Published August 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM CDT

Ways To Subscribe

Organizers of the twice-monthly educational panel series “Think and Drink,” which is usually hosted at Casual Animal Brewing Co. in the Crossroads Arts District, want attendees to walk away with new questions as much as new knowledge.

The series is a collaboration between several local partners that also include UMKC and Linda Hall Library. Its goal is to provide an accessible, “no frills” space where people can grab a drink, learn something new and engage with experts without being on their phones.

“Think and Drink” started with a lecture last July about light vs. deep sleepers. Now a year into the series, conversations have ranged from the history of Santa Claus to what went into building a custom weighted harness for a sea turtle at the Kansas City Zoo.

“Think about it like you're scanning through documentaries on any streaming device at home, but this time we've kind of chosen the topic for you and you get to ask questions at the end,” Lara Gray, co-owner of Casual Animal, told KCUR’s Up To Date.

Dr. Nicole Price, CEO of the Kansas City leadership and training company Lively Paradox, hosted a lecture in February about how both pimps and preachers use cognitive empathy to influence others.

Despite the brewery setting, Price said people got just as quiet for her panel “as they do in a library.”

“I thought when I started to speak that I'd have to talk over people or find people's eyes who were paying attention,” Price said. “But to my surprise, as soon as Lara opened her mouth, you could hear a pin drop because people are there to learn. And I thought that was fascinating, so I asked to come back and do it again.”

On Thursday evening, Price will lead another “Think and Drink” offering strategies for people who feel overwhelmed by high levels of emotional empathy. Part of that includes breaking down the implications of being “Midwest nice” and how it can limit productive conversation.

Kathryn Lipka, membership manager for Linda Hall Library, started talking to Gray over a year ago about how to bring a science perspective to events at Casual Animal.

“What our whole group is doing is not necessarily curating the topics themselves, but finding the community experts that have something interesting to say, that have spent so much time and effort on creating these concepts like Dr. Price has and can really share something with our community,” Lipka told KCUR’s Up To Date.

Price’s panel will take place at 6 p.m. at Casual Animal, 1725 McGee St. Seating is first-come, first-served for the first 200 guests before the venue moves to standing room only. Casual Animal encourages guests to arrive early to find a seat and get drinks.

Disclosure: Linda Hall Library is a financial supporter of KCUR. In July, KCUR’s Madeline Fox and Brian Ellison hosted a “Think and Drink” lecture about the August primaries.

• Lara Gray, co-owner of Casual Animal Brewing Co.
• Kathryn Lipka, membership manager for Linda Hall Library
• Dr. Nicole Price, CEO of Lively Paradox