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.

Brian Babylon

Linda Cohn

Phylicia Rashad

Richard Stengel

Brandis Friedman

Andrew Barber

Desiree Rogers

Cheryl Corley

Molly Wood

Felicia Lawrence

Ben Johnson

Carol Coletta

Charles Duhigg

Melissa Clark

Deborah Douglas

Dave Holmes

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Malkin

Valerie Lies

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Peggy Kusinski

Bobby Ghosh

Kate Grossman

Neil Stevenson

Eve Ewing

Celeste Headlee

Ali Velshi

Mark Caro

Karen Jordan

Dorri McWhorter

Tom Brokaw

Charles Jenkins

Ana Belaval

Katherine Lanpher

Lin Brehmer

Kelly Rizzo

Kelly Leonard

Rachel Bronson

Gretchen Carlson

Anil Dash

Poppy Harlow

Bob Morgan

David Brancaccio

Anne Munition

Jamil Smith

Ted Fishman

Eric Becker

Nick Turner

Amanda Seales

Paris Schutz

Soledad O'Brien

Sandee Kastrul

Val Warner

Touré

Campbell Brown

Lola Wright

Chuck Salter

Janet Bodnar

Jason Henrichs

Dan Abrams

Jessica Wohl

Geoff Brigham

Jessica Yellin

Steve Edwards

Mick Dumke

Myra Greene

Terri Hemmert

Francis Slakey

Ally Love

Laura Desmond

Stephanie Gosk

Jessica Grose

Mellody Hobson

Robin Givhan

Linda Lutton

Carolina Sarassa

Jay Smooth

Jon Greenberg

Laura Washington

Ji Suk Yi

Heidi Stevens

Eddie Aruzza

Cindy Mori

Dustin Yellin

Kavita Shukla

Anne Thompson

Monica Eng

Jud Snyder

Andee Harris

Maryam Saleh

Kate Sullivan

Jenan Mohajir

David Gregory

Michal Lev-Ram

Jane Harman

Mats Lederhausen

Sonny Garg

Shannon Heffernan

Kevin Pang

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