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.

Francis Slakey

Melissa Clark

Carol Coletta

Amanda Seales

Val Warner

Paris Schutz

Brandis Friedman

Michael Slaby

Mellody Hobson

Monica Eng

Katherine Lanpher

Touré

Jessica Wohl

Richard Stengel

Charles Jenkins

Adam Benforado

Mick Dumke

Ji Suk Yi

Kelly Leonard

Valerie Lies

Jud Snyder

Kate Sullivan

Bobby Ghosh

Debbie Millman

Desiree Rogers

Ali Velshi

Sandee Kastrul

Laura Desmond

Geoff Brigham

Michal Lev-Ram

Peggy Kusinski

Kevin Pang

Dan Abrams

Nick Turner

Charles Duhigg

Linda Lutton

Eddie Aruzza

Heidi Stevens

Molly Wood

Rachel Bronson

Dustin Yellin

Dorri McWhorter

Lin Brehmer

Anil Dash

Terri Hemmert

Keisha Howard

Chuck Salter

Kavita Shukla

Neil Stevenson

Jay Smooth

Jessica Malkin

Felicia Lawrence

Odette Yousef

Stephanie Gosk

Jenan Mohajir

Michael Arndt

Gigi Pritzker

Linda Cohn

Brian Babylon

Andrew Barber

Jason Henrichs

Tricia Eck

Jessica Clemons

David Gregory

Soledad O'Brien

Cheryl Corley

Bethany McLean

Deborah Douglas

Phylicia Rashad

Robin Givhan

Meredith Stricker

Steve Edwards

Lola Wright

Kelly Grier

Janet Bodnar

Tom Brokaw

Ted Fishman

Jessica Grose

Karen Jordan

Kate Grossman

Laura Washington

Louisa Chu

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Yellin

Bob Morgan

Ally Love

Mark Caro

Celeste Headlee

Barbara Starr

Padma Lakshmi

Sonny Garg

Jane Harman

Shannon Heffernan

Eric Becker

Ben Johnson

Jamil Smith

Ana Belaval

Campbell Brown

Gretchen Carlson

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Howard Schultz on the State of Our Nation

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