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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.

Deborah Douglas
Louisa Chu
Sandee Kastrul
Jamil Smith
Andee Harris
Anne-Marie Slaughter
Meredith Stricker
Ben Johnson
Dave  Holmes
Kelly Grier
Carol Coletta
Maryam Saleh
Dustin Yellin
Kate  Grossman
Sonny  Garg
Jason  Henrichs
Lola Wright
Anne Munition
Phylicia Rashad
Jud Snyder
Tricia Eck
Andrew Barber
Chuck Salter
Myra Greene
Mick Dumke
Stephanie  Gosk
Eddie  Aruzza
Steve Edwards
Richard Stengel
Cindy Mori
Campbell Brown
Brian Babylon
Janet Bodnar
Jessica Grose
David Brancaccio
Ted  Fishman
Touré
Eric Becker
Monica Eng
Mark Caro
Dan Abrams
Jessica Wohl
Kavita Shukla
Keisha Howard
Poppy Harlow
Carolina  Sarassa
Katherine Lanpher
Celeste Headlee
Ali  Velshi
Debbie Millman
Amanda  Seales
Laura Desmond
Valerie Lies
Geoff Brigham
Adam Benforado
Barbara Starr
David Gregory
Mellody Hobson
Jay Smooth
Terri Hemmert
Charles Duhigg
Shannon Heffernan
Rachel Bronson
Anne Thompson
Neil Stevenson
Jessica Yellin
Bethany McLean
Eve Ewing
Cheryl Corley
Jessica Clemons
Bob Morgan
Heidi Stevens
Linda Cohn
Michael Arndt
Lin Brehmer
Odette Yousef
Jenan Mohajir
Val Warner
Charles Jenkins
Nick  Turner
Brandis Friedman
Mats Lederhausen
Peggy  Kusinski
Soledad O'Brien
Felicia Lawrence
Molly Wood
Kelly  Leonard
Jessica  Malkin
Kate Sullivan
Anil Dash
Padma Lakshmi
Ally Love
Karen  Jordan
Linda Lutton
Michael Slaby
Jon Greenberg
Dorri McWhorter
Ji Suk Yi
Bobby Ghosh
Cal Fussman
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