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.

David Gregory

Sonny Garg

Meredith Stricker

Karen Jordan

Kelly Grier

Ben Johnson

Mick Dumke

Charles Duhigg

Mats Lederhausen

Felicia Lawrence

Molly Wood

Dave Holmes

Mellody Hobson

Francis Slakey

Cindy Mori

Richard Stengel

Jane Harman

Jessica Wohl

Monica Eng

Val Warner

Geoff Brigham

Michael Slaby

Kate Sullivan

Anne Thompson

Kelly Leonard

Deborah Douglas

Linda Lutton

Paris Schutz

Laura Washington

Anne Munition

Michal Lev-Ram

Rachel Bronson

Jay Smooth

Ally Love

Jessica Malkin

Linda Cohn

Charles Jenkins

Phylicia Rashad

Carolina Sarassa

Louisa Chu

Gigi Pritzker

Desiree Rogers

Robin Givhan

Andrew Barber

Jason Henrichs

Neil Stevenson

Laura Desmond

Eve Ewing

Dorri McWhorter

Poppy Harlow

Ted Fishman

Adam Benforado

Melissa Clark

Jamil Smith

Lola Wright

Barbara Starr

Debbie Millman

Sandee Kastrul

Dan Abrams

Jessica Yellin

Heidi Stevens

Peggy Kusinski

Dustin Yellin

Eric Becker

Carol Coletta

Soledad O'Brien

Tricia Eck

Campbell Brown

Nick Turner

Kevin Pang

Odette Yousef

Touré

Janet Bodnar

Terri Hemmert

Chuck Salter

Jenan Mohajir

Amanda Seales

Bob Morgan

Bethany McLean

Katherine Lanpher

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Clemons

Brandis Friedman

Stephanie Gosk

Kavita Shukla

David Brancaccio

Celeste Headlee

Kelly Rizzo

Ji Suk Yi

Jud Snyder

Tom Brokaw

Shannon Heffernan

Lin Brehmer

Valerie Lies

Gretchen Carlson

Ali Velshi

Steve Edwards

Bobby Ghosh

Mark Caro

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