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.

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

Stay in the (west) loop

Get our newsletter