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.

Poppy Harlow

Jamil Smith

Richard Stengel

Bobby Ghosh

Lin Brehmer

Soledad O'Brien

Gigi Pritzker

Janet Bodnar

Ali Velshi

Jessica Yellin

Chuck Salter

Laura Desmond

Nick Turner

Anne Thompson

Mark Caro

Kelly Rizzo

Peggy Kusinski

Eve Ewing

Adam Benforado

Desiree Rogers

Val Warner

Sandee Kastrul

Mick Dumke

Ally Love

Michael Slaby

Kate Sullivan

Debbie Millman

Steve Edwards

Anne Munition

Kavita Shukla

Monica Eng

Bob Morgan

Eddie Aruzza

Andrew Barber

Karen Jordan

Jessica Malkin

Jon Greenberg

David Brancaccio

Deborah Douglas

Felicia Lawrence

Amanda Seales

Jessica Wohl

Cindy Mori

Rachel Bronson

Paris Schutz

Myra Greene

Gretchen Carlson

Touré

Brandis Friedman

Linda Lutton

Phylicia Rashad

Eric Becker

Geoff Brigham

Jud Snyder

Katherine Lanpher

Louisa Chu

Ben Johnson

Charles Duhigg

Tricia Eck

Ted Fishman

Francis Slakey

Dave Holmes

Kate Grossman

Jessica Clemons

Carol Coletta

Valerie Lies

Dustin Yellin

Dorri McWhorter

Carolina Sarassa

Sonny Garg

Andee Harris

Odette Yousef

Neil Stevenson

Melissa Clark

Laura Washington

Ji Suk Yi

Charles Jenkins

Shannon Heffernan

Jay Smooth

Mats Lederhausen

Tom Brokaw

Bethany McLean

Jason Henrichs

Stephanie Gosk

Michael Arndt

Michal Lev-Ram

Linda Cohn

Anil Dash

David Gregory

Robin Givhan

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Dan Abrams

Brian Babylon

Kelly Grier

Ana Belaval

Terri Hemmert

Heidi Stevens

Lola Wright

Celeste Headlee

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