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.

Jenan Mohajir

Bob Morgan

Michal Lev-Ram

Adam Benforado

Laura Desmond

Lin Brehmer

Mellody Hobson

Carolina Sarassa

David Brancaccio

Andee Harris

Katherine Lanpher

Ji Suk Yi

Campbell Brown

Charles Duhigg

Keisha Howard

Padma Lakshmi

Jon Greenberg

Jessica Wohl

Gretchen Carlson

Neil Stevenson

Tom Brokaw

Ally Love

Shannon Heffernan

Francis Slakey

Geoff Brigham

Jay Smooth

Kevin Pang

Lola Wright

Brandis Friedman

Heidi Stevens

Kavita Shukla

Celeste Headlee

Mark Caro

Michael Arndt

Jason Henrichs

Michael Slaby

Stephanie Gosk

Felicia Lawrence

Touré

Kelly Leonard

Kelly Grier

Dorri McWhorter

Ana Belaval

Linda Cohn

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Grose

Maryam Saleh

Desiree Rogers

Odette Yousef

Eric Becker

Jessica Clemons

Valerie Lies

Jessica Yellin

Peggy Kusinski

Bobby Ghosh

Amanda Seales

Kate Grossman

Louisa Chu

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Cindy Mori

Robin Givhan

Anil Dash

Debbie Millman

Laura Washington

Tricia Eck

Cheryl Corley

David Gregory

Chuck Salter

Dan Abrams

Molly Wood

Melissa Clark

Eve Ewing

Jessica Malkin

Val Warner

Myra Greene

Carol Coletta

Jamil Smith

Andrew Barber

Mats Lederhausen

Ben Johnson

Charles Jenkins

Anne Munition

Soledad O'Brien

Janet Bodnar

Phylicia Rashad

Richard Stengel

Jud Snyder

Rachel Bronson

Meredith Stricker

Kelly Rizzo

Monica Eng

Bethany McLean

Poppy Harlow

Nick Turner

Barbara Starr

Deborah Douglas

Mick Dumke

Dave Holmes

Jane Harman

Dustin Yellin

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