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.

Anil Dash

Laura Desmond

Amanda Seales

Bethany McLean

Eddie Aruzza

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Kevin Pang

Gigi Pritzker

Debbie Millman

Anne Munition

Linda Lutton

Steve Edwards

Kelly Leonard

Jay Smooth

Soledad O'Brien

Brian Babylon

Molly Wood

Kelly Grier

Jessica Grose

Touré

Anne Thompson

Karen Jordan

Jon Greenberg

Keisha Howard

Richard Stengel

Terri Hemmert

Laura Washington

Dan Abrams

David Gregory

Michael Arndt

Odette Yousef

Melissa Clark

Bob Morgan

Phylicia Rashad

Jamil Smith

Dave Holmes

Charles Jenkins

Shannon Heffernan

Campbell Brown

Bobby Ghosh

Ali Velshi

Brandis Friedman

Adam Benforado

Nick Turner

Myra Greene

Desiree Rogers

Sonny Garg

Maryam Saleh

Jud Snyder

Michael Slaby

Valerie Lies

Kate Sullivan

Jessica Malkin

Ji Suk Yi

Tom Brokaw

Andrew Barber

Sandee Kastrul

Michal Lev-Ram

Cheryl Corley

Louisa Chu

Felicia Lawrence

Charles Duhigg

Kate Grossman

Janet Bodnar

Carol Coletta

Jason Henrichs

Dustin Yellin

Neil Stevenson

Poppy Harlow

Lin Brehmer

Peggy Kusinski

Paris Schutz

Deborah Douglas

Cindy Mori

Dorri McWhorter

Jessica Clemons

Carolina Sarassa

Mellody Hobson

Mark Caro

Meredith Stricker

Jessica Wohl

Jenan Mohajir

Rachel Bronson

Jane Harman

Jessica Yellin

Barbara Starr

Mick Dumke

Geoff Brigham

Val Warner

Stephanie Gosk

Kelly Rizzo

Monica Eng

Linda Cohn

Ally Love

Francis Slakey

Ted Fishman

Celeste Headlee

Eve Ewing

Ben Johnson

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