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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.

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
Cal Fussman
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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