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.

Michael Arndt

Padma Lakshmi

Melissa Clark

Sandee Kastrul

Val Warner

Nick Turner

Amanda Seales

Jane Harman

Bethany McLean

Tom Brokaw

Kate Grossman

Eric Becker

Robin Givhan

Brian Babylon

Ally Love

Kelly Rizzo

Bob Morgan

Neil Stevenson

Laura Desmond

Jessica Grose

Mats Lederhausen

Anne Munition

Tricia Eck

Felicia Lawrence

Anil Dash

Francis Slakey

Laura Washington

Kate Sullivan

Sonny Garg

Debbie Millman

Karen Jordan

Cindy Mori

Michael Slaby

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Paris Schutz

Barbara Starr

Ji Suk Yi

Ana Belaval

Molly Wood

Touré

Rachel Bronson

Adam Benforado

Charles Duhigg

Keisha Howard

Eddie Aruzza

David Brancaccio

Ali Velshi

Desiree Rogers

Kelly Leonard

Ben Johnson

Kelly Grier

Shannon Heffernan

Dustin Yellin

Terri Hemmert

Andee Harris

Steve Edwards

Carol Coletta

Jay Smooth

David Gregory

Myra Greene

Lin Brehmer

Dave Holmes

Soledad O'Brien

Richard Stengel

Janet Bodnar

Jenan Mohajir

Eve Ewing

Michal Lev-Ram

Jessica Malkin

Geoff Brigham

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Wohl

Peggy Kusinski

Brandis Friedman

Jason Henrichs

Monica Eng

Katherine Lanpher

Lola Wright

Linda Cohn

Jamil Smith

Kavita Shukla

Gretchen Carlson

Chuck Salter

Phylicia Rashad

Jessica Yellin

Mark Caro

Odette Yousef

Jud Snyder

Dan Abrams

Mellody Hobson

Celeste Headlee

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Clemons

Heidi Stevens

Kevin Pang

Deborah Douglas

Gigi Pritzker

Meredith Stricker

Campbell Brown

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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