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.

Jamil Smith

Paris Schutz

Touré

Mats Lederhausen

Carolina Sarassa

Valerie Lies

Jud Snyder

David Brancaccio

Jon Greenberg

Anne Munition

Cindy Mori

Bobby Ghosh

Linda Lutton

Charles Duhigg

Jane Harman

Tom Brokaw

Kelly Grier

Katherine Lanpher

Maryam Saleh

Laura Washington

Jay Smooth

Meredith Stricker

Ally Love

Cheryl Corley

Heidi Stevens

Bob Morgan

Odette Yousef

Karen Jordan

Sandee Kastrul

Chuck Salter

Mick Dumke

Amanda Seales

Jessica Yellin

Desiree Rogers

Michael Arndt

Janet Bodnar

Monica Eng

Andrew Barber

Eddie Aruzza

Felicia Lawrence

Robin Givhan

Lin Brehmer

Ted Fishman

Val Warner

Stephanie Gosk

Linda Cohn

Michal Lev-Ram

Andee Harris

Anil Dash

Neil Stevenson

Lola Wright

Brian Babylon

Ali Velshi

Louisa Chu

Celeste Headlee

Campbell Brown

Gretchen Carlson

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Carol Coletta

Mark Caro

Jason Henrichs

Terri Hemmert

Jessica Grose

Anne Thompson

Nick Turner

Mellody Hobson

Peggy Kusinski

Laura Desmond

Richard Stengel

Sonny Garg

Kelly Rizzo

Geoff Brigham

Barbara Starr

Eve Ewing

Eric Becker

Phylicia Rashad

Bethany McLean

Padma Lakshmi

Charles Jenkins

Ana Belaval

Jessica Wohl

Tricia Eck

Deborah Douglas

Dave Holmes

Francis Slakey

Steve Edwards

Dustin Yellin

Kate Grossman

Jessica Malkin

David Gregory

Debbie Millman

Kate Sullivan

Adam Benforado

Rachel Bronson

Kevin Pang

Poppy Harlow

Soledad O'Brien

Michael Slaby

Gigi Pritzker

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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