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Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief

When audiences of every background have the same access to thought leaders and innovative ideas – people have the power to spark change in the world.

Who are our thought leaders? We thought you'd never ask.
Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair
Luis Ahn
Fawzia Mirza
Ramesh Srinivasan
Margaret Gould Stewart
Tim Ferriss
Shradha Agarwal
Bashir Salahuddin
Radha Agrawal
Edward Norton
Nick Kokonas
Massimo Lepore
Shannon Watts
Colin Powell
Shane Battier
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot
Dick Costolo
LeVar Burton
Charlamagne Tha God
Jose Antonio Vargas
Janet Comenos
Jamie Metzl
Brandon Boyd
Hillary Sale
Francoise Baylis
Emily Bear
Rahm Emanuel
Helene Gayle
Cedric Alexander
Bing Gordon
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson PhD
Liz Phair
Brian Wallach
Yusef Salaam
David Lynch
Cameron Esposito
Alec Baldwin
Bryan Cranston
Questlove
S.E. Cupp

Chicago Ideas is a nonprofit platform built on one core belief:

When audiences of every background have the same access to thought leaders and innovative ideas – people have the power to spark change in the world.

Who are our thought leaders? We thought you’d never ask.

Eddie  Aruzza
Celeste Headlee
Dave  Holmes
Ali  Velshi
Bethany McLean
Anil Dash
Desiree Rogers
Charles Duhigg
Linda Lutton
Janet Bodnar
Felicia Lawrence
Richard Stengel
Jay Smooth
Karen  Jordan
Mick Dumke
Cindy Mori
Odette Yousef
Phylicia Rashad
Campbell Brown
Heidi Stevens
Robin  Givhan
Laura Desmond
Michael Arndt
Ted  Fishman
Anne Munition
Ji Suk Yi
Jessica Clemons
Jon Greenberg
Mats Lederhausen
Myra Greene
Jessica Yellin
David Gregory
Jane Harman
Linda Cohn
Anne Thompson
Kelly  Leonard
Ben Johnson
Tom Brokaw
Eve Ewing
Charles Jenkins
Kelly Grier
Shannon Heffernan
Sandee Kastrul
Kevin Pang
Cal Fussman
Louisa Chu
Andrew Barber
Francis Slakey
Sonny  Garg
Soledad O'Brien
Padma Lakshmi
Valerie Lies
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Katherine Lanpher
Debbie Millman
Steve Edwards
Molly Wood
Geoff Brigham
Bob Morgan
Andee Harris
Ana Belaval
Meredith Stricker
Poppy Harlow
Gigi  Pritzker
Monica Eng
Paris Schutz
Dustin Yellin
Lola Wright
Amanda  Seales
Terri Hemmert
Melissa Clark
Chuck Salter
Adam Benforado
Carol Coletta
Eric Becker
David Brancaccio
Laura  Washington
Lin Brehmer
Carolina  Sarassa
Val Warner
Ally Love
Mellody Hobson
Kelly Rizzo
Kavita Shukla
Deborah Douglas
Dan Abrams
Jessica Grose
Kate  Grossman
Jamil Smith
Neil Stevenson
Bobby Ghosh
Brandis Friedman
Cheryl Corley
Barbara Starr
Jenan Mohajir
Mark Caro
Brian Babylon
Rachel Bronson
Jud Snyder
Gretchen Carlson
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