.



Type: Blog
Date: 9,15,2020

It’s been said that teaching is the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind.



Type: Blog
Date: 9,14,2020

Like shale production, data science is challenged by extracting, refining, and controlling the input that makes it productive.



Type: Blog
Date: 9,10,2020

I’ve been in the groove of a morning habit.



Type: Blog
Date: 9,3,2020

Of course, you should also interview your colleagues (whether you love them, like them, or barely know them).



Type: Blog
Date: 8,31,2020

Maria Montessori saw clarity through the noise.



Type: Blog
Date: 8,21,2020

As the coronavirus crisis has set in, workflows are transitioning to asymmetric and entrepreneurial teams, especially at tech companies.



Type: Blog
Date: 8,17,2020

I can tell you one thing for sure — I have made lots of mistakes. Lots and lots of them.



Type: Blog
Date: 8,10,2020

That’s right, “no.” And quickly. Ok — I know I’m in Jeopardy format. So, the question is this: “What’s the next best thing to a quick yes?”



Type: Blog
Date: 8,4,2020

Courage. It’s an orientation, a virtue, an ideal. I’ve been curious about courage since September 1, 1986, when I remarkably encountered its duality of boldness and subtlety.



Type: Blog
Date: 7,22,2020

You’ve heard it over the years from parents or perhaps from teachers: “you can do anything you set your mind to.” It’s interesting that the reference in the saying is literally about “setting” your mind.



Type: Blog
Date: 7,8,2020

Opportunity & Unrealized Potential



Type: Blog
Date: 6,30,2020

One of the greatest graduation speeches of all time (in my humble opinion) was delivered by the late author David Foster Wallace to the Kenyon College class of 2005.



Type: Blog
Date: 6,25,2020

To whomsoever much is given, much is required -- words that trace back to the Bible, words paraphrased throughout the ages, words more prescient than ever.



Type: Blog
Date: 6,15,2020

Class of 2020, I’m here to tell you that you need to break some rules.



Type: Blog
Date: 6,3,2020

In this moment, one truth arises above all else: Black lives matter.



Type: Blog
Date: 4,28,2020

I believe we humans are far too often guided (and, sadly, irrationally crippled) by fear or by a default setting pointed towards ‘longstanding tradition’ (which often proves baseless).



Type: Blog
Date: 12,5,2019

This month, Uptake signed the 20th partner in our Platform ecosystem. These collaborators range from companies that maintain some of our country’s largest manufacturing plants. 



Type: Blog
Date: 11,20,2018

Teaching is the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind. But what lessons are most valuable?



Type: Blog
Date: 10,12,2018

I’m fascinated with rituals. While habits are defined as “regular tendencies or practices,” rituals represent a higher level activity 



Type: Blog
Date: 9,10,2018

Charles Darwin would have a lot to say about how humans will adapt to this Fourth Industrial Revolution. For one, I believe he’d tell us that we’ll evolve.



Type: Blog
Date: 8,7,2018

Thomas Thwaites set out to build a toaster from scratch.



Type: Blog
Date: 7,18,2018

Driving on the freeway in the Bay Area today, you might find yourself surrounded by autonomous cars and trucks.



Type: Blog
Date: 6,11,2018

One the first American industrial magnates was also one of our first self-made entrepreneurs.



Type: Blog
Date: 6,8,2018

FaceTime with 32 friends, updates to Siri and a walkie-talkie on your Apple Watch are just a few of the feature update announcements.



Type: Blog
Date: 5,18,2018

Dr. Irwin Adam Eydelnant, Founder & Creative Scientific Director of Future Food Studio and BEVLAB, is changing the way we think about food.



Type: Blog
Date: 5,12,2018

As someone who lives on the front lines of AI at Uptake, I hear those terms and I react with optimism. Here’s why.



Type: Blog
Date: 5,10,2018

Americans are falling out of love with the tech industry.



Type: Blog
Date: 4,25,2018

On October 27, 1960 in New York City, five-year-old David Axelrod went to see John F. Kennedy  on the campaign trail in Stuyvesant Town at the corner of 21st and 1st.



Type: Blog
Date: 3,27,2018

A few months ago I sat down with Arne Duncan for a conversation on The Upside.



Type: Blog
Date: 3,22,2018

So said Marv Levy, the Hall of Fame NFL coach (and native Chicagoan).



Type: Blog
Date: 2,15,2018

In 2008 and 2009, coders, mathematicians and at least one psychologist became singularly focused on one problem: Improving Netflix’s recommendation algorithm.



Type: Blog
Date: 8,20,2017

One of industry’s biggest challenges is also its most expensive.



Type: Blog
Date: 12,1,2017

Today, the World Economic Forum (WEF) named Uptake a Technology Pioneer, an exclusive list of 30 of the most innovative companies globally.



Type: Blog
Date: 3,20,2017

It’s rare that someone will question your love for your own children, but 10 years ago my friend Brandon did just that.



Type: Blog
Date: 3,1,2017

When Jeopardy! producers told Arthur Chu he’d been selected as a contestant, he knew he wasn’t ready.



Type: Blog
Date: 3,2,2017

Used car dealers get a bad rap. Sure, they have enshrined themselves in our society by their cheesy commercials, their sometimes sleazy business deals



Type: Blog
Date: 2,15,2017

In 2012, a team of ex-Google employees decided to launch their own company: a venture capital firm of sorts with a twist called Upstart.



Type: Blog
Date: 1,7,2017

One of my favorite sports teams is not one you’re going to see game highlights of on ESPN’s SportsCenter.



Type: Blog
Date: 10,2,2016

The daily commute on the Purple Line “El” train, between downtown Chicago and Evanston, Illinois, is a virtually “human-free” experience.






© Brad Keywell 2021