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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:

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.

Valerie Lies
Barbara Starr
Jane Harman
Cindy Mori
Lin Brehmer
Adam Benforado
Mellody Hobson
Janet Bodnar
Anne Thompson
Michael Arndt
Cheryl Corley
Sonny  Garg
Mats Lederhausen
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Keisha Howard
Ali  Velshi
Campbell Brown
Carolina  Sarassa
Jessica Grose
Anil Dash
Monica Eng
Anne Munition
Tricia Eck
Ted  Fishman
Karen  Jordan
Terri Hemmert
Jud Snyder
Ben Johnson
Kate  Grossman
Tom Brokaw
Phylicia Rashad
Laura  Washington
Jason  Henrichs
Bethany McLean
Stephanie  Gosk
Mark Caro
Myra Greene
Ally Love
Michal Lev-Ram
Nick  Turner
Geoff Brigham
Linda Cohn
Celeste Headlee
Dan Abrams
Lola Wright
Padma Lakshmi
Kelly Rizzo
Robin  Givhan
Katherine Lanpher
Andrew Barber
Ji Suk Yi
Ana Belaval
Gigi  Pritzker
Kelly Grier
Felicia Lawrence
Cal Fussman
Bob Morgan
Francis Slakey
Eddie  Aruzza
Jessica  Malkin
Shannon Heffernan
Jenan Mohajir
Brandis Friedman
Bobby Ghosh
Gretchen Carlson
Jessica Clemons
Jamil Smith
Desiree Rogers
Jessica Yellin
Touré
Mick Dumke
Dorri McWhorter
Neil Stevenson
Chuck Salter
David Gregory
Andee Harris
Molly Wood
Charles Jenkins
Kate Sullivan
Charles Duhigg
Jay Smooth
Heidi Stevens
Val Warner
Jon Greenberg
Kavita Shukla
Poppy Harlow
Debbie Millman
Amanda  Seales
Melissa Clark
Kelly  Leonard
Eve Ewing
Maryam Saleh
Steve Edwards
Meredith Stricker
Eric Becker
Michael Slaby
Deborah Douglas
Louisa Chu
Carol Coletta
David Brancaccio
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