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:

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.

About the Organization

About the People

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

Phylicia Rashad

Jessica Wohl

Tricia Eck

Jud Snyder

Jenan Mohajir

Jay Smooth

Val Warner

Cheryl Corley

Laura Washington

Jason Henrichs

Bob Morgan

Cindy Mori

Gigi Pritzker

David Gregory

Deborah Douglas

Desiree Rogers

Jessica Malkin

Eve Ewing

Neil Stevenson

Celeste Headlee

Dorri McWhorter

Paris Schutz

Mats Lederhausen

Adam Benforado

Meredith Stricker

Carol Coletta

Linda Cohn

Geoff Brigham

Dan Abrams

Richard Stengel

Touré

Gretchen Carlson

Nick Turner

Felicia Lawrence

Anne Munition

Andee Harris

Jamil Smith

Katherine Lanpher

Padma Lakshmi

Barbara Starr

Amanda Seales

Eddie Aruzza

Lola Wright

Ali Velshi

Maryam Saleh

Dustin Yellin

Campbell Brown

Michael Arndt

Odette Yousef

Stephanie Gosk

Ana Belaval

Dave Holmes

Andrew Barber

Jon Greenberg

Peggy Kusinski

Steve Edwards

Anil Dash

Myra Greene

Sandee Kastrul

Melissa Clark

Ted Fishman

Anne Thompson

Kelly Grier

Ally Love

Francis Slakey

Jessica Yellin

Terri Hemmert

Kate Sullivan

Heidi Stevens

Charles Jenkins

Poppy Harlow

Monica Eng

Kevin Pang

Jessica Clemons

Eric Becker

Jessica Grose

Lin Brehmer

Ji Suk Yi

Karen Jordan

Mick Dumke

Michal Lev-Ram

Mellody Hobson

Debbie Millman

Brian Babylon

Molly Wood

Kavita Shukla

Carolina Sarassa

Linda Lutton

Kelly Rizzo

Robin Givhan

Charles Duhigg

Mark Caro

Janet Bodnar

Keisha Howard

Kate Grossman

David Brancaccio

Brandis Friedman

Ben Johnson

Sonny Garg

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