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.

Mick Dumke

Jane Harman

Tom Brokaw

Brandis Friedman

Ted Fishman

Mark Caro

Eric Becker

Brian Babylon

Jud Snyder

Neil Stevenson

Desiree Rogers

Melissa Clark

Chuck Salter

Adam Benforado

Jessica Clemons

Kavita Shukla

Eddie Aruzza

Mats Lederhausen

Dan Abrams

Felicia Lawrence

Barbara Starr

Phylicia Rashad

Cindy Mori

Padma Lakshmi

Val Warner

Kelly Leonard

Amanda Seales

Anne Munition

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Monica Eng

Dustin Yellin

Michael Arndt

Carolina Sarassa

Valerie Lies

Molly Wood

Bobby Ghosh

Meredith Stricker

Ben Johnson

Jamil Smith

Peggy Kusinski

Andee Harris

Linda Cohn

Louisa Chu

Mellody Hobson

Jessica Malkin

Laura Washington

Kelly Grier

David Gregory

Geoff Brigham

Bethany McLean

Sonny Garg

Francis Slakey

Michael Slaby

Paris Schutz

Dorri McWhorter

Richard Stengel

Nick Turner

Kevin Pang

Debbie Millman

Shannon Heffernan

Ally Love

Jon Greenberg

Myra Greene

Eve Ewing

Gretchen Carlson

Ana Belaval

Stephanie Gosk

Deborah Douglas

Katherine Lanpher

Janet Bodnar

Lola Wright

Charles Duhigg

Ji Suk Yi

Jay Smooth

Rachel Bronson

Jason Henrichs

Celeste Headlee

Steve Edwards

Poppy Harlow

Anne Thompson

Lin Brehmer

Carol Coletta

Dave Holmes

Robin Givhan

Michal Lev-Ram

Jenan Mohajir

Kate Sullivan

Keisha Howard

Jessica Grose

David Brancaccio

Heidi Stevens

Terri Hemmert

Cheryl Corley

Gigi Pritzker

Ali Velshi

Charles Jenkins

Karen Jordan

Maryam Saleh

Jessica Wohl

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