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.

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

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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