Chattanooga has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from an industrial center into a laboratory for innovation in infrastructure, public space, and civic collaboration. Through intentional planning and investment, the city offers insight into how smaller cities can adapt, grow, and reimagine their futures. 

This Future Fridays session brings together local leaders, planners, and community voices shaping Chattanooga’s next chapter. Through personal narratives and conversation, participants will explore the future of small cities with big ambitions.

About the Speakers

Jon Jon Wesolowski: The Happy Urbanist 

Jon Jon is a national speaker and content creator decoding what makes spaces truly great. After eight months abroad studying cities firsthand with his family, he’s garnered over 10 million TikTok likes and 430,000 followers across his different accounts, advocating for better urban spaces.  

Shadrina Booker: CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga 

Shadrina Booker serves as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga, where she leads with a focus on equity, youth development, and the relationships that shape strong communities. An Afro-Latina of Dominican descent and a Miami, Florida native, Shadrina earned her Master’s degree in Education and is a graduate of the University of Central Florida. 

With more than a decade of experience in Chattanooga across nonprofit and public sectors, Shadrina has built her work around connecting people to opportunity, especially young people whose voices are often overlooked. Prior to becoming CEO, she served as Chief Development and Marketing Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters, expanding the organization’s reach and deepening community investment. She also served as Director of Community Engagement for the City of Chattanooga, working across sectors to strengthen civic connection and trust. 

As CEO, Shadrina is committed to ensuring young people are not just supported, but heard and that they have a real role in shaping the places they call home. Early in her tenure, she became a Big Sister through a school-based mentoring program and is now matched with her Little Sister, Rileigh. This experience continues to ground her leadership in the day-to-day realities young people navigate. 

Shadrina lives in Chattanooga with her husband, Justin, and their son, Jonah. Her work is deeply personal, shaped by her own experiences as a mentor and parent and by the belief that strong relationships can change a young person's life trajectory. 

Dr. Mina Sartipi 

Dr. Mina Sartipi is Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Executive Director of the UTC Research Institute at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Founding Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP). Her work advances data-driven transportation and mobility innovation through public–private partnerships, research translation, and Chattanooga’s city-scale mobility testbed. 

About Future Fridays 

Future Fridays is the National Building Museum’s signature online series as part of the Future Cities initiative, hosted by James Darius Ball, director of Future Cities. Each one-hour session highlights the people, stories, and decisions that shape cities and everyday life in communities across the country. 

In its second year, the series emphasizes personal narratives and community perspectives, showing how residents, planners, designers, and civic leaders influence neighborhoods, public spaces, and city life. Participants can share their own perspectives, ask questions, and gain insight into how local choices reflect broader trends shaping American cities. 

Future Cities programming extends beyond Future Fridays, with a four-year slate of exhibitions, events, lectures, publications, digital activations, and community-based engagements designed to reach audiences from all walks of life and encourage participation in shaping the places where they live, work, and play.