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.

Richard Stengel

Chuck Salter

Anne Thompson

Eve Ewing

Jon Greenberg

Michael Slaby

Brian Babylon

Dan Abrams

Kate Grossman

Felicia Lawrence

Anil Dash

Amanda Seales

Kelly Rizzo

Robin Givhan

Eric Becker

Barbara Starr

Shannon Heffernan

Dorri McWhorter

Laura Washington

Mats Lederhausen

Bethany McLean

Molly Wood

Paris Schutz

Michael Arndt

Jessica Malkin

Jessica Clemons

Cheryl Corley

Geoff Brigham

Steve Edwards

Kevin Pang

Brandis Friedman

Neil Stevenson

Maryam Saleh

Touré

Jessica Yellin

Nick Turner

Carolina Sarassa

Myra Greene

Jessica Wohl

Ali Velshi

Meredith Stricker

Ana Belaval

Heidi Stevens

Charles Duhigg

Jay Smooth

Tricia Eck

Gretchen Carlson

Kelly Grier

Soledad O'Brien

Sandee Kastrul

Mick Dumke

Monica Eng

Eddie Aruzza

Poppy Harlow

Val Warner

Jamil Smith

Jessica Grose

Janet Bodnar

Mellody Hobson

Mark Caro

Deborah Douglas

Keisha Howard

Louisa Chu

Bob Morgan

Campbell Brown

Cindy Mori

Desiree Rogers

Kelly Leonard

Odette Yousef

David Brancaccio

Padma Lakshmi

Jud Snyder

Jason Henrichs

Andee Harris

Francis Slakey

Ben Johnson

David Gregory

Stephanie Gosk

Lin Brehmer

Terri Hemmert

Ally Love

Sonny Garg

Anne Munition

Tom Brokaw

Jane Harman

Jenan Mohajir

Linda Lutton

Andrew Barber

Adam Benforado

Phylicia Rashad

Celeste Headlee

Charles Jenkins

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Valerie Lies

Kavita Shukla

Kate Sullivan

Peggy Kusinski

Rachel Bronson

Michal Lev-Ram

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