Heidi Stevens

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Heidi Stevens is a Chicago-based writer and the Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, which works to provide parents, caregivers, and communities the knowledge and tools to optimize foundational brain development in all children. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Stevens worked at the Chicago Tribune for 23 years, where she wrote a daily column called “Balancing Act.” She was awarded the Anne Keegan Award for Distinguished Journalism in 2018. Stevens maintains a nationally syndicated column once a week. She has served on the FAN board of directors since September 2021.

Speaker's Events

IN-PERSON! BOOK GIVEAWAY!

The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again

Mary Claire Haver, MD

Board-certified OB/GYN, founder of The 'Pause Wellness, and #1 New York Times bestselling author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Apr 29 2026
ZOOM EVENT + BOOK GIVEAWAY

Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child’s Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods

Michaeleen Doucleff, Ph.D.

Bestselling author, biochemist, and award-winning NPR reporter

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Mar 13 2026
ZOOM EVENT

Wiser Guy: Life-Changing Revelations and Revisions from Tech’s Chief Evangelist

Guy Kawasaki

Chief evangelist of Canva, host of the Remarkable People podcast, and author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Dec 4 2025
ZOOM EVENT + BOOK GIVEAWAY

Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef

Curtis Duffy

World-renowned Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 9 2025
IN-PERSON + BOOK GIVEAWAY

Shift: Managing Your Emotions — So They Don’t Manage You (Event #2 of 2)

Ethan Kross, Ph.D.

Professor, Management & Organizations, Ross School of Business, and Director of the Emotion and Self Control Lab, University of Michigan

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Mar 11 2025
ZOOM EVENT + BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause

Naomi Watts

Academy Award-nominated actor and founder and chief creative officer of Stripes Beauty

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Jan 29 2025
ZOOM EVENT + BOGO!

How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It)

Lindsey Cormack, Ph.D.

Associate professor of political science and director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 30 2024
ZOOM EVENT

Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net

Jessica Calarco, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Sep 30 2024
ZOOM EVENT

Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better

Kim Scott

Co-founder of Radical Candor and author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Apr 30 2024
IN-PERSON + BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Somehow: Thoughts on Love

Anne Lamott

New York Times bestselling author of 20 books

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Apr 23 2024
ZOOM EVENT

Helping Our Boys Pursue Belonging and Purpose

John Duffy, Psy.D.

Clinical psychologist and author of three parenting books

Shaka A. Rawls

Principal at Leo High School

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Feb 6 2024
ZOOM EVENT

Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World

Devorah Heitner, Ph.D.

Educator, consultant, and author of Growing Up in Public and Screenwise

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Nov 6 2023
IN-PERSON + BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success (Event 1 of 2)

Michelle Icard

Speaker, educator, and author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 10 2023
ZOOM EVENT + BOOK GIVEAWAY!

On Grief: Love, Loss, Memory

Jennifer Senior

Staff writer at The Atlantic and winner of the 2022 Pulitzer for Feature Writing

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

May 4 2023
ZOOM EVENT

Quitting: A Life Strategy

Julia Keller, Ph.D.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, novelist, and playwright

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Apr 24 2023
IN-PERSON EVENT

It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs

Mary Louise Kelly

Co-host of NPR's "All Thing Considered"

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Apr 17 2023
ZOOM EVENT

Gun Safety in Our Communities

Shannon Watts

Founder, Moms Demand Action

Pastor Brenda Mitchell

State Chapter Co-Leader for Moms Demand Action in Illinois and a Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Feb 9 2023
IN-PERSON EVENT

EVENT #2: Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

Becky Kennedy, Ph.D.

Clinical psychologist and author of "Good Inside"

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 7 2022
IN-PERSON EVENT

EVENT #1: Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

Becky Kennedy, Ph.D.

Clinical psychologist and author of "Good Inside"

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 6 2022

Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: The Essential Conversations You Need to Have with Your Kids

Michelle Icard

Speaker, educator, and author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Jan 24 2022

Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood

Dawn Turner

Award-winning journalist and author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Oct 28 2021

Hunt, Gather, Parent: Raising Happy, Healthy, Little Humans

Michaeleen Doucleff, Ph.D.

Bestselling author, biochemist, and award-winning NPR reporter

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Jun 1 2021

Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

Christie Tate

Writer, essayist, and New York Times bestselling author

Heidi Stevens

Chicago-based writer and Director of External Affairs for the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health

Jan 14 2021