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.

Poppy Harlow

Kevin Pang

Jud Snyder

Campbell Brown

Sonny Garg

Michael Slaby

Robin Givhan

Andee Harris

Stephanie Gosk

Eddie Aruzza

Peggy Kusinski

Kelly Rizzo

Gretchen Carlson

Kate Grossman

Dustin Yellin

Valerie Lies

Maryam Saleh

Sandee Kastrul

Desiree Rogers

Jon Greenberg

Brandis Friedman

Heidi Stevens

Dorri McWhorter

Louisa Chu

Karen Jordan

Mick Dumke

Melissa Clark

Jessica Malkin

Neil Stevenson

Shannon Heffernan

Charles Jenkins

Padma Lakshmi

Bethany McLean

Ben Johnson

Jane Harman

Ana Belaval

Jessica Yellin

Felicia Lawrence

Linda Lutton

Laura Desmond

Rachel Bronson

Bob Morgan

Nick Turner

Jenan Mohajir

Lin Brehmer

Amanda Seales

Meredith Stricker

Keisha Howard

Bobby Ghosh

Jamil Smith

Molly Wood

Dan Abrams

Mellody Hobson

Jay Smooth

Phylicia Rashad

Terri Hemmert

Ali Velshi

Eric Becker

Debbie Millman

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jessica Clemons

Soledad O'Brien

Cheryl Corley

David Brancaccio

Lola Wright

Mark Caro

Tricia Eck

Kelly Grier

Richard Stengel

Val Warner

Charles Duhigg

Ji Suk Yi

Carol Coletta

Carolina Sarassa

Jessica Grose

Jason Henrichs

Ally Love

David Gregory

Michal Lev-Ram

Anne Thompson

Gigi Pritzker

Janet Bodnar

Jessica Wohl

Monica Eng

Paris Schutz

Kate Sullivan

Ted Fishman

Dave Holmes

Cindy Mori

Odette Yousef

Anil Dash

Steve Edwards

Eve Ewing

Mats Lederhausen

Anne Munition

Linda Cohn

Deborah Douglas

Katherine Lanpher

Chuck Salter

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