Candy Chang is an artist who wants to make cities more contemplative. By combining public art with civic engagement and personal well-being, Candy has been recognized for exploring strategies for the design of our cities in order to live our best lives. She received a BS in Architecture, a BFA in Graphic Design, and a Masters in Urban Planning from Columbia University. Once a designer at The New York Times, she went on to collaborate with community groups to make citizens' rights and resources more accessible. She created BEFORE I DIE on an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans for people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. The Atlantic called it "one of the most creative community projects ever," and the project has spread to Kazakhstan, South Africa, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Australia, Italy, Japan, Argentina, and beyond. She is a TED Senior Fellow, a Tulane Urban Innovation Fellow, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, was named a "Live Your Best Life" Local Hero by Oprah Magazine, is the cofounder of creative studio Civic Center, speaks internationally and has been featured on NBC, CNN, and NPR. Candy lives in New Orleans and is currently working on projects about sanctuaries, deep time, and pilgrimages.