Candy Chang

“You could have dropped a pin on the floor during your talk—we were spellbound by you. It was big, it was deep, and it was one of the most compelling talks and moments I’ve ever experienced. Your calm and soothing tone during your opening keynote was provocative in big picture thinking, emotional, thoughtful, and a game changer for many of us in the room. Thank you for sharing your incredible intelligence, your raw feelings, and your big world view. Wow, wow, wow…”

“Thank you for spending time with our scholars this past weekend. I wish you could have heard all the incredible things that they said about you and how much your stories have inspired them. Seeing how you’ve made your own discipline, found the freedom of being ‘scrappy,' persevered through grief, and most of all, empowered ‘quiet' people with a voice... My mind is pretty much blown. Please know that your willingness to share your personal journey was appreciated in ways you cannot imagine and will continue to resonate with us all for years to come. The weekend could not have been the incredible success it was without you.”

“Your presentation resonated strongly with me, as well as your voice and its distinctive calm quality. I heard the story you told as if it were suffused with a steady glowing light, emanating with a clear sense of purpose. What also remains with me from your talk is that as an urban planner, it was your deep dissatisfaction with community engagement that compelled you to step into a new role, challenging and reshaping community outreach and connection. Your passion and creative thoughts on bringing out the best in people and communities is inspiring. I very much aspire to speak of my life’s work with the same sense of inspired serenity as you do.”

“Your presentation was so inspiring at the academy event this morning. Your personal story and healing was palpable, and the Before I Die project is a beautifully simple way of getting people in our communities to live better by talking about dying. It was very moving to me, and you did it without being saccharine. I appreciate your wisdom and how you have expanded our horizons. My wife died six months ago and I am grieving, but hearing you this morning gave me hope.”

“Just saw you speak at SCAD and wanted to say thanks for being a positive force in the universe. I brought my college aged son who has been dealing with some mild depression and what you said resonated with him. Please please keep doing what you do. For all you have done to make my classes around design for social impact better—sincere and humble thank you. I love how your work balances playful and thoughtful, and encourages participants and viewers to take a chance and strive for change. Thank you for allowing us all to be our vulnerable selves. I am forever in your debt.”

“Your presentation was brilliant and opened so many areas for conversation. Your projects are able to engage communities in such a pure and straightforward manner that is so effective. I can’t help but think that the Before I Die project is so much more than a wall: it’s a place to come to terms, to realize, to confess, to write love on ones arms. It’s a glimpse, a chance, to challenge, to change, to go after our dreams. I think we all need to be reminded that life is still worth fighting for.”

“I heard you speak at the Vistage event this week and I want to let you know you touched me deeply. I love the honesty of your work, the fact that it has a clear social agenda, is about and for people, and somehow seems familiar yet remains refreshing. Thank you for sharing, so courageously, what you do. I was so inspired. During your speech, the woman next to me was quietly crying. I was nervous to reach out to her, since I didn’t know her. Then I thought of how brave you are and how you are talking about connecting to people, so I reached out and touched her on the leg. She was so grateful. It was a small moment and a small gesture, but it made a small connection and you inspired it.”

“I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to have you here, after many years of following your work and admiring your gifts around the art of starting a community conversation. So many people have told me how much they appreciated your talk, your reflections on life and how they influenced your work, and the way you walked us through so many ideas on living a more thoughtful life. Your presentation was provocative in the best way, prompting several discussions about things we should explore that hadn’t previously been on our radar. Thank you so much for coming and enriching all of our lives.”

“I saw you speak at the Global Health Summit and I can't tell you how much your talk touched and inspired me. I have struggled with my own mental health issues recently and the questions you were asking resonated so deeply with me. Thank you for sharing what is a really difficult thing to talk about with a public audience. You are so brave and you also inspired me professionally. Your talk made me think about expanding my work so it engages the community in some way… I don't know what it will look like yet but I wanted to thank you for making me think about it in a new way.”