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.

Deborah Douglas

Ana Belaval

Dorri McWhorter

Bob Morgan

Adam Benforado

Kelly Leonard

Myra Greene

Cindy Mori

Rachel Bronson

Jessica Malkin

Anne Thompson

Mark Caro

Steve Edwards

Jessica Clemons

Jon Greenberg

Michael Arndt

Kelly Grier

Andee Harris

Kavita Shukla

Desiree Rogers

Dustin Yellin

Ji Suk Yi

Katherine Lanpher

Brandis Friedman

Maryam Saleh

Terri Hemmert

Carolina Sarassa

Keisha Howard

Jason Henrichs

Ali Velshi

Debbie Millman

Karen Jordan

Neil Stevenson

Jane Harman

Touré

Ally Love

Robin Givhan

Padma Lakshmi

Felicia Lawrence

Jay Smooth

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Lin Brehmer

Paris Schutz

Cheryl Corley

Gigi Pritzker

Bethany McLean

Michal Lev-Ram

Shannon Heffernan

Andrew Barber

Francis Slakey

Lola Wright

Laura Desmond

Richard Stengel

Val Warner

Carol Coletta

Kelly Rizzo

Eric Becker

Michael Slaby

Barbara Starr

Anil Dash

Poppy Harlow

Monica Eng

Eddie Aruzza

Celeste Headlee

Janet Bodnar

Mellody Hobson

Geoff Brigham

Laura Washington

Mick Dumke

Campbell Brown

Charles Duhigg

David Gregory

Jamil Smith

Melissa Clark

Kevin Pang

Jessica Yellin

Molly Wood

Dan Abrams

Sonny Garg

David Brancaccio

Odette Yousef

Tricia Eck

Jud Snyder

Linda Cohn

Kate Grossman

Ben Johnson

Soledad O'Brien

Dave Holmes

Nick Turner

Charles Jenkins

Valerie Lies

Amanda Seales

Eve Ewing

Ted Fishman

Brian Babylon

Chuck Salter

Jenan Mohajir

Jessica Wohl

Sandee Kastrul

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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