Montclair is getting a fresh dose of intellectual conversation this fall with the launch of the Thinkable speaker series at the newly restored Lackawanna Station. Founded by filmmaker and entrepreneur Desh Amila, the series aims to revive in-person dialogue and provide a space for meaningful discussion, featuring an impressive roster of thought leaders including Ta-Nehisi Coates, Cornel West, and Richard Dawkins.
Amila describes Thinkable as a modern town hall designed for the digital age. “It’s not about listening to a lecture; it’s about engaging in a conversation,” he says. Attendees are encouraged to explore differing perspectives, challenge their own assumptions, and take part in a dynamic exchange of ideas, moving beyond the echo chambers often reinforced by social media.
Lackawanna Station, which remained vacant for nearly a decade before its grand reopening earlier this year, now provides the ideal setting for the series. Amila notes that Montclair’s accessibility and the community’s intellectual curiosity made it the perfect home for Thinkable. “I wanted to bring people into spaces where they feel connected and comfortable, rather than a corporate or academic setting,” he explains.
The inspiration for Thinkable is rooted in Amila’s upbringing as the son of two Sri Lankan educators and his time living abroad in Australia. He observed that many public speaking events were either overly formal or inaccessible to a broader audience. His mission is to make high-level ideas approachable and relevant, blending education with community engagement. “This is about taking brilliant thinkers and putting them in places where people are already living their daily lives,” he says.
The series is offered as a subscription, a deliberate decision to encourage attendees to engage with speakers they might not normally seek out. “We want people to hear multiple sides of an argument, not just reinforce what they already believe,” Amila says. The program covers science, culture, and politics, with unscripted talks followed by interactive Q&A sessions, allowing for deeper audience participation.
Thinkable offers several subscription levels: Gold and Platinum passes provide access to all six events, with Platinum including VIP seating and meet-and-greet opportunities, while general admission grants access to three speaker sessions of the attendee’s choice. Tickets are available at thinkable.events.
Amila sees Thinkable as more than just a lecture series—it’s a way to reconnect communities and provide access to knowledge outside traditional academic or corporate frameworks. “I’m not a teacher, but I know great teachers,” he says. “Thinkable gives them a platform to reach audiences who might not typically attend these types of events.”
For those interested in how cultural and political discussions are evolving in New Jersey, and ways to engage more directly with ideas shaping society, Thinkable offers a unique opportunity to step away from screens and into the conversation. Additional information on local civic engagement and related topics can be found at Explore New Jersey Politics.
