Monday at Chicago Ideas Week was one for the books. We started the day examining the future of the middle class and ended it with Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in conversation with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton. We explored purpose through activism and expression through photography with Jessica Lange. We got a hands-on look at Chicago’s film scene, toured the historic Uptown Theatre, and made art at the wndr museum—and still, there’s more to do.

Read on for 5 ideas from the top of the week that gave us a glimpse at what our world could look like—no matter what you’re advocating, creating, or fighting for.

Wall Street Journal Editor Ken Brown on whether America needs a middle class:

“With no middle class then you’d just have a country of super rich and super poor. It’s unsustainable. When you look at countries like that, they’re not stable.”

Futurist Jamie Metzl on how technology can help us imagine better futures:

“What is the natural limit of what you can see? It’s not what your eyes can do; it’s what your imagination can achieve.”

Author, Poet & Activist Cleo Wade on the power of hope in creating our own realities:

“Hope is not magic; it’s work. Hope is not wishing for the best but working towards the best with a mindset that allows for what is possible.”

The Chicago Community Trust CEO Helene Gayle on segregation and access in Chicago:

“You have to think about what it actually means when we talk about segregation. It’s not about a race of people living together; it’s about people consistently being cut out of opportunities.”

Latinos Progresando Founder Luis Gutierrez on conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border:

“Does it make us great to give panic attacks to 6-year-olds and 7-year-olds just trying to go to school?”