SIGN UPLOGIN

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.

Richard Stengel
Chuck Salter
Anne Thompson
Eve Ewing
Jon Greenberg
Michael Slaby
Brian Babylon
Dan Abrams
Kate  Grossman
Felicia Lawrence
Anil Dash
Amanda  Seales
Kelly Rizzo
Robin  Givhan
Eric Becker
Barbara Starr
Shannon Heffernan
Dorri McWhorter
Laura  Washington
Mats Lederhausen
Bethany McLean
Molly Wood
Paris Schutz
Michael Arndt
Jessica  Malkin
Jessica Clemons
Cheryl Corley
Geoff Brigham
Steve Edwards
Kevin Pang
Brandis Friedman
Neil Stevenson
Maryam Saleh
Touré
Jessica Yellin
Cal Fussman
Nick  Turner
Carolina  Sarassa
Myra Greene
Jessica Wohl
Ali  Velshi
Meredith Stricker
Ana Belaval
Heidi Stevens
Charles Duhigg
Jay Smooth
Tricia Eck
Gretchen Carlson
Kelly Grier
Soledad O'Brien
Sandee Kastrul
Mick Dumke
Monica Eng
Eddie  Aruzza
Poppy Harlow
Val Warner
Jamil Smith
Jessica Grose
Janet Bodnar
Mellody Hobson
Mark Caro
Deborah Douglas
Keisha Howard
Louisa Chu
Bob Morgan
Campbell Brown
Cindy Mori
Desiree Rogers
Kelly  Leonard
Odette Yousef
David Brancaccio
Padma Lakshmi
Jud Snyder
Jason  Henrichs
Andee Harris
Francis Slakey
Ben Johnson
David Gregory
Stephanie  Gosk
Lin Brehmer
Terri Hemmert
Ally Love
Sonny  Garg
Anne Munition
Tom Brokaw
Jane Harman
Jenan Mohajir
Linda Lutton
Andrew Barber
Adam Benforado
Phylicia Rashad
Celeste Headlee
Charles Jenkins
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Valerie Lies
Kavita Shukla
Kate Sullivan
Peggy  Kusinski
Rachel Bronson
Michal Lev-Ram
Explore More

Stay in the (west) loop

Get our newsletter