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.

Jon Greenberg

Mark Caro

Tom Brokaw

Dustin Yellin

Keisha Howard

Karen Jordan

Paris Schutz

Touré

Laura Washington

Meredith Stricker

Gigi Pritzker

Campbell Brown

Jessica Wohl

Anne Thompson

Mats Lederhausen

Valerie Lies

Dave Holmes

Padma Lakshmi

Eric Becker

Kavita Shukla

Kevin Pang

Cheryl Corley

David Brancaccio

Monica Eng

Ana Belaval

Celeste Headlee

Deborah Douglas

Maryam Saleh

Poppy Harlow

Anil Dash

Robin Givhan

Anne Munition

Carol Coletta

Lola Wright

Jay Smooth

Nick Turner

Debbie Millman

Kelly Rizzo

Francis Slakey

Geoff Brigham

Laura Desmond

Jessica Grose

Jane Harman

Bobby Ghosh

Dorri McWhorter

Ben Johnson

Jason Henrichs

Eve Ewing

Jessica Yellin

Cindy Mori

Eddie Aruzza

Gretchen Carlson

Soledad O'Brien

Adam Benforado

Janet Bodnar

Louisa Chu

Stephanie Gosk

Felicia Lawrence

Tricia Eck

Steve Edwards

Michal Lev-Ram

Bob Morgan

Linda Cohn

Terri Hemmert

Carolina Sarassa

Katherine Lanpher

Barbara Starr

Ali Velshi

Linda Lutton

Lin Brehmer

Michael Arndt

Sandee Kastrul

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Charles Jenkins

Melissa Clark

Kate Sullivan

Jud Snyder

Bethany McLean

Heidi Stevens

Dan Abrams

Peggy Kusinski

Brian Babylon

Phylicia Rashad

Brandis Friedman

David Gregory

Jenan Mohajir

Odette Yousef

Jamil Smith

Mellody Hobson

Michael Slaby

Ted Fishman

Mick Dumke

Charles Duhigg

Molly Wood

Kelly Grier

Andee Harris

Jessica Malkin

Chuck Salter

Richard Stengel

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