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.

Amanda Seales

Charles Jenkins

Dave Holmes

Shannon Heffernan

Ana Belaval

Jason Henrichs

Eric Becker

Ally Love

Mellody Hobson

Val Warner

Laura Washington

Jay Smooth

Debbie Millman

Ji Suk Yi

Charles Duhigg

Kate Grossman

Tom Brokaw

Monica Eng

Brandis Friedman

Andrew Barber

Andee Harris

Myra Greene

Deborah Douglas

Lola Wright

Jane Harman

Phylicia Rashad

Brian Babylon

Louisa Chu

Karen Jordan

Melissa Clark

Touré

Dan Abrams

Carol Coletta

Steve Edwards

Anne Thompson

Nick Turner

David Gregory

Jessica Yellin

Paris Schutz

Jessica Malkin

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Jessica Clemons

Mark Caro

Eddie Aruzza

Adam Benforado

Sandee Kastrul

Bethany McLean

Katherine Lanpher

Molly Wood

Heidi Stevens

Cindy Mori

Bobby Ghosh

Soledad O'Brien

Lin Brehmer

Gigi Pritzker

Rachel Bronson

Felicia Lawrence

Sonny Garg

Michael Slaby

Kelly Grier

Anil Dash

Valerie Lies

Desiree Rogers

Barbara Starr

Kelly Rizzo

David Brancaccio

Jessica Wohl

Kevin Pang

Padma Lakshmi

Mats Lederhausen

Eve Ewing

Linda Cohn

Janet Bodnar

Kate Sullivan

Maryam Saleh

Ben Johnson

Kelly Leonard

Celeste Headlee

Michael Arndt

Richard Stengel

Jud Snyder

Jamil Smith

Terri Hemmert

Cheryl Corley

Dustin Yellin

Linda Lutton

Kavita Shukla

Michal Lev-Ram

Chuck Salter

Bob Morgan

Odette Yousef

Ted Fishman

Meredith Stricker

Gretchen Carlson

Dorri McWhorter

Robin Givhan

Francis Slakey

Neil Stevenson

Carolina Sarassa

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