The Big Share Live 2026
Give Today to Build Tomorrow
About The Big Share Live
The Big Share Live is a day-long livestream celebrating the work of the member nonprofits of Community Shares of Wisconsin and raising money for those nonprofits during The Big Share 2026! In the 12th year of this event, join us for local entertainment, educational panel events, milestone announcements, and more.
Program
8 AMMorning Program
- 8:15 AM: Welcome
- 8:30 AM: Cooking Demonstration (Access to Independence)
- 9:10 AM: Housing Centers Panel
Panel discussion about the importance of housing center hubs- Hedi Rudd (Rooted)
- Elsa Caetano (Kennedy Heights Community Center)
- Alexis London (Bayview Foundation)
- Gery Paredes Vásquez (YWCA Madison)
- 10:10 AM: AI Data Centers Panel
Panel discussion about impact of AI Data Centers- Abby Novinska-Lois (Healthy Climate Wisconsin)
- Kerry Schumann (Wisconsin Conservation Voters)
- Amy Barrilleaux (Clean Wisconsin)
- Tom Content (Citizens Utility Board)
- Elizabeth Ward (Sierra Club Wisconsin)
- 11:10 AM: LGBTQ+ Organizations Panel
Panel discussion about LGBTQ+ organizations in today’s political climate- Tyrone Creech Jr. (GSAFE)
- Abigail Swetz (Fair Wisconsin)
- Michail Takach (Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project)
12PM Afternoon Programming
- 12:00 PM: Activating the Gift of Shared Abundance (YWCA Madison)
Live Art Build - 1:00 PM: Seen & Unseen (Urban Triage)
A Homelessness Awareness Experience: An Immersive Outdoor Experience Around the Capital Square. - 2:00 PM: Refugee Resettlement in this Political Climate
- Jason Mack (Open Doors for Refugees)
- 2:25 PM: With a Little Help from Our Friends — Fueling the Future of Wisconsin State Parks
- Seth Taft (Friends of Wisconsin State Parks)
- 3:30 PM: Match Minute
- 3:40 PM: In Defense of Wetlands: Maintaining Public and Political Support
- Erin O’Brien (Wisconsin Wetlands Association)
- Sara Wallings (Clean Wisconsin)
- 4:15 PM: Community Advocacy Panel
- Daithi Wolfe (Kids Forward)
- Amanda Merkwae (American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin)
6-8 PMEvening Music
- 6:15 PM The Currach Quadtet
- 7:15 PM Bear In the Forest
Meet the Artists
The Currach Quadtet
Old School traditional Celtic songs and tunes on fiddle (Daithi), bouzouki/guitar (Josh), and bodhran/bones (Darl), and concertina (Kara, our newest member). A currach is a type of Irish boat. Our Irish trio (and friends) had a 13 year residency every Friday night Happy Hour at the Brocach pub on the square (closed in 2019). We've released three CD's and this past March was our 18th annual St. Pat's celebration at the Harmony Bar! Please feel free to sing and/or dance/clap along.
Bear in the Forest
Hailing originally from New Orleans, LA, I currently reside in Madison, Wisconsin with my cat-son Osito (Spanish word for “little bear”). Inspired and driven by music from a young age, I was fortunate to be accepted into the First Wave scholarship program at UW Madison. The training I received there combined with inspiration from artists such as Bon Iver and Hozier are just a couple of my driving forces as I work to create music rooted in personal experience + the trials and tribulations of the world around me.
Meet the Emcees
Cheri Dubiel
Gray Miller
Judy Young
Principal Partner
