Jacoby Cochran

Jacoby Cochran returned to Chicago ten years ago with a master’s degree and public speaking championships but no clear career direction, feeling disconnected from his own story despite his love for the city. He began telling personal stories at venues like The Moth, excavating memories from his nomadic childhood moving between South Side neighborhoods and uncovering how his family’s history connected to Chicago’s broader narrative of migration, displacement, and resilience. Through storytelling workshops in prisons and classrooms across the city, he discovered that his creative drive stemmed from two core desires: connection with others and competency in his craft. Rather than pursuing a traditional career, he embraced being a “creative nomad,” wandering through various art forms—teaching, performing, hosting, photography—that all served his passion for storytelling. Four years ago, he found the culmination of these skills in City Cast Chicago, a daily podcast that allowed him to explore neighborhoods beyond his South Side roots and amplify the voices of diverse Chicagoans fighting for their communities. His journey taught him that his story’s value lies not in his individual achievements but in its ability to create threads connecting his experiences to others, and he encourages everyone to unlock their own stories through creative exploration and service to their communities.